MIDDLETOWN—Prestige Motors, Inc. is building a Lexus dealership on Route 17M in Middletown that is expected to open in late July.
General Manager William “Woody” Woodward said the opening should coincide with the Lexus sales push in August. “It would be a perfect time to open the facility and kick it off. That is the goal,” he said.
Prestige saw potential in this area. “This is a growing community,” Woodward said.
The new dealership is a multi-million dollar investment but Woodward declined to say exactly how much it is going to cost.
It is located near I-84, Route 6, and 17 M so the location gets a lot of exposure.
“When people come into town, they are going to see this beautiful new facility,” Woodward said. “It’s certainly going to stand out.”
Woodward said Lexus helps dealers with the structural elements of the dealership. “They have a footprint of what they would like to have done at their dealerships.”
Customers First
Woodward said the new facility is all about taking excellent care of the customer. Customers drive inside for service. It is heated in winter and air conditioned in the summer. “The customer will pull right up and the doors will open,” Woodward said.
In the service area auto technicians can review what’s needed for the customer’s car on the spot, he said.
The dealership offers such amenities as a free car wash and interior vacuuming, no matter how much the service costs. “We take good care of our customers,” Woodward said.
Woodward also manages the used car dealership Prestige Pre-Owned of Orange County nearby, which also sells Lexuses.
He says this is a marketing strategy that encourages young, first-time buyers to purchase a pre-owned Lexus, then return for a higher-end vehicle as their economic situation improves.
“It brings that younger customer or that new customer into our product. Then you'll move from model to model as the years go on, providing you deliver great customer service,” Woodward said.
Leases, he said, are popular with the luxury models.
Woodward says that Lexus can compete with all brands, whether it’s Mercedes or BMW at the high end or Toyota, Honda, or Acura at the other end of the spectrum. “With the customer service that Lexus is known for, we think we will be able to get some of those customers.”
Prestige has been in business in the region for 45 years with dealerships throughout New York and surrounding states. Woodward said the Lexus dealership in New Jersey has been very successful since 1990. “The product, the quality, the manufacturer is awesome,” he said.
Woodward is now “in serious recruiting mode” for the dealership. He looking locally to fill every position. “We like people from the community,” he said. He expects to hire about 30 to 35 people in the first stages of the operation.
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