Findlay sees 14 percent increase in 2011 sales

Findlay Automotive Group recently announced a 14 percent increase in sales revenue from 2010.

"We saw a steady recovery in 2011," said Tyler Corder, Findlay Auto Group chief financial officer. "All of the signs are positive. We have seen more car sales and our service and parts traffic has also increased significantly.

"In addition, our website traffic has climbed and we have seen a 15 percent increase in hiring. The Findlay organization employed 1,240 people at the end of 2011, which is an increase of 183 employees over the prior year. Car sales significantly declined in 2008 and 2009 and I think it's safe to say that we have come a long way since the decline started."

Corder's statements were echoed by several of the Findlay general managers.

"We were up more than 80 percent in 2011," said Findlay Kia general manager Byron Klemaske, whose dealership is at 5325 W. Sahara Ave. "In fact, if there was a concern in 2011, it was that we couldn't get enough new cars to sell. We would have been up 100 percent if we had more product. We're very excited about 2012."

Ray DiNardi of Land Rover Las Vegas also agreed that there were good signs in 2011.

"It went very well for us," DiNardi said. "We had continued success with the Ranger Rover and Range Rover Sport and we're very excited about the new Range Rover Evoque, which came out in the fourth quarter of last year and has generated tremendous excitement."

John Taylor, a 23-year employee of Findlay Automotive Group who spearheads the Internet department, added there was a dramatic increase in traffic on the company's websites.

"In the car business today, many of the first signs of interest in purchasing a car is done via the Internet," said Taylor, "and there was definitely more interest in 2011. Consumer confidence rose big time throughout 2011, and I feel good about this year, too."

Taylor said that there were 398,980 Internet inquiries from Aug. 1 until Dec. 31, 2010. In 2011, 653,000 inquiries were recorded during the same period.

"During the same period, there were 89,873 mobile hits via iPhones, iPads and tablets," Taylor said. "Chances are that if the hit is via a mobile (device), the customer is usually on the lot."

Other good signs in 2011 included the addition of a new Lamborghini Las Vegas store in the Valley Automall, along with a new Volkswagen dealership in the northwest valley.

In addition, Findlay Automotive Group was awarded a new point in Reno where Audi Reno Tahoe will be headed by John Coats, a veteran Findlay executive who now serves as the dealership's new general manager.

Findlay Automotive Group was founded by the late Pete Findlay in 1961. Operations are now headed by his son, Cliff, who oversees 25 new and used car dealerships in Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Idaho.

Further information can be found by visiting www.findlayauto.com.