GREENWOOD CHEVROLET Hummer dealership coming to Austintown

Hummer's new H2 model is to arrive at the dealership this week.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
AUSTINTOWN -- Greg Greenwood, who owns three area car dealerships, has landed the Hummer dealership for the region.
General Motors announced 33 new Hummer dealers Tuesday, making 139 for its latest vehicle division.
The local Hummer dealership will be at Greenwood Chevrolet in Austintown for now. The first H2 sport-utility vehicle was due to arrive Wednesday or today, said Norm Flick, Greenwood's Hummer brand manager.
Hummer wants the dealership eventually to put up a new building for the Hummer franchise in Boardman so it can be near the car dealers on Market Street, he said. Those details haven't been worked out.
Flick said Greenwood officials are excited about landing the Hummer dealership because of the sales potential. GM is creating a division for Hummer, much like it did for Saturn.
GM said new Hummer dealerships will offer special treatment to customers. As dealerships are built, they will offer a "unique and daring environment," GM said. The first dealership built exclusively for Hummer is to open this summer in Milwaukee.
The Hummers were created as street versions of the humvee military vehicle.
GM, which intends to have 150 dealers nationwide, acquired the Hummer brand from AM General in 1999. The vehicles are manufactured in South Bend, Ind.
Upscale SUVs
The first model to be sold by Greenwood is the H2, which is hitting the market this month. It has a sticker price of $48,700.
Flick said it is an upscale SUV that is being marketed against SUVs produced by Lincoln, Lexus and BMW. Features on the H2 include leather interior and constant four-wheel drive.
"You can go off-road and do anything you want to with it," he said.
The H1 costs twice as much and is larger than the H2. Flick said the dealership will have one or two of the H1 models for sale.
Flick said Hummer wants the dealership to sell 40 H2 models by the end of this year.
He said he expects Hummer sales to take a big jump when the H3 hits the market for the 2004 model year. This model will be priced in the $30,000 to $35,000 range and will be marketed against Jeep models.
Dealership sales goals for next year haven't been released, but overall, Hummer expects to sell 40,000 vehicles in 2003, Flick said.
Hummers in Ohio
Hummer is placing five dealerships in Ohio. The others will be in Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus and Cincinnati.
Flick said the Greenwood dealership expects to pull in customers from Akron, Steubenville, Ashtabula and Erie, Pa.
Greenwood and four other dealerships were vying for the franchise, and Hummer picked Greenwood after visiting the dealerships earlier this year. Greenwood learned of the selection in May, and dealership officials visited the manufacturing plant last month and test drove the vehicles.
Flick said he thinks Greenwood was selected for a dealership because of its sales volume with GM and record of customer satisfaction. Greenwood Chevrolet is one of the highest selling car dealers in the Mahoning Valley.
Greg Greenwood also owns Greenwood Market Motor in Boardman and Greenwood's Hubbard Chevrolet & amp; Oldsmobile. His stepbrother, Terry, owns Greenwood Chrysler Plymouth & amp; Dodge in Cortland.
shilling@vindy.com