Up the Road

The physical move for Stokes Kia was hardly a mile north, but the strategic shift has been much more extensive.

Stokes Kia relocated to Goose Creek five months ago. Once overshadowed by the Honda outlet next door on Rivers Avenue, the Kia dealership moved to a new 20,000-square-foot center on close to four acres of high ground along well-traveled U.S. Highway 52.

For the past two months, Stokes has been holding an extended grand opening of the glass-covered store, which follows the carmaker’s national design for dealerships. The outlet can display up to five new Kias in the showroom and provides service in its 10-bay heated and air-conditioned shop.

“It’s been going good,” said Virgil Cordray, a longtime car store operator named general manager of Stokes Kia last week. “We had an excellent month (in January).”

Models on the lot include the 2011 Sorento, the first vehicle to roll out of Kia’s new manufacturing plant in West Point, Ga.

The property is large enough to house 135 new cars and 40 used vehicles on a typical basis and ranks third in the Charleston area in sales volume, said Joe Dettrey, Stokes Honda North general manager who had also overseen Kia before Cordray was named general manager. There are 35 employees in sales, service, parts and other departments. Dettrey said, “We have a lot of employees who have been here a long time” — some dating to when Stokes started selling Kia models a decade ago.

Stokes Kia is at 202 S. Goose Creek Blvd., the name for the four-lane road across marsh separating Goose Creek from North Charleston.

“This location is really convenient (and) within a mile of the Honda store,” Cordray said. Shoppers from West Ashley and Mount Pleasant can get there via I-526, while customers from Summerville to James Island can take I-26.

“This is where all the growth is,” Dettrey said.

Korean automaker Kia Motors had a decent year in 2009 considering the national automotive slowdown. The company introduced the sporty new Forte sedan and coupe. This year, the brand is bringing out the redesigned Sorento as well as remodeled Sportage and Optima.

“It just reinforces that Kia is going to be here,” Cordray said. Added Dettrey, “They didn’t come to U.S. and spend $1 billion not to sell cars.”

Stokes crafted the new dealership with user-friendly features. “We have a delivery module specifically designed for the customer,” said Cordray, a 27-year car veteran whose previous jobs include at Stokes-owned Saturn of Savannah. In the delivery center, cars are parked under a covering so consumers can take a look at them, for instance, if there is inclement weather.

Similarly, drive-up lanes on the opposite side of the building allow customers to park their Kia or other models for a tune-up or repairs. They walk inside to meet with the service managers, while their vehicles are driven through one of two large garage doors back to the shop. Customers benefit from the brand’s extensive 100,000 mile power train warranty.

Kia technicians can work on virtually any kind of car or truck in the climate-controlled garage, Dettrey said. Customers can sit in a lounge with TV and there’s a coffee bar in the showroom. There's also an area where Kia accessories are displayed.

For people who have to leave their cars for a while, the dealership offers concierge service. The outlet arranges for the customer to receive a loaner car or take a shuttle to work, home or nearby shops.

Cordray is excited about his new post at Stokes Kia. “We are going to sell a lot more cars here,” he said.

For more information, call Stokes Kia at (843) 572-7300 or visit www.stokeskia.com.

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com