Findlay adding new dealerships in various states

Coming on the heels of a record year that saw an 8 percent increase in sales for 2017, Findlay Automotive Group isn’t slowing down in 2018.

Four new dealerships are currently under construction, including Jaguar Land Rover Las Vegas near Jones Boulevard and the 215 Beltway in the southwest valley; Findlay Subaru St. George in Southern Utah; Findlay Subaru in Prescott, Arizona; and Audi Modesto in Central California.

Findlay dealerships that have recently opened in Southern Nevada include Findlay Subaru at 6455 Roy Horn Way near the Beltway in the southwest valley and Findlay Volvo at 5385 W. Sahara Ave.

Adding to the buzz of activity will be the beginning of construction of a Findlay Mazda dealership this month in the Valley Automall in Henderson.

The decision to build a new automobile dealership starts with meetings between Findlay Automotive Group executives and major automobile manufacturers. Once the decision is made to begin a new dealership, design specialists and contractors are brought onboard to complete the design and to start the permitting process and construction.

“The entire process takes about two years from start to finish,” said Findlay Automotive CFO Tyler Corder. “We feel it’s important for us to have great facilities to provide our customers with an excellent experience for both sales and service. Every one of our stores is a first class, comfortable facility.”

Findlay Automotive’s facilities director, Roger Camperi, is an important

The Leaf also makes a very subtle backup noise, like a quiet version of the backup beep on a commercial delivery truck. Pedestrians who complain about the stealthy silence of BEVS will benefit from this gentle warning.

new dashboard look and has used fabric and plastics to produce effective sound deadening. Around town and on the freeway, the Leaf is a nice, quiet car.

The driver’s cockpit is comfortable and spacious, though the back seats will be a little cramped for full-size adults. Those back-seat folks are given cup holders but no plug-in ports for their devices.

The storage area behind the front seats is adequate and gets bigger when the rear seats are folded forward. part of the process.

“Roger helps me get the projects done,” Corder said. “He’s getting quite an education in construction. Besides overseeing the details of the projects, he also configures the signs, furniture, equipment and everything else key to the operation of a store. Roger is a key person in the building of our dealerships.”

Camperi carries with him a diagram of each new store that shows

But as on a lot of BEVS, there’s a battery back there, which will make loading a bicycle or large box a little difficult.

The entry-level Leaf starts at $30,875. The car comes in S, SV and SL trim lines. The model I drove was an SV, which differed from the entry-level S by having a navigation system and Apple Carplay.

It was also equipped with an All-weather Package, a $900 upgrade that included heated front seats and steering wheel, and a $2,200 Technology Package that provided Propilot and other safety features such as blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic assist and pedestrian detection.

The Leaf also makes a very subtle backup noise, like a quiet version of the backup beep on a commercial delivery truck. Pedestrians who complain about the stealthy silence of BEVS will benefit from this gentle warning.

Will all of that be enough to reverse the Leaf ’s sales slide or get more