For 25 years, J.B. Hackman and J.D. Roberts have worked for Bob Poynter’s automotive dealerships.
Hackman started in sales, and Roberts began in finance. They later moved into management roles, even sharing an office for five years.
Today, both are managing partners of the GM and Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat dealerships in Seymour along with Poynter.
With Bob Poynter Ford moving from Jackson Park Drive to the lot next to the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat location in the 1800 block of East Tipton Street, they will add that business to the mix.
A Ford dealership has been at 526 S. Jackson Park Drive since at least the 1970s, including about 17 years under the Poynter name.
It, however, was off of the main Tipton Street/U.S. 50 route.
“That building was really, really tired,” said Hackman, who became a partner there with Poynter in 2019. “It was not serving the needs or being very fair to our community of Ford customers. It was old and tired. … It has never just really had any tender loving care, what I call TLC, that Bob Sr., J.D. and myself feel that’s needed.”
Hackman managed to find suitors for the old property. He said it wasn’t an easy task, but he finally broke the property in half. Goecker Construction purchased the front for its new headquarters, and TWG Construction purchased the back half for apartments.
The managing partners feel the new Bob Poynter Ford location will make a positive impact.
“If somebody’s spending $50,000, $60,000 on a new Ford truck or an Explorer or Expedition, they deserve to have a nice facility. We’re real excited about bringing that to Seymour,” Hackman said.
“I would assume we’re going to see a 25% increase in new car sales, probably at a minimum,” Roberts said. “It’s going to allow us to stock more cars, and then with that, we have to service more cars.”
The service facility is going to be at least twice the size, Roberts said.
“With us being able to dual with Chrysler being next door to each other, there’s going to be some synergy there,” he said. “We’re just going to be able to get more cars done because we’re going to have 24 techs.”
The plan is to hire five to 10 people.
“We’re actively trying to hire people,” Roberts said.
“It’s going to be a state-of-the-art, air-conditioned facility, even in the service (area) like our other two businesses, which is great for technicians,” Hackman said.
The hope is to open the Ford dealership by the end of the year, and Roberts said service will open before sales.
“We’re hoping to have our service facility open quicker than that so that we can have all of our technicians in one area,” he said. “We can start servicing cars because we’re going to be a heavy-duty dealer for Ford. (There will be) a 30,000-pound lift, so there will be nothing that we sell that we can’t service.”
Once the Ford dealership is built, it and the Chrysler business will be full fleet, meaning they will offer Ram and Ford commercial trucks.
“We’re going to have the ability to work on and sell heavy-duty trucks,” Roberts said. “We’re going to lend ourselves more to becoming a better commercial dealer than we have been.”
While Roberts has always lived in Seymour, he spent the past two years serving as managing partner with Hackman and Bob Poynter Jr. at the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Hyundai store in Columbus.
Poynter Jr. had owned and operated the Columbus dealership since 2008 until recently selling it.
“We had great success in Columbus; however, Bob was ready to focus on his other businesses,” Roberts said of the sale. “I am excited to still be able to serve the needs of Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram customers and am really looking forward to being a part of the Ford store.”
The Bob Poynter Family of Dealerships not only sells and services new and used vehicles, it also puts a big emphasis on supporting and giving back to the community.
“We love our community,” Hackman said. “We are very noncorporate. … There’s such a human element with the Bob Poynter group. We rarely talk about dollars and sense as far as expenses go. We’d rather ask how someone’s kid is doing in their sports or church.”
Roberts likes working for a company that values the community.
“We’re going to go eat locally, we’re going to see people, we’re going to go to church, we’re going to go to ballgames — all of those things with the people that we’re doing business with,” he said. “We’re willing to take care of people not only because it’s the right thing to do, but you’re going to see them again.”
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For information about the Bob Poynter Family of Dealerships, visit bobpoynter.com.
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