Despite the doom and gloom about the automotive industry in the halls of Congress and on the pages of the New York Times, Lansing-area car dealers are optimistic. While it may be true that new car sales have slacked off, the sale of previously owned automobiles is strong, and in parts/service and the body shop, business is booming.  Jeff Crippen, president of Crippen Buick Pontiac GMC Mazda Volvo, says, “We’ve just celebrated our 35th anniversary. We recently completed a major renovation of our facility and we continue to do well. Business in 2008 was comparable to 2007 and the news is positive, especially here in Lansing.”

Sherrill Freeborough, president of Saturn of Grand Ledge/Okemos, echoes that optimism. She says, “Being in Lansing is a healthy thing for a car dealership. Our reputation is good and that’s reflected in our continued growth. Yes, we have seen a slight decline in our sales business, but in the long run, Saturn is going to be fine. We’re continuing to do business as always and we’re happy to be in Lansing.”

Freeborough has been in the car business for over 20 years, starting at a time when women were a rarity in the field. She began her career in the Detroit area, working as a fleet and lease manager and a sales consultant before becoming an assistant sales manager. She says, “I came to Saturn of Lansing in the early 90s. We operate two dealerships in the area, one in Grand Ledge and one in Okemos, covering the entire Lansing area. We sell Saturn and Opel (a German subsidiary of GM), both new and used, and employ about 30 people at each of our locations.”

Freeborough continues, “I came to Saturn when it was first introduced. While working in Detroit, I heard about this new thing called Saturn and was impressed by the product-a fantastic car at a great price-and also by the unique way GM had of selling the car. We have a no haggle, no hassle policy. The price of the car is the price of the car. Our customers like knowing that our cars are priced right, and we don’t go through that back-and-forth to arrive at a value. It’s fun to sell cars that way!”

Customer service is key to Saturn’s success is Lansing. The team at Saturn of Grand Ledge/Okemos has won the Saturn Summit Award for customer service for eight consecutive years. That award reflects the quality of the service department as well as car sales. According to Freeborough, “We have three parts people at each store, six technicians and a service manager. All of our employees have gone through rigid training and have certification in their field. And their training isn’t a one-time thing; lifelong learning is part of their jobs. We hire many of our service technicians from Lansing Community College; often they start with us as interns.”

She says, “We like to add special touches for our customers. The waiting area is in the showroom, and we offer free popcorn and coffee, comfy leather chairs and a fireplace. Every car we service is washed before it is returned to the customer, and a fresh flower is on the front seat!” According to Freeborough, about 70 percent of customers who buy from them return for service, an extremely high figure in the industry. They have recently added new employees and new space in service areas. 

Freeborough says, “One customer told me that we made it impossible for him to buy a car from any other dealership since he wasn’t willing to give up our service! We do repair cars other than Saturns, so our fine service is available to anyone.”

She continues, “We have had to cut back a little on non-essential items, but in important areas like personnel and customer service, we are maintaining our high standards.”

The Crippen name has long meant something in Lansing. Since Jeff Crippen’s father first purchased the dealership that bears the Crippen name, the agency has stood by its slogan, “Honesty and integrity are everything!”

Jeff Crippen, President, says, “In September we celebrated 35 years in business and, after an extensive renovation, both interior and exterior, we hosted a grand re-opening. While the square footage of the main facility is the same, we opened up the showroom, redesigned the interior, added service bays and built a new showroom for our Mazdas and Volvos.”

He continues, “Currently, we have 72 full-time employees and close to 400 vehicles, both new and used, on our lot. I’ve been here since 1994; two and a half years ago, we purchased Buick/Pontiac which we sell along with Mazda and Volvo. Our service area is busy, and, due mostly to the awful weather we’ve had lately, our body shop is very busy!”

As part of Crippen’s renovations, they have added six service bays and a new customer lounge for Mazda-Volvo customers. Renovations to the GM service lounge makes waiting a pleasure. With 21 employees in service, 11 in the parts department and nine in the body shop, customers can count on fast service. And the extensive training programs insure excellence. GM technicians are state certified and also receive training in Detroit and manufacturer certification. Mazda/Volvo technicians are trained in Chicago. There is also ongoing training as technology changes. 

Crippen says, “Looking back on 2008, we did all right. The downturn in the economy definitely hasn’t helped. However, it was good news for us when government assistance was allocated to GM. That happened right before Christmas, and we had a great month following that. Confidence in the marketplace is improving, especially here in Lansing where so many of us are involved with General Motors in one way or another. Business is getting better.”
 
Crippen Cars sells close to 40 different models within their product lines. According to Jeff Crippen, “Our most popular models are the Buick Enclave and the GMC Acadia. Both of those models are made right here in Lansing, and there’s a lot of customer loyalty at play in the sales of these cars. People in Lansing feel good about buying something that’s made in Lansing.”

Another well-known name in the Lansing car business is Shaheen. Michael Shaheen started his business in Lansing in 1970. Today, his son, Ralph Shaheen, along with Ralph’s brothers Jim and Dan own and operate three dealerships; one in Lansing, one in Charlotte and the newest, purchased in April of 2008, in Mt. Pleasant. When their father died in 1974, Ralph was already working in the business and had been since his graduation from Michigan State University in 1972. He took over for his father, and his two brothers soon followed him into the family business. Ralph Shaheen says, “We all grew up in the car business and started working with our dad when we were still in our teens. Today, our three dealerships employ about 225 full-time employees.”

He continues, “The business has changed a lot since my dad’s time. It’s more technical, more professional and a lot more sophisticated in terms of both the cars themselves and the way we conduct business. Recently, we spent $11,000 on a system to secure customer information from identity theft. Who had even heard of identity theft ten years ago?”

Shaheen Chevrolet recently remodeled the facility, updating the interior and purchasing new equipment for the service department. According to Shaheen, “By 2011, body shops will be mandated to use water-borne paints. We recently spent a quarter of a million dollars to purchase this technology and build two new paint booths. The new process is ‘greener’ and bakes the paint on the cars, creating a beautiful finish. We’re also beefing up our parts department with over $1.6 million in inventory. We will become one of the major parts distributors in the state.”

In addition, new purchases include a front-end alignment machine, a tire balancer, a welder, a frame straightening machine and new space for service and repairs.

Employees in the service area and body shop are state certified and have also gone through training for GM certification. According to Shaheen, “We often take on apprentices from LCC or Ferris who work with a master technician for one to four years and then hire on as regular employees.” With over 70 trained, certified and highly skilled employees in service/repair and the body shop, customer care is key to this dealership’s success. 

Like almost everything else, Internet technology has impacted the way the car business operates. Shaheen says, “Probably 80 percent of the people who come into our dealership have ‘pre-shopped’ on the Internet. We’ve upgraded our online presence and are aiming for a five minute response time on any e-mail we receive. We have one employee who carries a beeper, day and night, and responds in record time.”

Shaheen Chevrolet is also beginning to offer more automobile accessories. He says, “The accessory and customization business generates $34 million a year. It makes sense for us to offer some of those accessories through our dealership. We’re looking forward to offering those products and services to our customers.” They not only sell the accessories but also install and service them.

At the Okemos Auto Collection, Steve Shaheen (no relation to Ralph Shaheen and his brothers) oversees the Mercedes, Porsche, BMW franchise. The showroom, originally built in 2001 by Walt Williams, has been owned since 2003 by Serra Automotive Group. According to Shaheen, General Manager of the Okemos facility, “The Serra Automotive Group, based in Grand Blanc, is one of the top mega-dealerships in the country. The organization was started by Al Serra and is now headed up by his son, Joseph. He’s well-known in the industry; in fact, he is the senior co-chair of this year’s Detroit Auto Show. I’ve worked with the Serra organization for 18 years and have been in the car business for 26 years. I’ve been at the Lansing store for about eight months. I came here from Grand Blanc where I was the manager of Al Serra Hummer, the #1 Hummer dealer in the country.”

Okemos Auto Collection employs about 30 full-time workers and includes a full range of  service and repair options. Currently, there are eight service technicians, up from five last summer. Sheehan says, “Training for our technicians is in-depth and intensive. Most of it is done off-site; right now, three of our techs are in Dallas for training. Besides state certification, all our service personnel have manufacturer’s certification. Each specializes in one of our three products. We have just hired someone who recently completed 19 weeks of specialized Porsche training and another new hire completed three months of BMW training in California before he came onboard. While we don’t have a parts department onsite, we do have overnight delivery, so there’s no wait for our customers. And we have 14 BMW, Porsche and Mercedes loaners as well as free pickup and delivery.”

He continues, “I’m happy to say that our business here is steady; 2008 was even with 2007. While we’ve dipped a little in new car sales, our certified pre-owned car sales have grown.”

Shaheen says, “There’s a great opportunity to buy pre-owned luxury cars at a substantial savings. A two-year-old BMW 530 that retails for $50,000 new can be purchased used for as little as $25,000—and that comes with a 100,000 mile warranty.”

Shaheen points out, “Mercedes, BMW and Porsche are all very financially sound and well-capitalized and can offer tremendous leasing programs. And leasing a luxury car is much more affordable than people realize. American companies are basically getting out of the leasing business, but we are continuing to offer this attractive option. In our dealership, about 60 percent of our business is leasing.”

We hardy Michiganders have long practiced the virtues of patience and positive thinking. Even on the darkest, coldest days of winter, we make the best of it and wait for the warmer climate that will inevitably come. These values have become part of our ethos and stand us in good stead. Make the most of winter and look ahead to sunnier days!