Mercedes-Benz of Fayetteville opens new location on Glensford Drive

Fayetteville Observer (NC)

Jul. 16--Today, for the first time, the staff at Mercedes-Benz of Fayetteville operated from its new $5 million-plus building on Glensford Drive.

By 4:30 p.m., a couple of cars already had been sold, reported Greg Dudak, the dealership's managing partner.

"And we've been fixing them, as well," he said of the service department.

Previously located on Bragg Boulevard, this luxury car dealership switched to its new location at 420 Glensford Drive over the weekend.

On Tuesday, the public is invited to a ribbon-cutting scheduled from 9 to 9:30 a.m. at the new address.

"Well be having a grand opening, and we're hoping for September. A grand opening-type celebration," Lucinda Stanley, the internet and marketing director for the business, said. "When it cools off a little bit."

The new 41,000-square-foot building sits on a 7 1/2-acre tract of land at the corner of Glensford and Red Tip Road, right next to Rick Hendrick Toyota of Fayetteville and the Hendrick Collision Center. Flow Mazda of Fayetteville and Lee Hyundai also operate from that general vicinity.

"It's absolutely state of the art," Stanley said.

According to its website, Mercedes-Benz of Fayetteville has served the city, Fort Bragg, Pinehurst, Cary and other surrounding areas for more than 40 years.

Dudak said the business is in the process of hiring additional staff.

Presently, Mercedes-Benz of Fayetteville employs 56 people, Dudak said. "That number will be pretty quickly over 70," he said, "mainly in sales, service technicians and other support."

The dealership announced in April 2018 that it would be moving its dealership to the new site on Glensford Drive near Cross Creek Mall. At the time, a building permit report from the City of Fayetteville Inspection Department said the commercial construction would cost $4.75 million.

On Monday, Dudak said it was "well over $5 million in construction costs. That doesn't include the land."

The lot includes a covered service drive, larger waiting area with amenities, bigger showroom, and additional space to carry more inventory and a wide array of used cars.

"It gets us better capacity in all the types of business. We have more potential to merchandise vehicles," he said. "We'll probably stock 200-plus vehicles. New and used. Not just Mercedes-Benz."

Warner Brothers General Contracting LLC was the contractor on the project.

"It's beautiful," Stanley said. "It's floor-to-ceiling windows in the showroom on three sides. We have so much more space here."

The Fort Lauderdale-based Phil Smith Auto Group purchased the dealership in December 2014. At that time, the new owners also bought Porsche of Fayetteville, but that dealership was sold in 2017.

Mercedes-Benz of Fayetteville has its roots in what used to be known as Valley Motors Inc. That local dealership, which sold Mercedes-Benz and Porsche models, dates back to June 1972.

Staff writer Michael Futch can be reached at [email protected] or 910-486-3529.

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