Aug. 23—The Don Franklin Family of Dealerships is proving that it truly is a family. Despite the Hyundai dealership moving next door to Kia, the two are not in competition, according to Hyundai General Manager Marc Lowe.
In fact, the point is for the two brands to work together.
"We've trying something new, where basically the sales people can sell both brands. The managers are set up to where they want Hyundai to be successful and Hyundai wants Kia to be successful," Lowe said.
On Friday, the new Don Franklin Hyundai location held a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at its new location, 132 Turner Street, courtesy of the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce.
Lowe pointed out that the new location, which is about 10 miles north of the previous Hyundai lot, is a better location for both them and potential customers coming in from the north or east, being that it sits right at the U.S. 27/Ky. 80 intersection.
"Employees and customers really love the new facility. It's a lot better location as far as (being) the busiest intersection in town," Lowe said.
Plus, having the Kia center close by and already established didn't hurt either.
Lowe said the main reason for moving was that Hyundai was requiring the dealership to build a new facility. "This location was already owned by Mr. (Eddie) Franklin, and he was wanting to put a dealership next to Kia. So it just worked out that this was the perfect location."
People looking for a car "now have the option of looking at Kia or Hyundai, or a large selection of used vehicles all in one location," Lowe said.
Those who do choose to go with a Hyundai should know that "Hyundai has the best warranty in America," Lowe said. "You get a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty, so there's more piece of mind than you're going to get with any other vehicle on the market. Plus, all the new Hyundais come with three years of scheduled maintenance included."
Lowe said that one of the best parts about the job was being able to put someone in their very first brand-new vehicle. For some, that first new car could come to them in their 50s, he said.
"(We're just) very excited about helping the community put a lot more dreams in driveways," he said.
Carla Slavey can be reached at cslavey@somerset-kentucky.com