The dealership is waiting for new signage, but a banner reflects the change. (Photos by Brandy Brubaker)
November has been a month of change for a local car dealer.
David R. McGeorge Car Co. announced a new identity for one of its locations and completed an upgrade to its service center at another dealership.
The Mercedes-Benz dealership at 8225 W. Broad St. – which operated for almost 60 years under the David R. McGeorge Car Co. name – became “Mercedes-Benz of Richmond” on Nov. 15.
General manager Keith Reddy said the name change was difficult because McGeorge is well known in the area. But he said the new name will market itself and will help new customers find the dealership.
“Folks know right out of the gate, one, we sell Mercedes-Benz. Two, we do it in Richmond,” Reddy said.
Mercedes-Benz has encouraged its dealerships to change their names to “Mercedes-Benz of” the city they do business in, Reddy said. McGeorge’s other Benz dealer, Mercedes-Benz of Midlothian, already has the brand-preferred name.
Reddy said costs associated with the new brand could run from $20,000 to $30,000. Expenses include new business cards, letterhead, work orders, signs and license plate frames. The dealership also sent letters about the change to all of its customers.
Inside the service center lobby.
Just down the street at 7705 W. Broad, McGeorge Collision Center unveiled a new 4,000-square-foot service center.
The center, which is next to McGeorge Certified Used Cars, cost about $100,000 to complete, said McGeorge Toyota general manager Bob Farlow. The building now has a lounge, a large TV, free wireless Internet and workstations for customers who bring in their cars for repairs.
The West Broad building used to be McGeorge’s original Toyota dealership and was most recently used as a photo studio for used car ads. The renovations, led by Southwood Builders of Ashland, took about 60 days.
The new building is a step up from the company’s old 780-square-foot service center lobby at its Northside Avenue collision center. The company will still do its repairs at its collision center at Northside Avenue, but customers will drop their cars off at the West Broad center.
McGeorge Collision Center has been repairing cars since 1970, the company said. They fix 100 to 120 cars a month, manager Andrew Sobrito said.
In addition to its two Mercedes locations and the used car lot, the company has McGeorge Toyota Scion at 9319 W. Broad St.
The dealership is waiting for new signage, but a banner reflects the change. (Photos by Brandy Brubaker)
November has been a month of change for a local car dealer.
David R. McGeorge Car Co. announced a new identity for one of its locations and completed an upgrade to its service center at another dealership.
The Mercedes-Benz dealership at 8225 W. Broad St. – which operated for almost 60 years under the David R. McGeorge Car Co. name – became “Mercedes-Benz of Richmond” on Nov. 15.
General manager Keith Reddy said the name change was difficult because McGeorge is well known in the area. But he said the new name will market itself and will help new customers find the dealership.
“Folks know right out of the gate, one, we sell Mercedes-Benz. Two, we do it in Richmond,” Reddy said.
Mercedes-Benz has encouraged its dealerships to change their names to “Mercedes-Benz of” the city they do business in, Reddy said. McGeorge’s other Benz dealer, Mercedes-Benz of Midlothian, already has the brand-preferred name.
Reddy said costs associated with the new brand could run from $20,000 to $30,000. Expenses include new business cards, letterhead, work orders, signs and license plate frames. The dealership also sent letters about the change to all of its customers.
Inside the service center lobby.
Just down the street at 7705 W. Broad, McGeorge Collision Center unveiled a new 4,000-square-foot service center.
The center, which is next to McGeorge Certified Used Cars, cost about $100,000 to complete, said McGeorge Toyota general manager Bob Farlow. The building now has a lounge, a large TV, free wireless Internet and workstations for customers who bring in their cars for repairs.
The West Broad building used to be McGeorge’s original Toyota dealership and was most recently used as a photo studio for used car ads. The renovations, led by Southwood Builders of Ashland, took about 60 days.
The new building is a step up from the company’s old 780-square-foot service center lobby at its Northside Avenue collision center. The company will still do its repairs at its collision center at Northside Avenue, but customers will drop their cars off at the West Broad center.
McGeorge Collision Center has been repairing cars since 1970, the company said. They fix 100 to 120 cars a month, manager Andrew Sobrito said.
In addition to its two Mercedes locations and the used car lot, the company has McGeorge Toyota Scion at 9319 W. Broad St.