By By BEN RAYMOND LODE / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- Three Niles car dealers say sales here are faring far better than their industry is reporting nationwide.
Representatives from the dealerships say a wide variety of vehicles on offer and a steady local economy is why they are doing relatively well compared to other dealerships.
An MSNBC report on Thursday indicated overall auto demands in the U.S are down and many car dealerships are struggling to stay in business.
But not so for Campbell Ford on South 11th Street in Niles.
He said Campbell Ford has had a productive year so far, and their overall market share is up.
Lares attributes much of the success to a large selection of vehicles and a service oriented staff.
Tom Sweeden, part owner of SamSon Used Car Superstore on South 11th Street, also said sales at his dealership are up from this period last year.
But he said the climate has been steady, and not spectacular.
Sweeden said lately they have sold more lower priced vehicles that range in cost from $8,000 to $12,000.
Based on his experience as a car dealer in this area since 1982, Sweeden said sales here have always remained steady, even during times of a bad national economy.
Scott Tyler, vice president of Tyler Automotive, which is also the area's Hummer dealer, said business at all of their locations are up from last year.
The dealership, which reorganized at the end of 2002, has two locations and a collision center, all located on South 11th Street.
Tyler said the company reorganized to make the business more effective, ensuring the people working at the different locations have expertise in the area they work in.
Also, he attributes much of the company's success to a large selection and variety of vehicles.
The two dealerships now include Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, GMC and Hummer.
Tyler said it's hard to predict where the market is headed in the future.
Area dealerships experiencing good sales, however, could be a sign that the local economy has fared well compared to other places in the country, he said.