Florida dealers find 'silver lining' in chance to rebuild, upgrade

MIAMI — Hurricane Irma did not spare some new-vehicle dealerships — including their service departments — when it assailed Florida last month. Destruction was worst across the Florida Keys and along the state's west coast.

Ted Smith, president of the Florida Automobile Dealers Association, said he did not have precise figures on the extent of damage to dealerships across the state.

"We were blessed in Florida not to have a huge number of property damage losses at our stores," Smith told Fixed Ops Journal. "Certainly there were some in the key counties."

Cox Automotive estimates that the storm destroyed 200,000 to 400,000 vehicles in Florida. Cox did not offer a projection of how many vehicles damaged by Irma could be repaired.

In Key West, the hurricane initially disabled 16 of the 22 service bays at Niles Sales and Service, which sells Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC and Nissan vehicles.

Dealer principal Jack Niles III says the service department has replaced a water-damaged tire machine and wheel balancer, and is awaiting a new alignment machine.

"Our service garage area was pretty dated, so you have to find the silver lining," Niles says. "When all is said and done, it will be a much better service operation."

Keys Auto Center, part of the Warren Henry Automotive Group, sells Toyota, Ford, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler and Ram vehicles in Key West. The dealership endured damage to its parts department, says Fixed Operations Manager Jose Buergo.

"We had some customers whose cars were left behind for service," Buergo says.

"We were waiting for parts, and they were in rental cars for almost a month because we weren't able to do business."

On Florida's Gulf Coast, Germain Lexus of Naples is replacing the dealership's car wash overhang, damaged by flying palm fronds, says General Manager Zach Germain. The dealership was closed from Sept. 6 until Sept. 15, he adds.

"We were very fortunate," Germain says. "Things would have been very different if that storm surge had happened, because we are not very far from the water."

Farther inland, the ceiling collapsed at Alan Jay Chrysler-Dodge-Ram-Jeep of Clewiston, but "the service area is fine," says General Manager David Garcia.

"We are going to rebuild, which should take about a year," Garcia says. "So this is really a blessing in disguise."

In Tampa, storm damage to dealerships was relatively minor. Power outages posed a greater threat to service and other operations, according to dealership officials.

In the Miami suburb of Florida City, the service area of Largo Honda played an unusual role in the aftermath of the hurricane. Rick LeMaire, the dealership's general manager, says it became "a kitchen at one end and an animal shelter at the other" for displaced pets.

The dealership temporarily housed as many as 40 evacuees, including employees and their families, LeMaire adds.

Williamson Cadillac-Buick-GMC in Cutler Bay sustained minor damage and quickly got back to business, says dealer Ed Williamson.

"Our service department is as busy as it ever has been," Williamson says.

"We are in great shape. We continue to write a couple hundred [repair orders] a day, and everybody is working hard."