Bart's Car Store

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Many people dream big, but few people actually achieve their goals of being a successful business owner - and surpass those goals. Bart Churchward, president of Bart's Car Store, dreamed of being an entrepreneur since he was a kid. He set a deadline to be in business for himself by the age of 30. He achieved that goal three years late, but he has managed to surpass his own expectations, and those of others, by owning one of the most successful and trusted used-car dealership groups in the area.

As a kid, the family budget was tight and Bart learned many lessons about how far a dollar could stretch, and how far it couldn't. Determined to be his own success, he read every book he could on how to be successful. He worked hard, graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, and consumed knowledge wherever he could. It wasn't until he joined Fort Wayne Lincoln Mercury as a salesman in 1987 that he found his true niche; auto sales.

He later moved on to work for The Car Company in Warsaw, but he was never quite happy working for someone else. Bart had his own vision for a used car lot and took the leap into entrepreneurship on Dec. 18, 1995. He sketched out the beginnings of his business plan on the back of a Bob Evans Restaurant place mat, borrowed money from a bank and went into business for himself. The first Bart's Car Store, located on U.S. 30 between Warsaw and Columbia City, was off the beaten path.

Bart's Car Store has been on an upward path of growth ever since, opening seven locations in the last five years, with two more stores in the works. He has stuck to his belief in volume sales and quality cars.

"I believe in honesty with my customers," Bart says. "At our lots, our prices are clearly stated on the cars and we give our customers and honest quote on their trade-ins. We have been thanked countless times for our honesty and that brings in the repeat business that has made Bart's Car Store what it is today."

There is no running back and forth between the salesperson and the manager at a Bart's Car Store, either. All of the salesmen are given their own leeway in making negotiating decisions. This not only saves time, but also gives the customer more information throughout the process. In addition, the salesperson does all the paperwork for the sale and the warranty, without the pressure of selling additional loan products like GAP insurance and disability insurance.

"Our deals are very straightforward," Bart says. "Customers know exactly what they are going to get: a high-quality car at an excellent price." In fact, the cars on every one of the seven Bart's Car Store lots are primarily 1- to 3-year old domestic SUVs, mini-vans, cars and trucks with low-to mid-miles on them. This almost- new condition assures customers they are getting a good vehicle.

For Bart, selling a newer car with fewer miles on it isn't enough. Every vehicle that is sold on a Bart's lot is put through a rigorous test at the company's new regional prep center in Columbia City. Any repairs are made before a sale sticker is put on the car. For this level of quality, Bart's has won the prestigious Quality Dealer of the Year award for 2001 from the Indiana Independent Auto Dealers Association, as well as a number of other awards.

Bart cautions customers to move quickly if they see a car they like. Being a volume dealer with low prices means nearly 100 percent of the vehicles are sold every month, with new ones replacing them daily. Bargains go quick and more than 300 deals a month are processed through the Bart's centralized lending and accounting system.

The centralized system greatly reduces the waiting time on e a loan application. Bart's uses 20 different banks for loan approvals, and has five highly-skilled employees working full-time in the accounting department.

"People appreciate that they can get the car they want, and get it quickly," Bart says. "They are on the road, in the vehicle they envisioned, with the loan approved in as little as one hour. That's fast!"

Bart attributes the success of his stores to his hard-working and competent staff. To give entrepreneurial salespeople that shot he himself had at self-destiny, Bart offers them managing partner positions, which gives them a minority share in the company and control of individual locations.

"Everyone is committed to our success because we work together as a team for the company," Bart says. He credits the commitment of long-term team members like Woodard, Ann Turner, Pete Sideris, Brandon Cretacci, Rick Moore, Scott Grigoletti and others for helping Bart's maintain a steady course on a rocket ride of growth.

All this success is not worth much, says Bart, if the community can't benefit, too. To that wend, Bart's hosts several annual perfect attendance programs at five area high schools, giving away a car at each school to a student who didn't miss a day of school and whose name is pulled in a drawing. The company sponsors 10 boys and girls softball teams annually, host an annual "Kids to Camp" sale, and provides funds for projects like the Whitley County Public Library and K-9 program of the Columbia City Police Department.

In the future, Bart plans to expand and grow the business, offering additional opportunities for staff members to become owner/partners, and bringing more quality, well-priced vehicles to the Indiana area. No matter how big t he company becomes, however, Bart says the same standards that founded the company will continue to be foremost.

"The customer comes first- always," Bart says. "If they have a good experience at Bart's they'll tell their friends and family. No amount of advertising can buy that kind of word of mouth reputation." -Business People Magazine.

Bart Churchward worked as a dishwasher and waiter, eventually paying his own way through college at Indiana University in Bloomington. He graduated in 1985 with a degree in speech communication and a concentration in business.

He entered the automobile business in 1987 Rookie of the Year Award in a five state district After several years, Churchward was offered an unusual opportunity to open a new business for a wealthy family. The Car Company essentially was a body shop with eight or 10 cars for sale out front. Churchward was given a $250,000 line of credit and one guideline - don't steal. There he learned to buy, advertise and sell the used cars.

Churchward opened Bart's Car Store near Fort Wayne in 1995. He began with a $100,000 credit line and a plan to emphasize high volume. The lot took off faster than he dreamed. Churchward sold 64 vehicles in his second full month. Six years later, Bart's had grown to seven locations with an eighth soon to open.

The chain of car stores keeps up to 400 vehicles in inventory. Bart's offers cars no older than three years, specializing in off-lease vehicles of all types. Churchward's slogan is "2-year-old cars for about half the price," and it appears to be working. He sells about 300 cars a month, plus another 50 or so wholesale.

Churchward: Traffic count, first and foremost. We want no less than 23,000 to 30,000 cars a day. Almost all of the stores are on interstates or four-lane main arteries. And we like to be on the outskirts of town. We don't like to be in the city or downtown where people don't want to stop. If you can get a spot on the main home-to-work route you'll be placing yourself right in their path. And visibility is important. You don't want to be squeezed between a bunch of big buildings because you'll get lost.

Churchward: I think it's easier and cheaper that way. This way you're not buying their problems and you don't have to pay any kind of blue sky price for their future business. One of the biggest challenges is dealing with the zoning ordinances in each new city. We spend a lot of money on engineering reports so that we can go to the city with more information than they could possibly want. And we talk to the neighbors ahead of time and tell them who we are, what kind of business we are and how we're going to run it. You want to squelch the opposition before you get there.

Churchward: Absolutely. From the very beginning I tried to run the company as a big chain. Every year I hire an accounting firm to do an outside audit. That reassures the banks and lenders that all the books are in order. That's one reason I have a $6.5 million floor plan. We try to cookie-cutter each new location.

Churchward: Yes. I spend about $40,000 in advertising a month, about $300 to $500 per car. I've read a lot about successful businesses and I believe that advertising is an investment, not an expense. We do a ton of classifieds, but we also spend a lot on branding the company on radio, TV and business magazines. On television we do all broadcast, no local cable.

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