Columbus' only Lincoln dealer to move and expand

[PREMiERdrum]

COLUMBUS, OH March 22, 2011 – After serving Central Ohio for 40 years, the Bob-Boyd Auto Family is pleased to announce the re-location of their Lincoln dealership from Scarborough Boulevard to the northwest side of Columbus at Sawmill Road and I-270. The relocation to 2445 Billingsley Rd will be effective April 2, 2011 and with the new address the dealership will also change its name to Bob-Boyd Lincoln of Columbus.

 

The new facility will undergo an estimated $1 million in renovations to create a state-of-the-art facility. Renovations will include a new building façade, adding all the amenities luxury buyers have come to expect in the customer lounge and café and investments to modernize the service and collision center. The new Bob-Boyd Lincoln of Columbus will also be adding more jobs with a 20% increase in employees at the new location and an anticipation of adding additional team members later in the year.

 

“As one of the most successful Lincoln dealers in the region, we are excited for the opportunity to become Columbus’ single point dealer for Lincoln products,” said Bill Dawes, President of Bob-Boyd Lincoln of Columbus. “With our close proximity to I-270 we hope to provide easier access to serve all our customers as we carry the Lincoln brand forward.”

 

Customers near the dealership’s previous location will still be able to receive the exceptional service and maintenance they have come to expect. The Bob-Boyd Auto Family’s FIAT dealership which recently opened, will be available to do routine service and repairs of all vehicles, including Ford, Lincoln and Mercury products. The FIAT dealership is located just next door at 5665 Scarborough Blvd.

 

The area they're moving from is not quite the best part of town, and the area they're moving to (near Dublin and Hilliard) is much more affluent. The building they're moving into just closed as a Lincoln/Mercury dealer (Krieger), but was never as solid of an operation as Bob Boyd's.

 

For them to make this move and investment, they must have faith in the direction that Lincoln is going. The new location also has great freeway frontage (the streetview below was taken from I-270, Columbus' outerbelt).

 

Old location: (former Key Oldsmobile building, renovated in 2002)

 

New Location: (needs a cosmetic makeover, but the location is prime)

[twintornados]

The transformation of Lincoln is beginning..... :happy feet:

[PREMiERdrum]

More info from the Columbus Dispatch:

 

Central Ohio's two largest Lincoln dealers are consolidating, with Bob-Boyd Lincoln moving to the Northwest Side and taking over the site occupied by Krieger Lincoln.

 

Ford Motor Co., which owns the Lincoln brand, announced the move. The automaker is trying to reduce the number of Lincoln dealers and revitalize the brand.

 

"This worked out for all parties," said Bill Dawes, president of the Bob-Boyd family of dealerships.

 

The changes will take effect April2. Bob-Boyd employs 48 at its location on the South Side, and it will add about 10 employees when it relocates.

 

Bob-Boyd plans to spend about $1 million to renovate the Krieger site, 2445 Billingsley Rd., adding a new facade and a customer lounge.

 

Doug Krieger, owner of Krieger Lincoln, will focus on his other store in the region, Krieger Ford on the North Side, which he plans to renovate and expand. Nearly all the employees at Krieger Lincoln will be offered jobs at Krieger Ford.

 

"It is a consolidation that needed to happen in the marketplace," Krieger said.

 

Bob-Boyd and Krieger are the only two Lincoln dealers in Franklin County. In addition to the Lincoln dealership, Bob-Boyd has auto franchises in Lancaster and is about to open a Fiat dealership on the South Side.

 

Lincoln's sales have been sluggish in recent years because of the economic downturn and competition. Ford is making the brand a higher priority, overhauling the product lineup and encouraging its dealers to remodel their stores.

 

LINK - Columbus Dispatch

[roush235]

This move makes good sense. Consolidating dealerships, moving to a better facility, in a better part of town. It certainly fits the new Lincoln dealership model, as we understand it.

 

I would be interested in reports from other metro (or non-metro) areas as to what is happening with their Lincoln stores. Here in Houston, which admittedly is a much larger metro area compared to Columbus, we still have at least five dealerships (not sure whether a small dealership on the east side of town is still in business), four of which are stand-alone.

[papilgee4evaeva]

Cool.