Greenwood builds on success with new location in Hubbard

Car buyers had been shopping at Greenwood's former location since 1928.
By CYNTHIA VINARSKY
VINDICATOR BUSINESS WRITER
HUBBARD -- Taking a cue from a market survey by General Motors, Greenwood Hubbard Chevrolet has moved from its longtime downtown Hubbard location to a new, $3.5 million dealership just south of Interstate 80.
Owner Greg Greenwood said he decided to invest in a new facility to make vehicle shopping more convenient for the dealership's loyal customers and to grab a larger share of the auto business around Hubbard and neighboring Sharon, Pa.
Now located at 2635 N. Main St., Greenwood Hubbard Chevrolet has a 28,000-square-foot dealership building, which includes a sales offices, parts department and service department. The site of about eight acres has room enough to park more than 400 new and used vehicles.
Architect Randy Baker of Baker Bednar and Associates in Howland designed the building.
Strategy
General Motors recommended 10 years ago that Greenwood relocate his Hubbard dealership to a spot closer to the interstate, based on market surveys of the area.
GM's strategy focuses more on maintaining loyalty than on taking business from other automakers, Greenwood explained, and its research indicated a spot near the highway would make the business more convenient to customers.
Proximity to I-80, coupled with an open outside vehicle display area to encourage weekend and off-hour "window shopping" should also help to increase the dealership's sales numbers, said Eric Blinzley, general sales manager.
Greenwood's former Hubbard dealership building was aging, Blinzley said, and most of the parking lot was enclosed, so shoppers couldn't see the cars after hours.
"We've already greatly exceeded our goals in our first month," Greenwood said, noting that the Hubbard store was one of a few area dealerships reporting a substantial sales increase for May.
History
Greenwood Hubbard traces its roots to Stiver Motors Inc., a Chevrolet dealership founded in 1928. Gary Stiver, who works as inventory manager, said Hubbard was home to four new car dealers around the time his grandfather, George T. Stiver, founded Stiver Motors.
The business continued under the Stiver family name until 1988 when Greenwood bought it and renamed it Eagle Chevrolet Oldsmobile. Oldsmobiles are being phased out since General Motors stopped making the auto line in April.
Other dealerships
Greenwood also owns two dealerships in Austintown: Greenwood Chevrolet and the new Greenwood Hummer, which is under construction and set to open in April 2005.
He is a partner with his father, Wayne C. Greenwood Jr., in the Boardman Chrysler dealership Greenwood Market Motor.
Greenwood's brother Terry owns Greenwood Auto in Cortland, a Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealership founded more than 50 years ago by their grandfather, Wayne C. Greenwood Sr.
Wayne Greenwood Jr. recently bought the former Victory Dodge in Columbiana, in partnership with Greenwood's brother Danny. That store is now called Danny Greenwood's Columbiana Dodge.
Outside the area, Greenwood said, his stepsister and her husband, Holly and Bob Elliott, own Bob Elliott's Greenwood Chevrolet in Fort Meade, Fla. Wayne Greenwood Jr. started that business in 1975.
vinarsky@vindy.com