AUSTINTOWN CHRYSLER Like father, like son: 2 dealerships will be one

Bob Eddy and his son Chuck prepare to expand one dealership and close another.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
AUSTINTOWN -- Bob and Chuck Eddy are combining their car dealerships as part of a Chrysler plan that encourages company brands to be sold under one roof.
They are remodeling and expanding Bob Eddy's Chrysler Jeep, 4850 Mahoning Ave., and closing Chuck Eddy Dodge, 5163 Mahoning Ave.
The father and son will be partners in the new dealership, Bob and Chuck Eddy Chrysler Dodge Jeep.
Chuck Eddy said they have been trying for years to combine the dealerships, but Chrysler had said it wanted multiple sales points. When Chrysler announced it changed its policy about a year ago, the Eddys jumped on board.
"Our whole family will be under one roof and be working as a team, instead of as competitors," Chuck Eddy said.
He said Chrysler isn't forcing dealers to combine but is encouraging it where it makes sense. So far, about 250 of its 4,800 dealerships are involved.
Similar look
As other automakers have done, Chrysler wants its dealers to adopt a similar look. The new dealership will be larger and more inviting, with a fireplace and upgraded waiting area.
Consumers today expect a pleasant shopping experience, whether they are going to a hardware store or a car dealer, Eddy said.
He said he and his father are confident the investment will pay off, even though they aren't located along the row of car dealers that have moved to Market Street in Boardman.
"Obviously, it hasn't scared us or we wouldn't be investing a couple million dollars in a new facility. Austintown has been very good to us," he said.
When his father first opened his dealership in 1970, the biggest concentration of car dealers was on Wick Avenue in Youngstown.
"All that's happened is that our competition has shifted from Youngstown to Boardman. It's not affected us or intimidated us," he said.
The bigger challenge is selling Chrysler products in a community that has many General Motors workers and family members who are eligible for GM discounts, he said.
"I have to take my reputation and sell it to the community," he said.
Combined already
For now, the two dealerships have been combined into the Chuck Eddy Dodge location so construction work can get started.
Chuck Eddy said his dealership has a better location than his father's because it is near the state Route 11 interchange, but they opted to expand the other dealership because more land was available. They bought additional land around that dealership.
They have started clearing land and expect construction to begin in the next few weeks. The front half of the dealership will be torn down so a new facade can be created, along with an expanded showroom.
They are hoping to have a grand opening March 1.
Eddy said they are studying options for the building that houses the Dodge dealership, including selling it or opening a dealership for another automaker.
Bob Eddy, 69, will remain involved in the business.
"I want him here as long as he wants to be here," said Chuck Eddy, 45.
Starting out
Bob Eddy started selling cars at a Warren dealership in 1957 before opening in Austintown in 1970.
Chuck Eddy started working for his dad at age 14, sweeping and mopping floors.
"All I ever wanted to be was to be like my dad," he said.
When he was a junior in high school, no one else wanted to meet with a customer outside on a cold and snowy February night. He went out and sold his first car, a 1975 black Cordoba with Corinthian leather.
He eventually worked in all of the departments before taking over a Dodge dealership that his dad bought in Warren in 1990. He operated Five Star Dodge until 1992, when his father bought State Dodge from the Sweeney family and moved it from Wick Avenue to Mahoning Avenue. He bought the Dodge dealership from his dad in 1999.
He has two brothers-in-law, Clay Campfield and Chuck Baker, who are sales managers. His mother, Shirley, is involved with the business.
He has a 22-year-old daughter, Kelly, who is majoring in hospitality management at Youngstown State University, and a 2-year-old son, Adam.
Two other children are involved with the business. His 19-year-old son, Chuckie, is studying at YSU and working at the dealership selling cars. His 13-year-old, Bobby, is just starting out with the broom and mop.
shilling@vindy.com