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Side-by-side growth leads to dealership expansion in 2012

Dealership: Kawasaki & Polaris of Paintsville
Location: Paintsville, Ky.
Looking ahead to: Providing customers with more inventory options on the showroom floor in a newly expanded building.

Transitioning to 2012 will be an exciting time for Kawasaki & Polaris of Paintsville, Ky. With a planned springtime move into an expanded facility at its current location, dealership owner Winfield Holbrook has a lot to look forward to in the coming year.

The expansion, for which the groundwork is currently being completed, was essentially born out of necessity, Holbrook said.

“We’re getting more and more units out here — particularly side-by-sides — in our area,” he said. “We need a bigger area, because the machines are bigger and there’s more out here.”

The side-by-side segment of Holbrook’s dealership has grown tremendously over the last three years.

“It’s just kind of outgrown our previous motorcycle and ATV shop,” Holbrook said. “We’re going to have more room and we want to serve our customers better. We want to be able to get more machines.”

As Holbrook looks ahead to 2012, he feels quite strongly that side-by-side sales will only continue to flourish. In fact, he expects that the new Kawasaki Teryx4 will be a particularly hot item in his dealership.

Winfield Holbrook (left) is expanding his Kawasaki & Polaris of Paintsville dealership in Kentucky. Carrying greater inventory of side-by-sides necessitated the growth. Holbrook is shown alongside fellow dealer Smokey Armstrong at the 2011 Kawasaki Dealer Business Meeting in Orlando.

The current facility will remain part of Kawasaki & Polaris of Paintsville’s plans.

“What we’re using now, we’re going to use for additional floor space or a showroom,” Holbrook said. “It’s going to allow us to have a little more inventory indoors and present our machines a little better. We’re hoping it will look better for the customers and be more efficient for us.”

In addition to more space and more machines, Holbrook explained he has plans to add to the service department in both space and personnel.

“We’ll maybe hire a couple more technicians and get our customers in and out quicker,” he said.

With those upgrades, Holbrook expects to attract more service business.

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While the facilities will be changing, Holbrook doesn’t have any plans to alter the store’s marketing strategies or advertising plans.

Currently, the dealership handles some out-of-pocket advertising, but primarily co-ops with Kawasaki and Polaris. Holbrook’s dealership currently runs ads on TV and radio and through schools and local non-profit organizations, and has had success through those outlets.

Holbrook’s dealership also operates its own PSN-powered website.

The dealership does not have a large pre-owned inventory. Holbrook said he has plans to explore Kawasaki’s new floorplan financing program for trade-ins, but the focus will remain mostly on new units. The dealership’s current pre-owned inventory includes only what it takes in trade.

With the way things have been going for Kawasaki & Polaris of Paintsville, Holbrook has little reason to doubt there’s more improvement on the horizon.

“I’m certainly hoping [to see increased sales],” he said. “Anytime you’re in business you’re hoping for a better year.”

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One Comment

  1. I live in Monroe,Ga and I was in east Ky riding and wanting to look at the new terex and people in the area recommended Kawasaki of Paintsville. I visited them and was so impressed with the knowledge and friendliness of Mr. Holbrooks that I purchased one. I dont think that I would have made a quick decision like that if it wasnt for them making me feel like family.

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