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<a href="http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050225/BIZ/502250348/1005">
<Table><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=-2>February 25, 2005</FONT> <FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size=3><FONT face=Arial,Helvetica size=+1>Local dealer reaches goal</FONT> <FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=-2>By Josee Valcourt </FONT><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=-2>jvalcourt@clarionledger.com </FONT> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=250 align=right border=0 hspace="10" vspace="10"> <TBODY> <TR> <TD width=10></TD> <TD vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee> clear=all>  <FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=-2>Rick Guy/The Clarion-Ledger</FONT> <FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=-2>Ron Sparnecht (driving) and Mike McCollum take a 2005 Hummer H2 SUV around an obstacle course to demonstrate the vehicle's capabilities.Sparnecht and McCollum are Rogers-Dabbs Hummer sales representatives. </FONT>  <TABLE cellPadding=3> <TBODY> <TR> <TD><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=-2><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" color=#cc0000 size=-1>Hummer sales</FONT> <FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=-2> Sales of the large SUV have experienced a 16.8% decline. 2003 — 35,259 2004 — 29,345 Source: General Motors </FONT></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>As the Rogers-Dabbs dealership erected a facility dedicated solely for Hummers, sales of the brand cooled. Approximately $3 million was invested in the Quonset Hut-style building in Brandon complete with a gigantic H above the entrance and a rugged test track to the rear. Construction of the facility took 10 months. Mississippi's only Hummer dealer opened the facility in December. But by that time, sales for the brand fell 16.8 percent to 29,345 units for the year compared to 2003 when 35,259 sold. Tight competition in the full-size sport utility vehicle segment and demand that has waned since the product launched in 2002 are culprits. GM bought the make from AM General — a military contractor— around 2000. "It doesn't have the same sort of excitement today as when the brand was first launched," said Joe Barker, manager of North American automotive sales for Farmington Hills, Mich.-based CSM Worldwide Inc. When introduced, even California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had to have one. But sales manager Michael Wallis doesn't look worried. For a market of its size — smaller in comparison to Texas or Wisconsin — business in Brandon has been good. <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=250 align=right border=0 hspace="10" vspace="10"> <TBODY> <TR> <TD width=10></TD> <TD vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee> clear=all> <FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=-2>Rick Guy/The Clarion-Ledger</FONT> <FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=-2>Michael Wallis with Rogers-Dabbs Hummer stands with one of the 2005 Hummer H2 SUT's at the dealership on W. Government Street in Brandon. The SUT differs from the SUV in that it has a small, configurable utility bed in the rear. </FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The dealership has hit its average monthly sales goal of between 10 to 15 units and the new H3 that will become available in May could generate new interest. Mostly H2 and the H2 SUT, a pickup version, have sold at the dealership. Rogers-Dabbs began selling Hummer vehicles in July 2002. The retailer, which reaches consumers as far as north Mississippi, is expected to receive an average 22 H3s monthly or about 135 this year. Ridgeland resident Michael Rodgers, who purchased an H2 for his wife for safety reasons, would consider buying another Hummer. He said although he isn't in the market for a new car, he would consider the H3. "With a base price of $29,000, the product opens the door to a whole new group of consumers," Wallis said. "It still has the same off-road capability that the H2 has." Wallis' opinion isn't atypical. The new product's lower sticker price will widen the brand's market, Barker said. Cost for the gargantuan H1 hovers at about $100,000 and the slightly shrunken H2 is priced at nearly $60,000. "It definitely will bolster sales for the Hummer brand," he said. Said Susan Docherty, Hummer marketing general manager: "We think we're going to end up with customers in their 20s." The average age of a driver of the luxury brand is 40. Docherty, who is based in Detroit, doesn't expect the median age to get any younger. Production of the H3 will begin in April at GM's Shreveport, La., plant and this year's sales goal is 35,000. "The H3 is where we are going to have our biggest success," said John Bergstrom, who owns a Hummer dealership in Milwaukee and the first building in the country to sport the military design in 2002. He attributes the achievement of his operation to a vehicle that attracts customers with a recreational penchant. Thirty-five percent of Hummer buyers are women, he said. To further help retailers make sales without slapping incentives on the luxury line, sales promotions such as one that offers a $3,000 chrome accessory package for a discount have been implemented. "It's added some bling-bling," Docherty said. A new promotion offers a $1,500 bonus program for Hummers equipped with sunroof, a navigation system and XM satellite radio. In addition, any Hummer driver will earn two years worth of free XM satellite radio. "Hummer customers love their tunes and they love the chrome on their vehicles," she said. In January, GM reported 1,864 Hummers sold compared with 1,927 the same period a year ago. To carry the momentum forward, there are plans to install a 6.6-liter turbo diesel Alpha Duramax engine into the H1, which will be quieter with improved fuel efficiency. Hummers also are bound for overseas markets including the Middle East. "We're going to triple our volume over 12 to 18 months and get ready to grow globally," said Docherty. "We think there's lots of segments within the truck market that Hummer can occupy but only if unparallel, off-road capability is a requirement," she said.</P></FONT></Table> |
<a href="http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050225/BIZ/502250348/1005">
<Table><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=-2>February 25, 2005</FONT> <FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size=3><FONT face=Arial,Helvetica size=+1>Local dealer reaches goal</FONT> <FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=-2>By Josee Valcourt </FONT><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=-2>jvalcourt@clarionledger.com </FONT> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=250 align=right border=0 hspace="10" vspace="10"> <TBODY> <TR> <TD width=10></TD> <TD vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee> clear=all> <FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=-2>Rick Guy/The Clarion-Ledger</FONT> <FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=-2>Ron Sparnecht (driving) and Mike McCollum take a 2005 Hummer H2 SUV around an obstacle course to demonstrate the vehicle's capabilities.Sparnecht and McCollum are Rogers-Dabbs Hummer sales representatives. </FONT> <TABLE cellPadding=3> <TBODY> <TR> <TD><FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=-2><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" color=#cc0000 size=-1>Hummer sales</FONT> <FONT face=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica size=-2> Sales of the large SUV have experienced a 16.8% decline. 2003 — 35,259 2004 — 29,345 Source: General Motors </FONT></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>As the Rogers-Dabbs dealership erected a facility dedicated solely for Hummers, sales of the brand cooled. Approximately $3 million was invested in the Quonset Hut-style building in Brandon complete with a gigantic H above the entrance and a rugged test track to the rear. Construction of the facility took 10 months. Mississippi's only Hummer dealer opened the facility in December. But by that time, sales for the brand fell 16.8 percent to 29,345 units for the year compared to 2003 when 35,259 sold. Tight competition in the full-size sport utility vehicle segment and demand that has waned since the product launched in 2002 are culprits. GM bought the make from AM General — a military contractor— around 2000. "It doesn't have the same sort of excitement today as when the brand was first launched," said Joe Barker, manager of North American automotive sales for Farmington Hills, Mich.-based CSM Worldwide Inc. When introduced, even California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had to have one. But sales manager Michael Wallis doesn't look worried. For a market of its size — smaller in comparison to Texas or Wisconsin — business in Brandon has been good. <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=250 align=right border=0 hspace="10" vspace="10"> <TBODY> <TR> <TD width=10></TD> <TD vAlign=top bgColor=#eeeeee> clear=all> <FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=-2>Rick Guy/The Clarion-Ledger</FONT> <FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=-2>Michael Wallis with Rogers-Dabbs Hummer stands with one of the 2005 Hummer H2 SUT's at the dealership on W. Government Street in Brandon. The SUT differs from the SUV in that it has a small, configurable utility bed in the rear. </FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The dealership has hit its average monthly sales goal of between 10 to 15 units and the new H3 that will become available in May could generate new interest. Mostly H2 and the H2 SUT, a pickup version, have sold at the dealership. Rogers-Dabbs began selling Hummer vehicles in July 2002. The retailer, which reaches consumers as far as north Mississippi, is expected to receive an average 22 H3s monthly or about 135 this year. Ridgeland resident Michael Rodgers, who purchased an H2 for his wife for safety reasons, would consider buying another Hummer. He said although he isn't in the market for a new car, he would consider the H3. "With a base price of $29,000, the product opens the door to a whole new group of consumers," Wallis said. "It still has the same off-road capability that the H2 has." Wallis' opinion isn't atypical. The new product's lower sticker price will widen the brand's market, Barker said. Cost for the gargantuan H1 hovers at about $100,000 and the slightly shrunken H2 is priced at nearly $60,000. "It definitely will bolster sales for the Hummer brand," he said. Said Susan Docherty, Hummer marketing general manager: "We think we're going to end up with customers in their 20s." The average age of a driver of the luxury brand is 40. Docherty, who is based in Detroit, doesn't expect the median age to get any younger. Production of the H3 will begin in April at GM's Shreveport, La., plant and this year's sales goal is 35,000. "The H3 is where we are going to have our biggest success," said John Bergstrom, who owns a Hummer dealership in Milwaukee and the first building in the country to sport the military design in 2002. He attributes the achievement of his operation to a vehicle that attracts customers with a recreational penchant. Thirty-five percent of Hummer buyers are women, he said. To further help retailers make sales without slapping incentives on the luxury line, sales promotions such as one that offers a $3,000 chrome accessory package for a discount have been implemented. "It's added some bling-bling," Docherty said. A new promotion offers a $1,500 bonus program for Hummers equipped with sunroof, a navigation system and XM satellite radio. In addition, any Hummer driver will earn two years worth of free XM satellite radio. "Hummer customers love their tunes and they love the chrome on their vehicles," she said. In January, GM reported 1,864 Hummers sold compared with 1,927 the same period a year ago. To carry the momentum forward, there are plans to install a 6.6-liter turbo diesel Alpha Duramax engine into the H1, which will be quieter with improved fuel efficiency. Hummers also are bound for overseas markets including the Middle East. "We're going to triple our volume over 12 to 18 months and get ready to grow globally," said Docherty. "We think there's lots of segments within the truck market that Hummer can occupy but only if unparallel, off-road capability is a requirement," she said.</P></FONT></Table> |
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">"Hummer customers love their tunes and they love the chrome on their vehicles," she said. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ha, ha, ha - chrome ....  |
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