Articles by Jennifer Murphy - Senior Assistant Editor

Jennifer Murphy - For many dealers, 2009 has been a kick in the teeth. However, one group of dealers, buy here pay here (BHPH) dealers, haven’t been hit as hard as some dealers who’ve fought to keep their doors open. Many BHPH dealers have persevered without significant losses.

Jennifer Murphy - With such high costs to dealers, it’s understandable that some dealers are evaluating their plans, weighing their options and even modifying coverages in the current economic climate.

Jennifer Murphy - In Ohio, the board considers numerous factors when hearing a dealer’s protest. Some particularly relevant to this case include:

Bob Matzke - While Matzke was humble about how diligent he is with follow-up, Burleson commended it, referring to it as second-to-none. He also believes that Matzke’s follow-up contributes to Matzke’s large amount of repeat/referral business. “Bob has a very large repeat client base that has bought multiple cars from him. The number-one reason is because Bob consistently follows up with them to make sure that they are satisfied with their purchase,” said Burleson.

Bill Lucas - “I still remember the first car I ever sold. It was a red Datsun, two-door 510, and you know, I still get enthused after every car I sell today,” he said. “After all these years, I still enjoy it. No matter what you do in life, you’ve got to enjoy going to work every day.”

Jennifer Murphy - The year 2009 has certainly earned a place among the pages of history books for several reasons; one of the most startling was two domestic auto manufacturers filing bankruptcy back to back.

Jennifer Murphy - Twelve years ago, Tom Strickland came out of retirement to become an independent auto dealer. For most of his life, he was an investment banker, so to learn about the business, he worked at a friend’s buy here pay here (BHPH) dealership before starting a BHPH operation in Palatka, Fla.

Sony Pierre - Sony Pierre, salesperson at Fair Oaks Chrysler Jeep Dodge, is so dedicated to his job that he regularly dreams about selling vehicles. He said, “It’s crazy … Sometimes I’ll have a dream about it every other day.” Five years ago, Pierre proved his dedication

Jennifer Murphy - The town of Lake City, S.C., is home to fewer than 7,000 people, and just one year ago, the city was also home to three franchise dealerships. The local Ford dealer closed at the end of 2008, and the local GM and Chrysler franchises were victims of the automakers’ recent bankruptcies.

Jennifer Murphy - For most, rebranding or repositioning a business is a choice. Today for some dealers, there isn’t much of a choice involved in their rebranding and repositioning efforts. With the bankruptcies of two domestic automakers, well over 2,000 franchise signs had to be taken down.