July 12, 2018

This paid piece is sponsored by Luxury Auto Mall.

It’s rare in the auto industry to have the type of shopping experience delivered at Luxury Auto Mall.

With BMW, Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz all under one roof, buying or leasing a luxury vehicle takes on a new level of service and convenience.

“Many people looking for a luxury vehicle would have to visit multiple dealerships to compare and test-drive each model. Here at Luxury Auto Mall, you can stop into one dealership, work with one sales consultant and find the best fit for your overall wants and needs,” general manager Mike Chaplin said.

Located at 4410 W. 12th St. off Interstate 29, Luxury Auto Mall has operated the three brands together for the past eight years. Each has an exclusive show floor in a building that totals almost 65,000 square feet.

The BMW showroom was updated in December to the brand’s latest look, and the Mercedes showroom was updated in April.

“Each show floor feels a little different than the next, representing each brand in its own way. However, our business philosophy remains consistent across the brands,” Chaplin said.

The building started as a Cadillac, Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn dealership in 2003 under owner Randy Nehring, who is Chaplin’s father-in-law.

In 2010, General Motors dissolved all of those brands except for Cadillac, and Nehring looked for new ones to fill the dealership.

The right fit turned out to be BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which were acquired from Vern Eide Motorcars in 2011.

“It was very important to maintain the jobs of all the employees that would be impacted by the loss of the GM brands at our dealership,” Chaplin said. “Randy decided these would help fill the space but also allow us to deliver a truly unique experience to the community by combining the three brands into one building.”

That’s just the start of what makes Luxury Auto Mall different. Here’s the rest of the story.

One Price store

Buying a vehicle at Luxury Auto Mall isn’t the same type of car-buying experience most people envision.

The dealership’s foundation as a One Price store sets it apart in the industry and takes the negotiating out of buying a car.

Each car is labeled with a price tag, much like shopping at a retail store, with promotions and incentives taken out of the MSRP to reach the lowest available price.

“We’d rather just be up front and honest with our customers,” Chaplin said. “We want to create a relaxed shopping experience with everyone that will create transparency and trust.”

The One Price system started because by being up front about the final price, the dealership can work more with customers on finding the vehicle that is right for them.

“We want to make sure we take care of customers,” Chaplin said. “It’s about creating customers for life because they want to do business with us.”

Regional draw

Luxury Auto Mall is one of only a few dealers regionally to offer BMW and Mercedes-Benz vehicles. It’s responsible for sales and service of those brands from Sioux City to Fargo, and from east to west about 90 miles on either side of Sioux Falls.

“The high level of service we provide is very important to our store,” Chaplin said. “We will do daily pickups out of town in Dakota Dunes, Mitchell and Watertown. We also have 40 service loaners, which is a big deal for our customers who want a vehicle to drive while their car is being serviced.”

With technicians master-certified in all brands, Luxury Auto Mall will service all makes and models, including luxury brands such as Lexus and Infiniti that don’t have dealers in Sioux Falls.

And any customer can stop in for an express oil change and tire rotation, which often serves as an introduction to the dealership.

“Even if people haven’t purchased a vehicle from us, we encourage them to come in for service,” Chaplin said. “You can enjoy free refreshments and a lounge area, and get a sense of the outstanding service we provide.”

Meeting changing markets

Customers travel to Luxury Auto Mall from a wide geographic area – even shopping from as far away as Denver or Chicago. Even in town, they increasingly prefer to browse online before coming into the dealership.

“We know more people research vehicles and brands online at home before visiting dealerships,” Chaplin said. “We want to make sure our website, luxuryautomallofsiouxfalls.com, is a valued customer experience, just like in our store.”

Even with a strong online presence, there is still good reason to stop in and browse. Because Luxury Auto Mall carries so many manufacturers and models, there is always something new.

“Between the three brands, there are so many models to choose from,” Chaplin said. “That’s where the excitement builds in this building.”

Family values

While working with global brands, Luxury Auto Mall maintains a community-driven business with strong values.

“We work as a Main Street-style business, not a Wall Street business,” Chaplin said. “One of our company values is: To be so effective, we can be helpful to others.”

Those also are family values for the owners. Chaplin, along with business partner and brother-in-law Ed Bloom, the general manager of Sioux Falls Ford, are in the process of acquiring the dealership from their father-in-law, Nehring.

Nehring is the president of a larger auto group called Rydell Co. that acquires dealerships and provides a business plan, philosophy and value system that allows people working for the auto group to buy out the dealership and become business owners themselves.

“We are treating the buyout the same as anyone going through the process in the Rydell group,” Chaplin said. “Not only do we have our family here in town, but we get to be part of a larger family group of dealerships around the country to maintain best business practices.”

The staff is like family too. “We’re proud that our turnover is extremely low, especially for our industry, and that we have many longtime employees,” Chaplin said.

“It’s important to us to provide those career opportunities for people and to make sure our customers have a consistent experience with people they come to know and trust.”

The company culture emphasizes giving back to the community. The dealership is active in supporting more than 30 local organizations, helping those at all ages and stages of life.

“Sioux Falls is a great community to live in, and we want to make sure we continue to be part of that,” Chaplin said.

To learn more about Luxury Auto Mall, stop in the dealership or visit luxuryautomallofsiouxfalls.com.