The Chevrolet dealership along Highway 316 in Hastings has a new owner and another new name, with Wisconsin-based ONE Automotive Group acquiring Tri Rivers Chevrolet and entering the Minnesota market for the first time.
The transaction closed Aug. 4, and the dealership at 2929 Highway 316 is now operating as Chevrolet of Hastings. ONE Automotive Group acquired the dealership business, real estate and business property, according to information released following the sale.
For customers, however, company leaders say the transition is intended to be much less dramatic than the change in ownership might suggest. The dealership will remain at its existing location, will continue selling new Chevrolet and used vehicles, and will continue offering automotive service, repairs and parts. All current employees were retained as part of the acquisition.
ONE Automotive Group is based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and is an independently owned automotive group with approximately 300 employees. The Hastings acquisition represents the company's first dealership in Minnesota. Other reporting on the acquisition indicates the company already operates multiple dealerships in western Wisconsin, including locations in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls.
Company leaders said the expansion into Hastings was an important step for the organization.
“Expanding into Minnesota has been an exciting opportunity for our organization, and we're proud that Hastings will be the home of our first dealership in the state,” Bertrand said. “Through our ONEderful Approach to doing business we work to treat customers with honesty, respect and transparency while investing in the community. We believe our business values are a natural fit for the Hastings community, and we're looking forward to serving customers here for many years to come.”
The company describes its “ONEderful Approach” as a business philosophy centered on straightforward transactions, communication and long-term relationships with customers and employees.
For Hastings customers, the practical effect is expected to include a larger selection of new Chevrolet vehicles and pre-owned vehicles, while retaining the existing service staff and dealership employees.
ONE Automotive Group said its sales approach focuses on helping customers select the appropriate vehicle without creating a high-pressure sales environment. It also plans to strengthen the dealership's service operations and invest in the location over the long term.
That continuity appears to have been an important part of the agreement for former Tri Rivers Chevrolet owner Hayes Piker.
“I am very happy to place the dealership in the hands of Bill, Suzanne and the ONE Automotive Group team,” Piker said. “They understand the value of local ownership and will be thoughtful caretakers of the dealership, its employees and its role in the Hastings community. I am confident they will invest in the business and position it for continued success.”
The sale gives ONE Automotive Group control of not only the dealership operation but also its physical property, giving the company a long-term presence in Hastings rather than simply taking over the automotive franchise.
The company said it intends to make continued investments in the dealership, while expanding vehicle inventory and service capabilities. Those investments are also expected to provide employees with additional opportunities to develop careers within a larger automotive organization.
For existing customers, one of the more important details may be what is not changing.
The staff members customers have worked with at Tri Rivers Chevrolet will remain. The dealership will continue providing maintenance, repair and parts service, and Chevrolet owners who have already established relationships with service technicians or other employees will not have to start over with an entirely new staff.
Company officials said they expect the transition from Tri Rivers Chevrolet to Chevrolet of Hastings to be seamless for customers.
The acquisition also brings another locally owned automotive company into the Hastings business community, although in this case “local” stretches across the state line to Eau Claire.
ONE Automotive Group said its dealerships are built around a customer-first philosophy and local decision-making. The company describes itself as independent, rather than part of a national publicly traded dealership chain, and says decisions at Chevrolet of Hastings will be made with customers, employees and the Hastings community in mind.
The Hastings location becomes the company's first opportunity to apply that philosophy in Minnesota.
“The ‘ONEderful Approach’ is ONE Automotive Group's commitment to making every customer experience straightforward, transparent and enjoyable,” Bertrand said. “Built on friendly service, honest communication and long-term relationships, the approach puts people first, whether they're buying a vehicle, servicing one or building a career with the company.”
The change comes as the dealership continues operating from its established location on Highway 316, an important commercial corridor on the south side of Hastings.
Although the ownership and dealership name are changing, Chevrolet remains the new-vehicle brand at the location. Customers will continue to find Chevrolet cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles there, along with used vehicles from a variety of manufacturers.
ONE Automotive Group said its broader dealership operation should allow Chevrolet of Hastings to increase both its new and used inventory. The company also identified expansion of service capabilities as one of the benefits of the acquisition.
The company emphasized that those changes are intended to build on the existing dealership rather than replace the operation that customers already know.
Retaining every current employee provides a significant amount of continuity during the ownership transition. Sales representatives, service technicians, parts employees and other staff members already familiar with Hastings-area customers and their vehicles will continue working at the dealership.
For Piker, that treatment of the dealership's employees and its future in Hastings was among the factors that mattered when choosing a buyer.
His comments following the sale focused not simply on the transaction itself, but on whether the new owners would continue investing in the dealership and recognize its place in the community.
That community component also figures prominently in ONE Automotive Group's description of its business model.
The company said it has developed its reputation in western Wisconsin by supporting the communities where it has dealerships, while also investing in employees and emphasizing a simplified customer experience. Its leaders say they plan to bring the same approach to Hastings.
The company's approximately 300 employees work across its dealership network, providing new and used vehicle sales, automotive service and financing. The addition of Chevrolet of Hastings expands that network west of Wisconsin for the first time.
For the Hastings dealership, the Aug. 4 transaction marks another chapter for an automotive business that has continued serving customers from the Highway 316 property as names and ownership have changed.
This time, the new sign will read Chevrolet of Hastings.
Behind that sign, however, ONE Automotive Group is emphasizing stability. The same location remains, Chevrolet remains the franchise, the current employees remain on the job, and the dealership will continue providing sales, service, repairs and parts.
What the new owners hope to add is greater inventory, additional resources, expanded service capabilities and the support of a larger regional dealership organization.
The purchase also gives ONE Automotive Group a foothold in a new state and a community where company leaders say they believe their business model can work.
For customers, those ambitions will ultimately be judged in familiar ways, by the vehicles available on the lot, the experience inside the showroom and the service provided after a vehicle leaves it.
ONE Automotive Group is entering Hastings with an established staff already in place and a promise that its first Minnesota dealership will be a long-term investment.
The company now has the keys, and Chevrolet of Hastings is officially open for the next chapter.