Spring 2012 issue of Horizons

Automotive

Beyond Skin Deep: The Effect of Facility Image Programs By Mark Conrad, CPA

1. Expansion: Focused on correctly sizing dealership sales, storage and service areas to meet current and projected demand 2. Modernization: Bring the inside and outside facilities to contemporary standards 3. Standardization: Ensure that every dealership carrying a given brand looks more or less alike Generally, all parties involved in the American auto industry agree that dealers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and consumers alike are justified in expecting that new cars be sold from well- maintained, clean, and modernized facilities.

During the recent 2012 National Automotive Dealers Association (NADA) convention in Las Vegas, facility image programs remained a hot topic and a significant concern for dealers across the country. As a result of the continued improvements in the U.S. economy and the significant increase in new vehicle sales from 2010 to 2011, manufacturers continue to increase their pressure on dealers to renovate facilities. The facility image programs are different for each car brand; however they all contain the same three basic attributes:

Raise Your Expectations

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