Last month, Reichard’s more than 60 employees celebrated his 60th anniversary in a way of life that has been challenging of late, although the owner asks no one to feel sorry for him.
Reichard Buick Pontiac GMC and Saturn Service, as the dealership is known today, opened as Shannon Buick in 1949. That year, Reichard joined as an employee, cleaning cars by night and going to high school by day. He liked it so much that he never left, with the exception of a two-year Army stint during the Korean War.
“A rather amazing feat in any business,” said his son, Jeff Reichard, who has worked at the 161 Salem Ave. dealership for 33 years.
The elder Reichard bought the dealership in 1985 at the age of 52. That’s when Shannon Buick became Reichard Buick, with its now-familiar marketing tagline “Get it ‘Reichard’ the first time.”
Jeff Reichard, 52, pointed to a 37.7 percent increase in sales in 2009, a year that saw the industry tanking by about 30 percent in some quarters. (According to data collected by AutoViewOnline, total Dayton-area market new car sales fell 16.7 percent in 2009 compared to 2008.)
Ask Gene Reichard his secret, and he’ll tell you there is no secret. “We sell on service,” he said. “All our lives, before people even thought of customer satisfaction, we did.”
Parts and service also are key components, with Reichard Body Shop at 4440 Salem having 20 service bays, in addition to the dealership’s 26 bays. Reichard also has a 60,000-square-foot parts warehouse on Williams Street in Dayton.
Acquisitions also played a role. The business bought Rodgers Pontiac in November 2004. Believing that crossover and truck sales would continue to matter, Reichard bought Moorman Pontiac GMC in September 2008. More recently, GM has named Reichard one of two authorized warranty service providers for Saturn vehicles. (GM put aside the Saturn nameplate last year as it trimmed brands, including Pontiac and Saab.)
Reichard has no plans of retiring. He said he still works 50 hours a week and wouldn’t have it any other way.
“What he wants me to do is keep working so he can retire,” quipped a smiling Reichard, referring to son Jeff.
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