Auto Sales Up in Columbiana County - Shale Gets Credit
From Business Journal Daily:
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Read the rest of the article here.As development ramps up in the Utica shale, auto dealers in Columbiana County are selling more cars and trucks and enjoying higher profits.So say Tom Poponak and Todd Dauterman, general managers for Donnell Ford in Salem and Columbiana Ford, respectively. Both dealerships report increased sales, especially trucks.Stadium GM in Salem and Power GM in East Liverpool also report trucks make up the bulk of their sales, with the Chevrolet Silverado extended cab among the best-selling models. Power sales manager Russell Hardenburgh credits GM rebates on 2012 models and expects truck sales in the second half of the year to double the first half."Every year, they come out with the big rebates at the end to try to get rid of the year-end models," Hardenburgh says. "So much so that we actually went out to the other dealers and bought some more trucks so that we'd have enough to sell."Rebates range from $7,000 to $12,000 off the ticket price, Hardenburgh says. He also touts the gas mileage the new truck models achieve, with some getting 21 mpg highway. With gas prices hovering between $3.50 and $4 in the county, mileage remains a concern among buyers, he says.Trucks constitute 60% of Power's sales, and although sales this year are slightly behind 2011, "Last year was record-breaking sales for this area, so it's going to still be a very good month," Hardenburgh notes.
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