MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. (Oct. 25, 2012) – Paul and Dwight Healey, co-owners of the Healey Brothers group of dealerships in the Hudson Valley, cut the ribbon today with their father – Healey Brothers’ founder – Bill Healey – to officially open the new W.S. Healey Chevrolet Buick dealership in Middletown.
The renovation and reconstruction of the existing building totaled $7 million and resulted in over 250 local construction jobs from 35 contractors. The dealership is also adding 20 permanent employees to the staff, bringing the Middletown workforce to 75.
Healey Brothers moved the vehicles, employees and operations from its original location in Goshen to Middletown. The highly visible location – on Route 17M right at Exit 3 off Interstate 84 – provides customers with easy access from all directions.
W.S. Healey Chevrolet Buick’s business has doubled in size since 2008, making it necessary to move. “We’ve simply outgrown the Goshen store and wanted to create a dealership that will meet the needs of customers for years to come,” co-owner Paul Healey said. “We’ve grown because our philosophy has always been to put the customer first.”
“Our father started a tradition dedicated to customer service that is second to none and customers will notice it the moment they pull into the new Healey Chevrolet Buick,” Dwight Healey said. “We’re very proud of this new dealership and looking forward to serving even more customers in the Hudson Valley.”
The new building is over 50,000 square feet on 9 acres, twice as large as the Goshen operation. The new showroom holds seven cars; the service department has 31 repair bays; and the parts department is 10 times larger. Also, there is an 8,000-square-foot large-truck facility to accommodate motor homes, buses and medium-duty trucks up to 30,000 pounds.
Paul Healey said the company was committed to using local contractors for all the construction and renovation work at the new facility. “We insisted on using local contractors because we wanted the economic benefits to ripple throughout the community,” he said. “And we were pleasantly surprised to see that 100 percent of our contractors were local. They did a fabulous job and the quality of the workmanship was second to none.”
The new site is the location of the former Fulton Chevrolet, which Healey purchased in 2009 and merged into the Goshen facility. The reconstruction took more than two years.
The company created a facility that is as green as possible:
– Concrete, blacktop and other materials were recycled into the construction of the current building. All the metal and wood from the original building was also recycled to reduce landfill waste.
– A 52,000-kilowatt solar energy system was installed, which will save 4,000 gallons of crude oil or 21 tons of coal a year.
– Ultra-high efficiency lighting was used wherever possible.
– Solar reflective gas resides between the panes of glass in all the building’s windows to allow heat in during the winter and to reflect heat in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
– Used motor oil, transmission fluid and other petroleum products from cars and trucks will be cleanly burned to heat the service area.
– And, to handle the growing needs of electric vehicles on the road, Healey has installed electric vehicle charging stations in a number of locations at the site for customers and passers-by to use at no charge.
The customer experience was the company’s top priority in building the new dealership.
“We built our new location with our customers in mind,” Paul Healey said. “We considered their needs and overall experiences when designing every detail, to ensure we continue to provide fast, exceptional service, showcase our new vehicles and offer a comfortable environment for our customers. We have implemented green-building methods and energy-saving equipment wherever possible.”
Customers can drive inside the building for service in a climate-controlled receiving area and never be exposed to the weather. Every customer can watch as their car receives a free alignment analysis, which takes less than two minutes. Healey has multiple comfortable waiting areas, including a business center equipped with computers and a printer, a garden patio and an area set up for kids with gaming equipment.
“We set out to create a facility designed with efficiency in mind, because we know that our customers lead busy lives,” Paul Healey said. “All service technicians are equipped with wireless laptops at their lifts, so they can download and program vehicles on the spot. Parts department staff delivers parts right to the service bays to improve efficiency and speed. And each service bay is equipped with oil and washer fluid dispensers, saving even more time.”
Lou Roselli, Healey’s general manager, said the new store complements his employees’ reputation of award-winning, personal customer service that exceeds expectations.
“We know people can buy their vehicles anywhere, but where Healey Brothers really excels is our knowledgeable, experienced sales staff, parts department and service technicians,” Roselli said. “Our employees are extremely loyal and most have been with us for decades. They are the reason we are so successful. Now, with the new store, we are taking our culture of excellent customer service to an even higher level.”
