Vehicle Sales Events

Topics:  Bull Valley Ford

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
May 2, 2008

Today I went by Bull Valley Ford to meet the owner and introduce myself. My intention, formed as I drove toward the dealership, was to gather information to write an article suggesting that the car dealerships in Woodstock ought to band together and approach the City Council for a special-use ordinance allowing them to conduct large sales events like the one held at the Farm & Fleet lot last Saturday.

The owner was out; the co-owner was out; the sales manager was working a deal, and I had no desire to interrupt him. Deals (sales) are what keep dealerships alive and in business.

While I was waiting, I chatted with a salesman and explained why I was there. I heard the same question that I heard last week-end. How can Gary Lang have a sales event at the Fairgrounds? The answer is that the Fairgrounds are located in McHenry County, not in Woodstock. Sure, surrounded by Woodstock, but the property is not in Woodstock. (How'd that happen???)

As luck would have it, I had to leave before the sales manager was available, but I'll stop back. Towns need car dealerships. Towns need successful car dealerships - ones that trade fairly and that stay in business. You'd think that a town/city would take an interest in the success of a car dealership, because they benefit - big time! - from the presence of car dealerships - in the form of large annual sales tax income.

One idea would be for the Woodstock City Council to allow each dealership to host an off-premises sales event each year. Maybe even two. We've got space around here - the Farm & Fleet lot, the empty lot on the southwest corner of U.S. 14 and Route 47. The empty lot next to the old Jewel (now Aldi's and Office Depot, in addition to the DMV and other businesses).

Why not utilize that space and allow the dealerships to generate sales and income, and income for Woodstock?

I did have to laugh while I was there, though. One of my pet peeves is cars parked in front of handicapped parking signs without handicap placards. Parked right in front of the front door, right in front of the handicap parking sign, was a car for sale. Let's hope someone passes along the word that that's a $250 parking space. That space is there for a handicapped driver.

© 2008 GUS PHILPOTT