I have always admired the business acumen of some of the car dealers I meet. They are survivors, that’s for sure. This week I profile one of those survivors. Stephens Auto Center in West Virginia isn’t benefiting as much as most dealership groups from the hot market. It is located in the heart of coal country, and the coal industry has been hard hit by a development that has helped much of the country – a huge increase in the supply of natural gas.
Stephens Auto Center is holding steady with a solid business strategy, but general manager Richard Stephens tells Automotive Buy Sell Report he is thinking about looking to other areas for possible acquisitions.
Low interest rates have been a pillar of support for auto dealers for nearly a decade. Now, the Fed will next week likely raise rates for the first time since 2006. What does that mean for car sales and for dealership valuations? We ask the experts in this issue.
And of course we have our ever-popular Transaction News.
Enjoy!
