Findlay group ends 2012 with more sales, locations
Findlay Automotive Group, which began in 1959 as Pete’s Used Cars on Fremont Street, continued its growth in 2012, adding three new stores and an estimated 137 employees.
The figures signaled that the company, one of the largest privately owned businesses in Nevada, rebounded significantly after an economic slump stretching back to 2008. New stores added to Findlay’s 27 dealerships in 2012 included Findlay Fiat in Henderson, Audi Reno Tahoe and Findlay Nissan in Post Falls, Idaho.
Findlay Automotive dealerships led Nevada as top volume seller of Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet Volkswagen, Kia, Audi, Lincoln, Subaru, Land Rover, Cadillac, Scion and Lamborghini vehicles.
A vital element with Findlay Automotive Group was its continued involvement in civic events throughout the Las Vegas Valley. Charitable events supported by dealerships included the Las Vegas Heart Walk/Run, Links for Leukemia golf tournament and Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Findlay Automotive also made significant financial contributions to the YMCA and partnered with Toyota Financial Services to donate a van to the Boys & Girls Club of North Las Vegas.
Individual dealerships also supported a variety of causes and charities. Among key involvements were the athletic program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and youth soccer leagues across the valley.
“We are really excited about the fact that the car business is doing well because it allows us to expand our involvement in charitable and community causes,” Findlay Automotive Group Chief Financial Officer Tyler Corder said.
Corder added that new-car sales were up 35 percent in 2012 from the previous year and used-car sales were up nearly 9 percent. The organization sold more than 30,000 vehicles in 2012.
Corder attributed the sales increase to the economy’s general improvement, low interest rates and the improving availability of credit.
“Also, there was a pent-up demand because of the fact that many people refrained from buying a car during the economic downturn,” said Corder, who has led Findlay Automotive Group for 19 years. “We outpaced our expectations considering the condition of the housing market and still relatively high unemployment rates.”
Corder also credited the group’s employees.
“We have a stable group of employees who have done a great job; our results are really a credit to the talent and the hard work of our people,” he said. “It’s great to see our employees have such success considering how they helped us maintain our business during the economic downturn.”
Findlay Automotive Group was founded by the late Pete Findlay in 1961 in Las Vegas and has expanded to stores in Idaho, Utah and Arizona.
Visit www.findlayauto.com for more information on the dealership.