Cascade Auto Group Reports Record Year

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio – Cascade Auto Group finished 2018 with a record performance, beating sales volume from 2017 – which was a record-setting year in its own right – by 23%, says managing partner Michelle Primm.

From the outset of 2018, she says, the Cuyahoga Falls-based Cascade was primed to have a successful year thanks to a combination of a strong economy and a new focus on data and metrics.

“We focused on the fundamentals of customer service, communication, following up with Internet leads, carefully monitoring our advertising and working referrals,” Primm says.

Cascade Auto is comprised of three dealerships – Cascade Mazda, Cascade Subaru and Audi Cuyahoga Falls – on one interconnected campus, which makes car-buying easier for customers.

“Customers can walk from one showroom to another, and if they don’t find what they’re looking for, we have a large selection of used cars to choose from, too,” Primm says.

The company hired a few new sales people, service advisers and technicians last year, but Primm says “the real payoff” was in training and retaining “top talent and emphasizing service after the sale.”

One of the group’s most popular services is the new owner’s clinic, an event in which owners can come to the dealership to learn about the features and technology available on their cars.

“Picture a hundred or more people enjoying car talk with mechanics whose main purpose is to answer questions,” Primm says. “The owners are very appreciative of the chance to informally learn about their cars. It’s an enjoyable experience for everyone.”

The service department also set records in 2018 as hours were expanded to six days. Mailers were sent out to customers to remind them of their next recommended service and at the Subaru dealership, an express lane was added for customers to get oil changes and basic service without an appointment.

“We made it a point to measure everything we could, and then we would assess each month’s performance against our goals. This approach made everyone feel more accountable, which really helps with employee engagement,” Primm says.

Cascade Auto, in its 50th year, employs 100.

Over the course of its history, the company has long been tied to the community it calls home. Among the charities supported last year were Junior Achievement, Humane Society of Summit County and summer events in downtown Cuyahoga Falls. As part of Subaru’s Share the Love campaign, Cascade Subaru raised $24,000 for the Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, bringing its all-time total to more than $120,000.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.