NORWICH – Motorists traveling along State Highway 12 just north of the city may have noticed a change of scenery as the area makes room for Reputable Auto Sales, which officially opened for business at its new home in Norwich last week.
Reputable Auto owner Dave Everett has been in the auto dealership business since 1995. With previous locations in the Greater Binghamton area, he said a move to Norwich is an exciting opportunity for him and chance to move closer to his customer base.
“About 80 percent of my business has always been from the Norwich area,” Everett said, stressing the importance that Norwich residents have had to his business over the years. “I thought it was time to move to where most of my business is coming from.”
Less than 10 cars rest on Everett’s new lot now, but after the painstaking process of driving all inventory from his previous location on Front Street in Binghamton to his new location in Norwich, there will be more than 20 assorted cars, vans, SUVs and trucks to choose from.
Regardless of the recent economic downturn and rising gas prices, Everett explained that the auto business has always had its ups and downs and more recently, his sales seem to be steadily climbing, thanks in part to a broad selection of vehicles and guaranteed credit approval. While sales still have a long way to go to reach the same numbers he had in 2008, he said he’s optimistic about the future of his dealership in Norwich.
Everett explained that the inventory at his used car dealership depends on the success of other dealerships that sell new cars. As the sales of new cars increase at other dealerships, the inventory available at his used car dealership increases.
“We’re nowhere near as busy as we used to be in the car business and there’s a lot less inventory because people haven’t been buying new cars,” he said. “A lot more people are fixing their cars or have just been holding on to their old cars longer ... but we’ve been seeing that change recently. More people are buying new cars now than they were two or three years ago.”
He estimates that the recent spurt of new car sales could take another three years to have an effect on his used car inventory.
Of course, the recent move to Norwich doesn’t come without risks, Everett admitted. “It’s always a little scary opening a new business,” he said, mentioning some of the risks involved. Even though he’s been an auto dealer for nearly two decades, he added that the move to a new area “really is like opening a new business for the first time.”
Still, Everett has been given reason to be hopeful for his new location. In his first week open, he’s received numerous inquiries on several different cars on his lot, particularly a black Volkswagen that’s drawn a lot of attention from potential customers who were just driving by.
“I’m really excited about being here,” said Everett. “It’s a nice area and I think I’m going to do really well.”