If Jim Mollica gets his Christmas wish, the new Lexus dealership on U.S. 278 that will serve the Bluffton-Hilton Head-Hardeeville market will open before the holiday next week.
Workers at the 23,000-square-foot location that sits on three acres in front of Walmart have been working almost around the clock to get the project done. The 14 months it has taken since getting the green light and opening the doors is probably a record, said Mollica, chief operating officer for Toyota, Lexus and Subaru.
He said it typically takes three years to open a new dealership, and customers have been asking for seven or eight years to get a dealership that serves that area in South Carolina.
Mollica said last week they received a call from someone who wanted to make an appointment at the new dealership because he wanted to get the first oil change.
“We all want it done before Christmas,” Mollica said.
Armstrong Atlantic State University student Justin Brown, who grew up in Savannah, was busy painting last week. He was chosen from other local artists to put his touch on the dealership and also painted the ceiling in service drop-off area.
The Hilton Head Lexus dealership was awarded to Chatham Parkway Lexus of Savannah by Lexus, a division of Toyota Motor Sales and represents a $6.5 million investment. It will employ about 40 people.
Mollica said the dealership still needs sales and service people. There will be five service advisers and Mollica anticipates customers from Beaufort and other areas will start coming to the new dealership because it is more convenient than going to the Savannah location.
Mollica lives in Bluffton and said he plans to spend a day a week working at the new location.
“Lexus is a market leader. We will inncrease our reach and provide great customer service with this location,” he said.
A lot of the people who will work at the new location have been training and working at the Chatham dealership.
The new location will focus on customers’ convenience and when they come for service they will be offered free manicures, an espresso bar, flat-screen TVs and other amenities already available at the dealership on Chatham Parkway.
Mollica said last fall when the new dealership was approved that business at the Chatham location had been really good and the time was right to open a dealership to serve the South Carolina market. He said they have worked for about two years to make the dealership a reality.
About $400,000 was spent on equipment for the shop, Mollica said, and the upstairs has an additonal 3,000 square feet that can be used for growth.
A formal grand opening probably will be held in February, but for now, getting the dealership open by Tuesday is the goal.