Car buyers will soon browse more lavish showrooms and have more options along
the Grand Strand, with several dealers renovating their lots and service
areas, some moving into larger spaces and a couple of new names opening their
first dealerships in the area.
The recovering economy, which has enticed some car owners who had put off
buying a new ride to take the plunge, and programs by manufacturers urging
upgrades at their dealerships have prompted the flurry of activity at car lots
throughout Horry County, officials said.
Some area dealers said business has been growing -- this year has been
better than last for many of them -- and it's time to refresh their lots, some
of which haven't seen substantial renovations in years.
"We felt the timing was right for us," said Lee Forrest, general manager
and part owner of Jud Kuhn Chevrolet in Little River. "Our facility really
needed it. It was time for us to upgrade. It is going to be much, much more
inviting."
The activity at area car dealers comes as the industry nationally is
growing. November was the best month for car dealers nationally in nearly five
years, with sales rising 15 percent from a year ago to 1.1 million, the
fastest pace since January 2008, The Associated Press reported.
Americans are more confident about the economy, home values nationally
are rising and hiring is up, which have contributed to the jump in sales,
experts said. And in November, sales picked up as drivers replaced vehicles
damaged by Hurricane Sandy or who were delayed buying their vehicle when the
storm hit in late October.
Grand Strand car dealers said business has been good for them, too,
thanks to a need for drivers to replace aging vehicles, an improving economy,
new models and special programs aiming to lure buyers.
"Business has been pretty good," said Pat Fire, general manager of Hyatt
Buick GMC in Myrtle Beach, which was one of the fastest growing Buick
dealerships last year in South Carolina and recently finished a renovation.
"We've had three consecutive years of steady, steady growth."
A good portion of the renovations along the Grand Strand is at GM
dealerships, part of the most substantial dealer renovation project in GM
history. About 88 percent of GM dealers nationwide either already have done or
will be starting soon on the recommended work, among them several along the
Grand Strand including Hyatt, Bell and Bell Buick GMC Trucks in Little River,
Jud Kuhn and Hadwin-White in Conway.
"They just want to make sure the environment is supporting the lines,
models they are introducing," said Jordan Hadwin, general manager of
Hadwin-White, which is amid the renovation.
Some GM dealers are rolling in a more substantial overhaul of their lots
into the GM-urged upgrades. Hadwin-White off U.S. 501 in Conway, which has
been in business for 25 years, is expanding the showroom, building a new
service lounge and service write-up area, among other improvements. The work
started at the end of September and is expected to be complete by early
spring, Hadwin said.
"It really is going to be a pretty significant overhaul," she said. "We
decided to go all the way in. This is by far one of the most extensive
renovations we've done."
Hyatt finished its upgrades, including a new facade and updated showroom,
in October, with plans to redo the concrete parking lot starting in February,
Fire said.
"Customers like it," he said. "It's more updated, more atheistically
appealing ... It's a brand image."
The renovations aren't limited to GM dealers.
Sparks Toyota, which has been in business for 30 years in the Myrtle
Beach area, had planned to renovate a few years ago, but put the project on
hold as the economy struggled. Sparks is now ready to move forward on the
nearly yearlong project, with construction set to start next month and wrap up
by the end of 2013. The showroom will double in size, and the service center
will expand, among other upgrades.
"It's a full facility renovation," said Michelle Bessett, the
dealership's relationship manager. "It was put on hold because of the economy.
... Things are starting to turn around for us."
In addition to renovations, dealers such as Myrtle Beach Kia moved into a
larger space off U.S. 501 in October and Car City, which opened off U.S. 501
two years ago and caters to buyers who can't get traditional financing, is
building a new 5,000-square-foot dealership off U.S. 501 across from Wal-Mart.
The market also has lured a new dealer, Drive Time, which also
specializes in selling used cars to drivers with no credit or bad credit and
has nearly 100 locations across the country. It opened Dec. 7 off U.S. 501 in
Conway.
"It's another place to take our brand," said Drive Time's Karl Brunner,
who works at the Conway dealership. "We are just growing the business."
Car City, which has locations in Little River and the N.C. cities of
Calabash, Whiteville and Lumberton, opened a small, 30-vehicle lot off U.S.
501 two years ago to test the market, said Steve Small, general manger of the
Conway lot. In the beginning, Car City sold about eight cars a month, now it
averages 20 to 25 a month, Small said.
The new, much larger location off U.S. 501 will have full service
department, tow company and rental car company. It is on track to open in
March or April.
