SIOUX CITY - After 19 years on Lewis Boulevard, the used car sales dealer Ideal Wheels has moved to Sixth Street Auto Row.
Craig Carrell, owner of Ideal Wheels, said the recent move to Jensen Import's former location at 1901 Sixth St. was prompted by increasing sales and service.
"We outgrew our shop. We needed space for service and cars. We carry about 120 to 150 cars," said Carrell. "We had been at the other store for 19 years and experienced growth of the business each year."
For three years, Carrell was having plans drawn up for a new building on his Ideal Wheels site at 1021 Lewis Blvd., but by the time he figured in the cost and six to seven months of building - and the disruption to his business - it didn't make a lot of sense to him.
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"Then this building came up. It was close to the old location, and it was convenient. It was the perfect fit. There was room for growth. Actually, it just amounted to perfect timing."
Property improved
Before Ideal Wheels moved into its new building on Nov. 3, a lot of work was done to the property. New signage with a digital display was added, offices were reconstructed and the parking lot was blacktopped. The used car dealership also remodeled the garage, installing new doors, updating the diagnostic computer, adding six lifts and repainting floors and walls.
Carrell, who formed Ideal Wheels in 1989 with former partner Doug Jarman, said reconstructing the offices was necessary to create a customer friendly atmosphere.
"There used to be glass cubicles in here. It was so intimidating and made you feel like you were herding customers into a small room, so we tore them down," he said.
Now the showroom features an open, industrial design with pictures of old car lots on the walls, fun music playing in the background, an old-fashioned booth with a jukebox and antique bicycles and scooters. There is even a little electric Jeep for children.
Customer lounge
Ideal Wheels also has something it never had before: a comfortable customer lounge, complete with newspapers and TV.
"We were so crowded at the old store. It was challenging at times, but we did sell a lot of cars," he said.
Since they have more room at the new location, they have been doing everything they can to make the showroom more comfortable for the people they serve and have been asking for their input.
"We try to ask customers when they come in what they think about our new showroom. We try to make it homey and warm. We still wanted to keep it fun and have room for growth," he said.
On the lot, customers will find domestics, with some foreign brands thrown into the mix. It's not uncommon for the lot to have vehicles from Toyota, Nissan, Lexus and Volkswagen. On rare occasions, there might be a Mercedes or an Audi.
"We get a lot of cars off lease," he said. "A lot of them are late model and some are local trades. I travel a lot to get cars all over the country."
Vehicles are priced at $4,500 and up.
Service is big draw
Carrell said the big draw at Ideal Wheels is its service. The firm offers free labor for customers as long as they own the vehicle and only charge the firm's cost for parts. To keep up with the service needs, the firm has four full-time mechanics who have the experience and versatility to work on a wide variety of vehicles.
Because of the move, Ideal Wheels is now able to provide service for people who bought their vehicles elsewhere and oil changes. The labor charge is $38.95 an hour and the cost for oil changes is $17.95.
Carrell acknowledged it has been challenging to offer such a great deal and it takes a long time to see benefits, but it builds a strong foundation of customers, he said. When he was going through his list of past customers on the computer, he noted he has served a lot of the same customers and their families many times over the years.
"We put more money into service because it has more of a direct impact. Customers benefit from it and we retain them," he said. "We probably have the best customers. They're loyal. When they shop for cars they always come here and they tell their friends and family.
"We also sponsor community events to get the word out. It's gratifying to go out anywhere in town and see people frequently. We have great customers which makes it fun. To us, this business is more than selling cars."
A family atmosphere is one of the reasons Ideal Wheels has continued to be successful, Carrell said.
"It's not uncommon for customers to bring down food and beer and just hang out with us. They want to sit down and talk to us. It also helps that my employees have stayed with me for a long time. One of my employees has been here for 18 years.
"Doug (Johnson), who helps manage the store and others have been here 10 to 11 years," he said. "We work together as a team. We understand that if we all work together, everyone benefits."
Ideal Wheels hours
Ideal Wheels is open 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
