Dealer stays in tune with employees during third expansion

Bryan Halsey acquired his third dealership, Virginia Motorsports in Wytheville, Virginia, on April 5 from Danny Grubb. The store is a convenient 45 minutes away from Haley’s Princeton location. Virginia Motorsports’ four employees will continue to work at the dealership, and under Halsey’s ownership, gradual changes will be made.

“We’ll make some changes immediately, but also set long term goals to change other things slowly,” he says. An immediate change will include the use of the Lightspeed DMS. “Other things can be done in a way that doesn’t disrupt what employees are used to.”

Halsey originally entered the powersports industry in 1999, after leaving the automotive business to pursue his passion. In 2009, he sold the powersports dealership and reentered the automotive industry during the uncertain times. In 2018, he bought West Virginia of Princeton, and he opened his second location, West Virginia Motorsports of Summersville, West Virginia, in 2020. He also owns a small wholesale automotive business.

According to Halsey, staying in tune with management is one of the most important aspects of owning multiple dealerships. Every Monday morning, all staff members are required to participate in a 30−minute conference call. Managers share reports from each department as a part of the procedures and processes Halsey has put in place to keep his team in touch.

“Having three locations, you can’t be in two different places at the same time. It’s about hiring the right people to be on your team,” he says. “You’ve got to compensate them well. We pay well and we want their lifestyle to be good, so they enjoy what they do and don’t go to someone else.” He explains this is why he has a full staff of technicians.

“It’s a challenge, but we pay well and there’s no turnover. My techs are happy, they love what they do, and they don’t want to jump from dealership to dealership. We don’t want that either.” Halsey plans to provide health benefits and a retirement plan in the future.

“I grew up with bikes, riding and racing. My love for powersports started at a young, age. My dad was a Honda automotive dealer, so I grew up in the car business.” Halsey enjoyed working in the automotive industry, but is passionate about powersports. He values listening to the stories customers share about their riding experiences and connecting with them. His passion is rooted in motocross, but he also enjoys UTVs and ATVs.

Previously working in his father’s automotive dealership, Daniel Halsey taught him to run a business that is customer satisfaction driven, no matter the cost. “We strive to have repeat business,” Halsey says. “That’s what we build our business on. When things get slow, you build on customers that you have sold to in the past. It’s not just about a new customer coming in the front door. You’ve got to have customer satisfaction to gain repeat business.”

Halsey never planned to own more than one location, but after opening his Summersville location and navigating the management of two stores, acquiring a third location was on his radar. Now, he’s wondering where his fourth or fifth location will be.

“I’m not a guy who just sits around,” he says. “The biggest thing for us is it’s a new location, manageable and in the right area. It will help expand our market, and the footprint for our company as a whole. The dealership added three more lines, including a Polaris franchise, to our portfolio.”

Halsey stated in an interview with WVVA that he ultimately wants to increase the availability of products to his customers by acquiring new stores and new lines.