If you are driving on Interstate I-35 just outside Des Moines, Iowa, you will find a country club disguised as a car dealership. Over the last few years, Carl Moyer has transformed Karl Chevrolet in Ankeny, Iowa, into perhaps the most customer-friendly car dealership in America today. This self-proclaimed gear head has turned his passion for racing and love for life into a unique success story.
Q: Before we talk about motorsports, what are some of the customer-friendly features of Karl Chevrolet?
We have a 146 yard par 3 golf hole, a basketball court, a 2,000 foot walking path around a lake and mountain bikes. We've tried to take the edge off of coming to the car dealership. We're very family oriented so we have a playground for the kids, picnic tables and a gazebo. We want people to really enjoy their visit to Karl Chevrolet.
Q: You use racing to draw local customers to your store. But you also draw customers from all over the country to Ankeny, Iowa. How do you do that?
I've made so many friends with racers all over the country. We have a special deal for racersdealer invoice cost for racers. We sell cars and trucks to people from all over the country. We probably sell 200 race-related cars per year and it's getting better all the time.
Q: What do you think separates Karl Chevrolet from your competitors?
One thing; how the customer gets treated. There are 17 dealers within a 15 mile radius selling Chevy products. We're #1 in customer satisfaction in the area and we are consistently working hard to keep that as our number one dealership priority.
Q: Your pro shop is well stocked with apparel, die-cast cars and Karl Chevrolet racing items. Do people specifically come to the dealership to go to your pro shop or is it an impulse buy?
It's definitely more of an impulse. They look around and buy. Our pro shop is relatively new since we've remodeled the dealership. It's located in our parts department show room. It was put there because of our parts traffic and was a natural place to market these products. We're hoping that when someone goes to our parts department that maybe they'll purchase something other than what they originally went to our parts department for.
Q: You have a number of racing related promotions at your dealership. What are they?
We have several different events each year. First, we have the Corvette Club of Iowa Concourse Car Show. It's a sanctioned event for the National Corvette Club Council and brings almost a hundred Corvettes to our store. Second, we have the Tri 5 Chevy Club twice a year which is for 1955, 1956 and 1957 Chevys and draws 50-60 cars per event. Then we have our Racers Day Sale. We invite racers from across the country to put their cars on display. They are racers who are either booked at my racetrack in Eddyville, Iowa, or racers who are on their way to a national event. We give the fans free food and music, we run radio remotes and we promote a great day of fun for the family.
Q: What have the results of the promotions been?
One of the things that happened by accident and then became a reality is that Karl Chevrolet became the high performance dealership. When people think of racing and high performance parts, they think of Karl Chevrolet. My whole racing effort is about camaraderie. I surround myself with friends. We do sell more cars, but we get different people to the store and we get a bigger crowd which creates more opportunities.
Q: You drive a 200 MPH Nitrous Injected IHRA Pro Modified Chevy at races around the country. What does being at the races and being behind the wheel do for you personally?
It's a real high and a rush that I look forward to. So many things go on that you wouldn't know unless you've sat behind the wheel of a race car. I've always wanted to race and have done so for the last seven years professionallybut it takes its toll. Quite honestly, you have to weigh the negatives and the positives. I've gotten some good people at the dealership through racing, but is it worth it to spend the time away from the dealership? So far, the answer's been yes. It does subtract from my time, but we get a lot of activity from my racing and we deliver a lot of cars from my relationships at the races. If you could measure everything, I would say I'm way ahead.
Q: What effect does the whole wave of NASCAR popularity have on your business?
Just look in the rear view mirror. When the factories first got involved, winning Sunday had an effect on sales on Monday. The factory is throwing money at NASCAR now to move the needle on Monday. Same can be said for the new Truck Series-its success has done nothing but add to the theory.
Q: We consistently hear that a substantial number of dealership employees are involved in racing as crew members or drivers. Can the same be said for Karl Chevrolet?
I've got two boys that race legends cars, Bret and Brad. There are a half dozen in service that drag race at Eddyville, but that's only a small part of the racing enthusiasts which we have. Of the 131 employees at Karl Chevrolet, 90% are enthusiastic about working at a dealership which is so involved in racing.
Q: How big is racing in Iowa?
Local grass roots racing which we have in Iowa is king here. It all revolves around Knoxville, which is the home of the largest sprint car event in the country. There are a lot of small local race tracks all over Iowa.
Q: You also own a drag strip and a legends car track in Eddyville in southeast Iowa. Is there any crossover between the tracks and your dealership?
Yes, I enjoy a lot of the southeast part of Iowa as do Karl Chevrolet clients. We bought the track in 1992 and revamped it. People appreciated what we did and now do business here. I wouldn't have southeast Iowa business if it weren't for the racetracks. They race here and they have car needs like everyone else.
Q: What about racing and service?
We have so much service business as it is, if I added extra service business I wouldn't know what to do. I've got 60,000 feet under my roof. It's easy to identify sales as a result of racing, but not so easy in service. Let's just say that our service philosophy is the same as our sales, customer friendly.
Q: Sounds like things are going well for Carl Moyer and Karl Chevrolet. What role does your family play in the big picture?
The most important thing in my life is my family. I have a great wife and three good kids. I have three little granddaughters and one grandson. My dealership is in my hometown. My two sons work at the dealership and my son-in-law works at the dealership. My job is like being on full-time vacation. I don't know if I could have designed my life to be any more fulfilling. I think I'm the luckiest person on the face of the earth to have all these things. I feel blessed.