Elkins Fordland expands to become Elkins Auto Group

This past fall, Elkins Fordland added Chrysler franchises to its existing lot by expanding a small parcel of land towards the Beverly Four Lanes.  The franchises meant a return of Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram that had been missing from the Elkins market for about a decade and it brings access to those brands to the Route 33 region as those bands disappeared from the Buckhannon Auto Mall after the crash of the automotive industry.

At this point, there is a sales office near the roadway and the vehicles are compactly situated on the lot.  I would like to see if any permanent structures would be built and any adjacent property purchase to further expand the lot.

The organization as a whole is now known as the Elkins Auto Group consisting of Elkins Fordland and Elkins Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram.  

Star Motor Company is now part of the Martin Automotive Group

An article in the Clarksburg Exponent-Telegram on February 8, 2014 revealed that Star Motor Company in Clarksburg, West Virginia had been sold to the Martin Management Group of Bowling Green, Kentucky.  This organization has automotive dealerships in five different states including Hurricane Chevrolet in West Virginia.

It was said the transaction had already occurred and the current staff would remain the same and there was a new general manager.  The existing facilities would remain in place.

The name of the business has changed to Volkswagen Clarksburg and Audi Clarksburg.

Premier Automotive Group at University Town Center (Morgantown, WV)

Ah, the smell of new cars and new car showrooms!  Yep, there's a new dealership in town.  Actually it's a dealership in a new location.  Premier Automotive Group, which sells Chevrolet, GMC, and Buick, moved from the outskirts of downtown Morgantown, a building which was at least 50 years old to a brand new showroom with service facilities at University Town Center in Granville, West Virginia.  This new facility opened in late May 2013 with a grand opening in June 2013.  The move took the dealership out of a busy downtown corridor to a developing shopping center that features WalMart, Sam's Club, Dick's Sporting Goods, Target, Giant Eagle, and Best Buy among other stores.
This facility had been under construction for at least a year and is located on several acres.  The lot is flat with an entrance for delivery trucks and a main entrance that will lead you to the Chevrolet showroom.  Then there is a gap that will lead you to the Buick-GMC showroom.  The lot itself has marked parking spaces for vehicles for sale and marked parking spaces for customer parking.  There seems to be many spots available for customer parking.
I am sure the owners of this dealership has developed the facility for current and future needs.   Not many dealerships have the opportunity to build from scratch.   This shopping area is due for further expansion in the futre as West Virginia University has plans to build a new baseball stadium to feature college teams as well as minor league teams.  This retail area has recently been approved as a TIF district that will bring local taxes towards infrastructure.  The state of West Virginia also plans to build an exit from Interstate 79 to go directly into this shopping center.  

Star Motor Company on Bridgeport Hill

Star Motor Company recently opened a pre-owned sales center on Bridgeport Hill in Clarksburg, West Virginia.  This isn't their first foray with a satellite location outside of their main location in Clarksburg near Veteran's Park.  At that location they sell Volkswagens and Audi and Mahindra Tractors are sold in that location as well.
This new location opened in late May shortly after Country Club Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep closed a pre-owned center a couple hundred of yards to the west.  This location has an pre-fabricated office building which I believe is a renovated building that Hilltop Motors nearby had used prior to a fire.
This location has Star Motors signage that can be seen from Bridgeport Hill Road and has color animated signage below it.
What kind of vehicles do they have in stock?  Not just pre-owned vehicles, but they also have many new Volkswagens in stock.  I would estimate there were about 25 new vehicles and about the same number of pre-owned cars.
How permanent is this location?  The lot is still gravel and there is a portable building used as an office with no service facilities on site.  But the sign at the roadside looks to be a considerable investment.  There is also thought that once Mahindra Tractors move to the Meadowbrook exit of Interstate 79, the former Saturn building could be renovated into a Volkswagen showroom.
This new facility will give increased exposure to Star Motors to those who are car shopping on Bridgeport Hill with two General Motors and a Ford dealership located on the same strip of roadway.

Anthony Chevrolet-Cadillac Renovation

Anthony Chevrolet-Cadillac in Fairmont, West Virginia recently completed a renovation of their facility to showcase the current General Motors showroom image.  The project was designed by Omni Associates Architects of Fairmont.  Renovations include changes to the facade, waiting areas, offices,  floor tile, and some exterior signage.

New front entrance

Architect rendering in the showroom

Upgrades on Bridgeport Hill Road

If you have recently been following Harry Green Chevrolet/Nissan or Chenoweth Ford on Bridgeport Hill Road in Clarksburg, West Virginia, then you have been noticing big changes in recent months.  These two dealerships are in the midst of dramatic changes in their facilities that maintains their commitment to their current locations.  The additions, renovations, and construction that is occurring is affirmation that they are there to stay.  After the Great Recession, when there were very few cars on the lots and other dealers being eliminated by the automakers, these two dealerships are making major changes.

Let's start with Chenoweth Ford.  They have renovated the showroom during the winter and renovation is now happening to the exterior of the building The exterior will exhibit Ford's current image for dealerships.  Also, in the past two years, Chenoweth has added a Quick Lane facility in a building they had once used for truck sales and then used auto sales.  All auto sales are now take place in the main salesroom.

Harry Green Chevrolet/Nissan is taking a much more dramatic change with building entirely new facilities, starting with a new Nissan showroom slated to open this year and then a new Chevrolet showroom that will open next year.
Earlier this year, the Pre-Owned vehicle sales office, which was once the truck sales office, was razed in favor of a new dedicated Nissan showroom and service center that will open later this year.  This construction is putting space at a premium at the Harry Green site with vehicles being placed in other parts of the property and making access more difficult than before.
A new Chevrolet showroom will start construction late in 2012 when the Nissan showroom opens and the the current main building which is over 40 years old will be demolished once the new Chevrolet showroom is open.  This will divide the property into two distinct franchises each with their own sales offices and service centers.
Hopefully, we will continue to see growth in the local auto industry with further renovations and additions in the future.

Elkins Fordland

Front of the Elkins Fordland Showroom

Elkins Fordland has been in its current location for about a year following its move from just outside of downtown Elkins to the more commercial area south of Elkins on the 5-lane.  They had purchased and renovated a facility that had once been Mountaineer Chevrolet/Toyota/Volvo that had been out of business for several years.  The former Elkins Fordland location has been located in a building built prior to the 1950s and was woefully outdated for the 21st Century automotive business.  Elkins Fordland has been under its current ownership group since the early 2000s.

Side view of the Elkins Fordland Showroom

The new facility looks nothing like the former Mountaineer dealership as Elkins Fordland exudes the current Ford image.  The lot is set back behind several building, so the main building is not readily seen from the roadway; however there are several vehicles on display on the main roadway with signs pointing the way to the dealership.
The portion of the lot is currently displaying new cars and much the lot on the side is devoted to new trucks and SUVs with pre-owned automobiles being displayed to the opposite corner of the showroom.


Dealer website:  http://www.elkinsfordland.com/