NORTH JACKSON Car dealer to start $500,000 expansion

The project will increase the size of the dealership's showroom and service department.
THE VINDICATOR, YOUNGSTOWN
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
NORTH JACKSON -- Spitzer Chevrolet is set to begin a $500,000 expansion designed to increase customer comfort and sales.
The plan calls for an enlarged showroom and improved service area, said Barry Gonis, dealership general manager. A ground-breaking ceremony will be Monday, with construction to take four or five months.
The new showroom will allow the dealership to add to its eight-person sales staff. The showroom is so small that there isn't room for any more workers or any cars to be displayed.
"We only have eight desks. We're right on top of each other," Gonis said.
With a larger sales staff, sales should increase, he said. The dealership is selling about 100 new and used vehicles a month but it is looking to expand that to between 200 and 250, he said.
Spitzer Management has doubled sales since it bought the Mahoning Avenue dealership from Team Chevrolet in 1998, Gonis said.
Spitzer, which is based in suburban Cleveland, operates 20 dealerships in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.
The details
Gonis said the new showroom will have room for four or five cars. Customers will appreciate being able to see the latest models and those that have been advertised without having to go outside, he said.
The service department is being upgraded with the creation of an enclosed room for customers to drop off their cars or wait for service.
The service counter now is at the back of the dealership, close to the repair bays. The new counter will be moved nearer to the front of the dealership and will be in a room that is properly heated and air conditioned.
Moving the counter also will create room for a few more service bays.
The project also calls for a garage that customers can use when they drop off their cars. Gonis said this will eliminate them from parking their cars in the lot and walking into the dealership.
GM link
Gonis said General Motors' commitment to a $550 million upgrade at its Lordstown assembly and fabrication plants was a big factor in the dealership going forward with its plan.
If GM had abandoned Lordstown, the dealership wouldn't have expanded, he said. In fact, it would have been a struggle to survive, he said.
The dealership employs 40.
shilling@vindy.com