Although the new Don Hinds Ford Dealership is located just feet away from its old location, this state-of-the-art showroom is nothing like the dealership’s former abode of 19 years.
“Something needs to change,” owner Bud Colglazier said.“ Every so often you need to change your look, or you’ll get left in the dust.”
The only dust left behind here is what remains of the former building. Operating for nearly two decades with a smaller showroom, shared waiting area and no windows for Colglazier’s office, the dealership has created an impressive facility.
In business for over 50 years, Don Hinds Ford was the original car dealership on Ind. 37, a strip that has since become “dealership row” with half a dozen more auto dealers joining Ford between I-69 and 146th Street. Don Hinds moved from Noblesville in the late 1980s, when only a handful of businesses existed there, like Reynolds Farm Equipment and the Shell gas station at 126th Street, along with the strip mall anchored by Ace Liquors.
Now with the increase in competition and the growth surrounding the Ford dealer, management felt it was time to upgrade. And upgrade they did!
Visitors are greeted with marble floors, family room-style furniture and a non-threatening atmosphere. (Sales desks are nowhere to be found.) A fireplace lingers in the background in one of the two waiting areas available for the showroom. (The finance department and service department each have their own waiting area, as well.) Alongside the waiting area is an enclosed children’s play area. Internet connections are readily available, as is the coffee to keep customers and workers going. If it weren’t for the eight or nine cars that sit quietly in the showroom, you just might forget what brought you there in the first place.
General Sales Manager Rich Marowski says he appreciates having the space to house up to 12 vehicles in the showroom. This allows customers to get out of the elements while they are searching for a new vehicle, he said. The old building was capable of displaying just a handful of vehicles at a time.
Beginning this Spring, Don Hinds Ford will become one of the few dealerships in the state to operate an in-house License Branch. This is yet another way the dealership has designed its new facility to cater to the customer.
“Buying habits have changed,” Colglazier said. “People require different needs.”
Whether you are searching for a new vehicle or just curious, stop by and see why Don Hinds calls itself “One of a Kind.” With its new facility up and running, it has proven to be just that.
