WARREN, Ohio – The Sims family has been in the car business in Trumbull County for more than 50 years, and Sims Auto Park on Friday opened its truck center to serve more customers.
“We closed the Nissan franchise – gave it back to Nissan – and decided instead to offer the truck center for area truck lovers and for the market,” said Jeff Novak, the dealership’s performance director. “It really was an underserved portion in the market.
The truck center is next to Sims Buick GMC.
The dealership, at 3100 Elm Road, will host a grand opening for the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with music by country band Northern Whiskey, a food truck and an Ohio State University vs. Penn State University watch party in the showroom.
The new truck center will sell both new and used trucks, and through a partnership with Rough Country and RealTruck it will provide a variety of truck accessories and lifts. It will also service commercial trucks.
“So that’s where you see the enhanced suspension, different tonneau covers, different wheels – so you can really personalize your truck as well,” Novak said.
The dealership is owned by brothers Bill and Ken Sims. Ken Sims said their father, Rudy, started the dealership on East Market Street in 1970.
“Then we moved out here in ’73, I think it was,” he said.
The brothers bought the franchise from their dad in the early 1990s, adding Nissan in 2000, Ken Sims said.
Novak said the truck center was the brain child of Greg Davis, general manager. He was at an area home improvement store and noticed the parking lot was filled with trucks.
“But nobody really sells trucks or caters to people who want to customize or personalize their trucks,” Novak said.
The dealership decided to tap into that market.
“It’s just a better overall purpose for the building and something that would respond better to the needs of the market,” Novak said.
Pictured at top: Sims Auto Park, Elm Road in Warren, celebrated its new truck center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday afternoon.