Spitzer celebrates 111 years in business

By Kalea Hall

khall@vindy.com

NORTH JACKSON

One day, Henry Ford got off a train in Grafton, Ohio. He saw a hardware store, Spitzer Hardware and Supply Co., and kept it in mind.

Ford “went back and recruited my grandfather to be a dealer,” said Alan Spitzer, president and chief executive officer of Spitzer Management Inc.

George G. Spitzer was an aggressive hardware salesman with a well-known name.

“We got into the car business by accident,” Alan said. “My grandfather was the most-prominent merchant in town.”

By 1914, the hardware store added its Ford Model T dealership, and operated in that fashion for several years.

In following years, the Spitzer name became prominent even outside of Grafton. Today, there are 17 Spitzer dealer locations with multiple auto brands.

The company, in its fourth generation of leaders, celebrates its 111th year in business this year.

“My goal is to continue to grow a sustainable business, drive down our company’s turnover and pass it down to the fifth generation,” said Alison Spitzer, vice president of operations and fourth-generation leader with the company.

It started in 1904 with George opening his hardware store in Grafton. The Model T arrival not only changed the hardware store, but the entire auto industry because it allowed for the basic consumer to have access to an automobile.

By 1939, John Spitzer, Alan’s father, an Ohio State University graduate, was sent to close down the car dealership by his father, George.

“He had 90 days,” Alan said.

But instead of liquidating the cars and the workers, John decided to fix what problems existed at the dealership. George noticed the dealership had turned the corner for the better, so he said “so be it,” Alan said.

Then the war came and everything was on hold.

The next move for Spitzer was to go where the people were. In this case, the move was to Elyria with a Dodge franchise.

“He did very, very well,” Alan said. “We become one of the biggest dealers in the area.”

Alan’s grandfather was never able to see where the business went. He died at age 62 in 1945. Alan’s father died in 1992, and he took over the company.

“I think they would be very proud,” Alan said. “My grandfather would be amazed. We hadn’t even finished the dealership in Elyria when he passed.”

But Alan’s father would have expected the Spitzer success.

Alan started work in the dealerships as a go-fer in the body shop. By 15, he began to sell cars at the Mansfield dealership.

He sold his first car, a yellow and white 1958 Chevy, in 1961. He went on to take a management position in 1967.

“We were never forced to do it,” Alan said about the business. “I always had that in my DNA. I always saw myself doing what I am doing now.”

By the 1950s, the Spitzer dealerships started to expand into the Cleveland and Columbus areas. They also popped up in Arkansas, Michigan and Florida.

“We have 24 franchises in 17 locations,” Alan said. “We were in 25 locations, but we consolidated.”

The Spitzer dealerships are in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida.

Spitzer almost came to the Mahoning Valley in the 1970s, but ended up not getting here until 1998 with the Chevrolet dealership on Mahoning Avenue in North Jackson.

“The people in the Mahoning Valley are our kind of people,” Alan said. “Even though we do business in many communities, we are in the community with one sale at a time. One customer at a time. That has always been our ground principle.”

Spitzer will soon update operations at its North Jackson Chevrolet dealership where the Lordstown-built Cruze and the Equinox, Silverado and Malibu all shine in sales performance.

The plan is to add on to the dealership or build new.

“The one nice thing about us is when you deal with us, it feels like a hometown dealership,” said Barry Gonis, general manager of Spitzer Chevrolet in North Jackson. “You don’t feel lost in the shuffle.”

The expansion is expected to be complete within a year after ground is broken.

“We have a great team there, and we have a lot of opportunity,” Alison Spitzer said.

Across the board, Spitzer employs 700. Outside of the auto world, the company works in real estate and operates marinas. Alison uses the business principles from when her grandfather started the hardware store, which they still own, but at the same time, she has made sure the company has embraced innovative technology.

The business “needs to be moving forward in an increasingly competitive environment,” Alison said. “You cannot bring on too much change, so we try to only bring on what will benefit the customers.”