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Page 4A - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, March 23. 1989 BUSINESS FEATURE Sobers Rides Into Auto Dealership By HERB WHITE Post Staff Writer Wayne Sobers has been a part of the business world for many years, but running his own brings a new set of challenges. Sobers, the owner of Sobers Chevrolet In Mooresvllle, said taking over the dealership was a gamble, but an investment worth risking. "I've had a few In my life and this is probably the biggest, at least In terms of Investments and my time," he said. "The one thing that's not new to me Is running a profitable business. The only re^ big difference now Is I have a bigger stake In It fi nancially." After 15 years as an executive vice president at Earl G. Graves Ltd., the parent company of Black Enterprise magazine. So bers entered General Motors' dealer development program In 1987. After training In GM's Dealer Development Academy in Detroit and a Yonkers, N.Y. deal ership, Sobers was ready to take on his own decdershlp. Selling cars Is different, but only slightly, from a business standpoint. "I don't look at It so much as being a dealership as It Is run ning a business that happens to be a dealership,” he said. Retail businesses like Sobers's are the first to be affected by the economy, he said. If consumers feel secure with the future, they are more Ukety to buy big-ticket items like cars. "When you're In the retail busi ness, you feel It first-hand," he said. "In most cases, (a car) is the first or second-largest pur- Hill Receives Insurance Award MALVERN, PA — Helen 1. HUl of Charlotte was recently award ed the Certificate In General In surance by the Insurance In stitute of America. Earning the certificate re quires com pletion of three national examinations covering Insu rance princi pals, contract Phola/CALVIN FERGUSON Owner Wayne Sobers stands in the showroom of his dealership. Sobers Chevrolet, in Mooresvllle. chase after a house. You're sell ing a product that has a signifi cant impact on their lives." There Is more to a dealership than selling new cars, however. Sobers said. There are separate depart ments, Interdependent of each other, but with distinct features of their own. "I think it's a very exciting business. In the automobile business, you have new cars, used cars, rentals, body shop, repairs,” he said. "I have six or seven departments under my purveyance as an auto dealer.” Since taking over the dealer ship In January, Sobers has tak en on the task of building each department Into a viable piece of the business, which numbers 17 fuU-ttme employees. "Every business has Its peri ods of volatility.” he said. 'You need to build a structure that al lows you to do what Job told people to do In the Bible: build during the seven prosperous years to be able to care for the seven lean years. 'You want to put it together well enough that when sales are down, the rest will pick up the slack.” Although sales have been slow since Sobers took over, he Is confident the situation will turn around. "Any business you first start Is going to be lean," he said, adding that January and February are traditionally slow months for car sales. 'You can't ever be up when you're starting." Sobers said local reaction to his moving from Chappaqua, N.Y., a New York suburb, has been warm. Sobers's wife Yvonne, and their three children are still In New York, but will re locate when the school year ends. Mooresvllle residents, he said, are more receptive to change In order to help the general com munity. "In many ways, you'll find peo ple (in Chappaqua) more resist ant to change than in Moores- HiU analysis techniques and a wide range of Insurance policies. Ms. Hill Is a Properly Rater In the Commercial Insurance Divi sion at Aetna Life and Casualty Insurance Company. She Is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Easter Holiday Sanitation Schedule Friday Backyard Customers: No backyard pickup on Friday, March 24 Friday Curbside Customers: No curbside trash collection on C0» Friday, March 24 (:iiviu.orn:. Monday thru Thursday Customers: No change in regularly scheduled service Call 336-2673 Dr. Paula R. Newsome FAMILY EYE CARE Call For Appointment 375E*Y*E*5 “Dr. Tauta C^wsotm and Staff Wisfi To Thanfi'Each Of fou Jor ‘Jour Support ‘During Ekr J^ifth fear Office Slnnwersary. We Loof^ forward To Serving Efie Charbtte Slrea SlnotHer fJ\(inty-9^ne ^ears. (During ‘The 9dontfi Of 9darcft, Our Sdnniversary ddonth, We Want ‘To E?(tendSln Inintation Jor fou ‘To ‘lAsit Our Office, LocatedM1812 Lyndfiurst Wve. ‘Tor SI tFdCEE COLO‘K,WHpiL‘ysIS & 7WSS{I0(>i‘L‘TE‘WESiXC0(ldSULmi0(fi an375-393S y^OEjyO‘U‘K,S\TTOI90DdE‘ffT. (Many ‘Thanf^s ‘To ‘Jou, Chartotte! SincereCy, Your Professional Eye Care Staff Dr. Paula R. Newsome & Staff ^nnivcrsam CdeBration ti - Eait «W.| Introducing: Perry Ellis Liz Clalbrone Ralph Lauren weFeature: Cazal BUly Dee Williams Mansions & Jura Anniversary Offer Colored Contacts iOO Eye Examination is Not Included Offer Expires April 15,1989 vllle," he said. There hasn't been a culture shock In moving south. Sobers said, although "accents are a little different In Mooresvllle than In Chappaqua.” Sobers harbors hope that one day his company can make Black Enterprise's list of 100 top black-owned businesses. As one of the people who helped start the list. It would be a nice touch to make It. "I was there for the first one,” he said. 'To me, it would be very nice to make that list. It would be a sign of achievement. But 1 don't blur the picture. If It's go ing to come. It's going to come because I do the other things right." ^Perm No More... Now Have The Chemical Look Without The Chemicals TRY alternative. .. 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The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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March 23, 1989, edition 1
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