Southern Dealers in Recovery

Dealers in Florida remain optimistic and resilient despite having businesses damaged, showrooms shut down and a dearth of customers following the effects of three hurricanes in six weeks.

Hurricane Ivan, the most powerful storm, spawned several tornadoes along the western part of the state and kept showrooms closed as residents prepared for the worst.

Thomas Dart, president of the Automobile Dealers Assn. of Alabama, says the damage from Ivan may not be as severe as originally feared, even though the state suffered a direct hit.

Charley, which hit the east coast of Florida Aug. 13, inflicted damage on an estimated 7,000 vehicles and wiped out the facilities to many dealerships. Ford Motor Co. estimates 15,000 sales in the state were lost because of Charley. The industry, overall, experienced a decline in August of 5.6% compared with year-ago.

Several dealerships throughout Florida were operating out of trailers in September. Ben Freeland, the owner of Harbor Nissan in Charlotte Harbor says his facility was wiped out, and he resorted to selling cars from a mobile trailer.

Some dealerships tried to use the natural disaster for savvy marketing. Kelley Automotive Group's Palm Bay Ford in Florida started a promotion offering a new generator to people who bought a new vehicle.