Construction plans show the design for the new Airport Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership in Platte City.
Remodeling plans are under way at Airport Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Platte City and in about 12 to 18 months the business will double in size.
Owner Jeff Bethel is excited about the upcoming construction and said the expansion will be a good investment in the future for Platte City and Platte County.
He was considering the need for more space and said the manufacturer helped him out with that decision because of facility requirements that stipulate that Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealerships have similar appearances, common themes and images.
The new design will be similar to most Chrysler dealerships including an archway that is unique to the branding.
Bethel is working with a general contractor on construction plans.
“I’ve done a lot of construction so I feel very comfortable in the construction itself,” Bethel said. “It will be very hands-on, which is good because I’m here everyday anyway.”
The car business is something Bethel knows well. He got his start in 1984 when he began washing cars for John Chesik Motors in Kansas City. He has owned the Airport Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership for over a year.
Before he bought the dealership he was a minority partner with a group in Florida in a Ford dealership in Platte City.
Most of his life has been spent in Kansas City. He was an undergrad at Rockhurst University and attended the University of Kansas for graduate school.
He headed Chevrolet and Toyota dealerships in Lawrence for five years and for three years he worked for a family in Washington D.C. who owned 25 car dealerships. He directed 2,100 employees, but he said he always missed home.
His eldest son decided he would rather go to KU than attend Georgetown University in Washington D.C. “That’s when I said, we’re going back home,” Bethel said.
Although he and his family live south of the river, they are looking for property in the Platte City area to build a house.
“Right now I need to focus on the new building and building a good business, but I looking forward to getting back up north and shortening my drive everyday,” Bethel said. “I want to get the entire project done sooner rather than later.”
The dealership will be basically demolished and rebuilt. The showroom will be extended out into the parking lot in front of the building and the parking area will be moved. There will be a service drive in the front of the building that will wind around it.
The new building will also have 10 additional doors just on the front side including a door to get cars into the store and one for very large trucks. The front of the dealership will be facing south.
I think originally this building was a used-car business many years ago,” Bethel said. “I have some pictures from the 60s and some from the 80s or 90s and there was just a small building here. I remember when the Chrysler store was downtown because I looked at buying it then, seven years ago.”
The challenges Bethel has faced in the $1 million construction project include the ongoing pandemic. “It set us back a little bit and it’s been a challenge that we stayed open during the pandemic,” Bethel said. “Our parts and service operations were an essential service.”
Since the pandemic began staff has been reduced and vehicle sales have been by appointment only. Customers called to set an appointment time and vehicles would be brought to the front of the dealership for them to look at versus the traditional browsing in the car lot. The dealership has fully re-opened and no appointments are required.
“Obviously we’re doing a lot of things differently now,” Bethel said. “We still try to set appointments and bring a vehicle up and totally sanitize it before a customer comes. We’ve done a fair amount of home deliveries in an attempt to have people feeling comfortable about it. It’s been a challenging time for all of us, not just businesses. The real strength for all of us is going to be coming up with a little patience as we determine what this new normal is.”
Since the current building wasn’t built to accommodate a lot of people, Bethel is looking forward to the new spacious layout.
“The thing that I’m most excited about is to represent the great brands that I have with Chrysler Dodge Jeep and RAM, but I think probably the most important thing is to present a much better image for Platte City and the county,” Bethel said.
With the continuous growth of Platte County and increasing traffic around and through Platte City Bethel believes the big, beautiful new facility is going to bring some additional awareness to the city and county.
“I think it’s important that if we can funnel more revenue dollars through here that will give us an opportunity to help the community and schools,” Bethel said. “Going to a Jesuit school taught me to focus on giving back to the community and it becomes very important.”
During the expansion the dealership will stay open and a large rectangular-shaped temporary structure will be laminated to the side of the building where the sales operations will take place. Temporary walls will be built and the demolition will begin on the other side. Bethel said he may still have to bring a construction trailer or two in also, which would be an additional challenge he would prefer to avoid if possible.
The massive rebuilding project ahead and the ongoing challenges of the pandemic haven’t dampened his enthusiasm for owning a business in Platte City.
“After living somewhere other than the Midwest, it really makes us thankful for what we have here,” Bethel said. “It’s been a challenging time being 15 months into a new business with a pandemic but I’m going to do the best I can every single day.”