Burritt Motors expands facility, green efforts in $2.2M project

OSWEGO –– Burritt Motors Inc., a family-owned auto dealership now in its fourth generation, is expanding and renovating its facility at 340 Route 104 in Oswego. It’s adding features that will boost the green in both its facility features and financial results.

The dealership, located just inside the city line, moved into its temporary headquarters on April 20, and started construction the week of April 23.

Burritt Motors is expecting to expand the current 21,500-square-foot facility it owns to 28,000 square feet. This is the first time that the dealership is adding space since 1970, says Chris Burritt, president and co-owner. The dealership will add a new and expanded show room, customer lounge, and a revamped service area with seven more service bays. The $2.2 million project will take up to six months to complete.

Burritt, the third generation who runs Burritt Motors, says the dealership has grown sales significantly and needs more space. In 2011, the dealership’s revenue increased by 25.5 percent to about $31 million from about $25 million in 2010. 

Last year, Burritt Motors sold more than 1,220 cars, of which 28 percent were new and 72 percent were used. Burritt contends that this year’s renovation is a good way to expand his business without opening a new dealership.

Burritt says although the renovation is not required by General Motors (GM), he believes a progressive and competitive business like Burritt Motors should be modernized and expanded to become more efficient to meet customers’ need.

With its new design, Burritt Motors’ customers will no longer have to park their vehicles outside for service appointments. Instead, they will be able to drive right into the dealership and hand the keys over on their way to the new customer lounge.

“Among the features will be a fireplace, air-conditioning, computer workstations and Wi-Fi, a new coffee bar, couches, flat-screen televisions, and a monitor showing the status of your vehicle’s service,” says Burritt. “We’re also adding a five-bay vehicle-detailing center with a menu of services for our customers to keep their cars and trucks looking like new.”

Going green

The renovated Burritt Motors will look similar to other Chevrolet dealerships, complete with the bright blue frontage. However, it will also include unique features that will complement its look. One of Burritt Motors’ unique features is the 200 solar panels it’s adding on the dealership roof to conserve energy and lower its operating costs.

“We call upon ourselves to be good corporate citizens and good stewards of the earth,” says Burritt. “They [the solar panels] will provide an average of 25 percent of our power needs annually. On a sunny day, however, solar power will cover nearly 100 percent of our energy needs.”

Burritt Motors considers now a good time to invest in solar panels as the dealership seeks to attract more environmentally conscious consumers. Burritt says he’s seeing more people buying fuel-efficient models this year.

“The Chevy Equinox is one of our biggest sellers. It’s very fuel-efficient, very nice looking,” he notes. “The new Silverado pickups also get much better fuel economy. So, if customers have one of those 7-year-old [vehicles], they can upgrade and get 20 to 30 percent better fuel economy if they are going to drive trucks.”

Burritt says electric models such as the Chevy Sonic and Chevy Volt are also hot this year. He says the dealership always charges the battery for its customers completely when they bring in their electric cars for service, so he thought it would be neat to charge Chevy’s electric models with the sun.

“I think it’s a unique opportunity to see what alternative means of power we can have and how they work,” he says. “It’s just an involving phase of where all manufacturers are trying to get more conscious of energy cost and waste to continue to be efficient.”

For its other green efforts, Burritt Motors is also using re-manufactured furniture that’s made locally, energy-efficient fixed gears, and is adding more waste boilers. Instead of transporting the waste and dumping it elsewhere, the dealership chooses to burn it on-site. By burning waste motor oil, it will generate more heat and be self-sustained.

Construction

Burritt Motors is getting financing for the renovation project from Pathfinder Bank, as well as a low-interest loan and tax incentives through Operation Oswego County and the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency for the solar panels, says Burritt. 

VIP Structures, Inc., a design-build firm based in Syracuse, is doing the construction work. During construction, sales and administration will be relocated in two mobile offices that Burritt Motors rented from Modular Space Corp., and vehicle service will continue to be performed on-site.

Burritt says he doesn’t see the on-going construction as an impediment to the dealership’s growth, and is hoping it can continue to grow the business during the project. He says the dealership has made it easy for its customers to park by adding about 200 parking spots to accommodate the space that the construction has taken up.

Growth

Burritt Motors, a 39-employee dealership, expects to grow to about 45 employees by the end of this year. It plans to add two technicians, one service supervisor, one support person for data merchandising and customer assistance, and at least one new sales representative. It will also add four part-time staff for guest services, who will greet the customers as they pull in the service drive and do preliminary checks on their vehicle.

The dealership’s service and sales divisions are both growing at about the same pace. In 2011, service generated about one-third of Burritt Motors’ revenue, while sales produced the other two-thirds, says Burritt. 

Its service sales tend to lag vehicle sales because the dealership sells to some long-distance customers who can’t or choose not to travel back for their regular maintenance.

Chris Burritt’s office is located in the service area. The office of his son, Rich Burritt — vice president, co-owner, and the fourth generation involved in the dealership — is situated in the sales area.

“It’s a little unusual for a car dealership that we have the owner out in the service department,” Chris Burritt says, “but that way we have family ownership over[seeing] all aspects of our business.”

Wanting to be connected to his customers and his staff, Burritt says he is not considering opening multiple dealerships.

“We really like the personality and the family atmosphere that we have here, and we would be too afraid that it would be lost if we did that,” he says. “Bigger isn’t always better.”

He says the dealership will add more employees after the renovation is finished, as it will need more employees to maintain the service.

“We are expecting a 15 to 20 percent annual growth,” says Burritt.

As it grows, Burritt Motors also plans to get greener in more ways than one.    

OSWEGO –– Burritt Motors Inc., a family-owned auto dealership now in its fourth generation, is expanding and renovating its facility at 340 Route 104 in Oswego. It’s adding features that will boost the green in both its facility features and financial results.

The dealership, located just inside the city line, moved into its temporary headquarters on April 20, and started construction the week of April 23.

Burritt Motors is expecting to expand the current 21,500-square-foot facility it owns to 28,000 square feet. This is the first time that the dealership is adding space since 1970, says Chris Burritt, president and co-owner. The dealership will add a new and expanded show room, customer lounge, and a revamped service area with seven more service bays. The $2.2 million project will take up to six months to complete.

Burritt, the third generation who runs Burritt Motors, says the dealership has grown sales significantly and needs more space. In 2011, the dealership’s revenue increased by 25.5 percent to about $31 million from about $25 million in 2010. 

Last year, Burritt Motors sold more than 1,220 cars, of which 28 percent were new and 72 percent were used. Burritt contends that this year’s renovation is a good way to expand his business without opening a new dealership.

Burritt says although the renovation is not required by General Motors (GM), he believes a progressive and competitive business like Burritt Motors should be modernized and expanded to become more efficient to meet customers’ need.

With its new design, Burritt Motors’ customers will no longer have to park their vehicles outside for service appointments. Instead, they will be able to drive right into the dealership and hand the keys over on their way to the new customer lounge.

“Among the features will be a fireplace, air-conditioning, computer workstations and Wi-Fi, a new coffee bar, couches, flat-screen televisions, and a monitor showing the status of your vehicle’s service,” says Burritt. “We’re also adding a five-bay vehicle-detailing center with a menu of services for our customers to keep their cars and trucks looking like new.”

Going green

The renovated Burritt Motors will look similar to other Chevrolet dealerships, complete with the bright blue frontage. However, it will also include unique features that will complement its look. One of Burritt Motors’ unique features is the 200 solar panels it’s adding on the dealership roof to conserve energy and lower its operating costs.

“We call upon ourselves to be good corporate citizens and good stewards of the earth,” says Burritt. “They [the solar panels] will provide an average of 25 percent of our power needs annually. On a sunny day, however, solar power will cover nearly 100 percent of our energy needs.”

Burritt Motors considers now a good time to invest in solar panels as the dealership seeks to attract more environmentally conscious consumers. Burritt says he’s seeing more people buying fuel-efficient models this year.

“The Chevy Equinox is one of our biggest sellers. It’s very fuel-efficient, very nice looking,” he notes. “The new Silverado pickups also get much better fuel economy. So, if customers have one of those 7-year-old [vehicles], they can upgrade and get 20 to 30 percent better fuel economy if they are going to drive trucks.”

Burritt says electric models such as the Chevy Sonic and Chevy Volt are also hot this year. He says the dealership always charges the battery for its customers completely when they bring in their electric cars for service, so he thought it would be neat to charge Chevy’s electric models with the sun.

“I think it’s a unique opportunity to see what alternative means of power we can have and how they work,” he says. “It’s just an involving phase of where all manufacturers are trying to get more conscious of energy cost and waste to continue to be efficient.”

For its other green efforts, Burritt Motors is also using re-manufactured furniture that’s made locally, energy-efficient fixed gears, and is adding more waste boilers. Instead of transporting the waste and dumping it elsewhere, the dealership chooses to burn it on-site. By burning waste motor oil, it will generate more heat and be self-sustained.

Construction

Burritt Motors is getting financing for the renovation project from Pathfinder Bank, as well as a low-interest loan and tax incentives through Operation Oswego County and the Oswego County Industrial Development Agency for the solar panels, says Burritt. 

VIP Structures, Inc., a design-build firm based in Syracuse, is doing the construction work. During construction, sales and administration will be relocated in two mobile offices that Burritt Motors rented from Modular Space Corp., and vehicle service will continue to be performed on-site.

Burritt says he doesn’t see the on-going construction as an impediment to the dealership’s growth, and is hoping it can continue to grow the business during the project. He says the dealership has made it easy for its customers to park by adding about 200 parking spots to accommodate the space that the construction has taken up.

Growth

Burritt Motors, a 39-employee dealership, expects to grow to about 45 employees by the end of this year. It plans to add two technicians, one service supervisor, one support person for data merchandising and customer assistance, and at least one new sales representative. It will also add four part-time staff for guest services, who will greet the customers as they pull in the service drive and do preliminary checks on their vehicle.

The dealership’s service and sales divisions are both growing at about the same pace. In 2011, service generated about one-third of Burritt Motors’ revenue, while sales produced the other two-thirds, says Burritt. 

Its service sales tend to lag vehicle sales because the dealership sells to some long-distance customers who can’t or choose not to travel back for their regular maintenance.

Chris Burritt’s office is located in the service area. The office of his son, Rich Burritt — vice president, co-owner, and the fourth generation involved in the dealership — is situated in the sales area.

“It’s a little unusual for a car dealership that we have the owner out in the service department,” Chris Burritt says, “but that way we have family ownership over[seeing] all aspects of our business.”

Wanting to be connected to his customers and his staff, Burritt says he is not considering opening multiple dealerships.

“We really like the personality and the family atmosphere that we have here, and we would be too afraid that it would be lost if we did that,” he says. “Bigger isn’t always better.”

He says the dealership will add more employees after the renovation is finished, as it will need more employees to maintain the service.

“We are expecting a 15 to 20 percent annual growth,” says Burritt.

As it grows, Burritt Motors also plans to get greener in more ways than one.