It was the traffic count at the intersection of Chardon and Auburn roads that convinced Dan Reel to purchase the former Child’s Garden daycare building in Chardon Township.
It was the traffic count at the intersection of Chardon and Auburn roads that convinced Dan Reel to purchase the former Child’s Garden daycare building in Chardon Township.
“It’s the busiest intersection in Geauga County. That’s why I bought it,” said the Munson Township resident, adding the most recent Ohio Department of Transportation traffic study showed 17,830 vehicles per day pass under the traffic light.
That will mean good exposure for the used-vehicle business he intends to open in the spring — Reel’s Auto Sales.
The owner said he would eventually have up to 85 cars on the 3.5-acre lot, but he is a few months and a lot of work away from that goal.
For now, he is renovating the neglected building.
“’Dilapidated’ is an understatement,” Reel said of the condition of the former daycare center.
His purchase date was Sept. 3. Working with cooperative township officials, he knew he needed to renovate the shell quickly.
“I was racing against Mother Nature. It was a tight schedule,” Reel said.
He started by having contractor Richard Beck, of Willoughby, demolish the interior walls down to the studs and install new windows and doors. A fresh layer of asphalt covers the parking lot and Reel said he is planning lighting and landscaping for the exterior.
Now slightly ahead of schedule, Reel said he can work on the interior through the winter, when he has time away from his other dealership.
He, his brother, Tony, and their father started Reel’s Auto Sales in Orwell with five used cars 21 years ago and, according to his website, they have about 70 cars there now. In a town with a population of about 1,600, the business sells about 450 cars per year. Reel credited referrals from customers and his practice of reinvesting in his employees.
Management for the company consists of Nicole Reel, operations manager and Dan’s wife, and sales manager Grant Glaser.
“Nicole is the backbone of the business,” Reel said. “Without Grant, this (new store) would not be possible.”
Reel said he hopes to hire and train eight to 10 employees in the next year for the Chardon store, with an emphasis on finding the perfect vehicle for each customer.
“We’re consumer-centric. The customer means more to me than the sale,” Reel said.
That philosophy earned his family business the Ohio Independent Automobile Dealers Association 2016 Ohio Quality Dealer of the Year award for outstanding service to the industry and community.
Reel’s Auto Sales sold the highest number of fine used cars in Ashtabula County for 11 years in a row, he said.
Reel realized when he bought the property for $499,000 he faces stiff competition in the area, but he doesn’t begrudge the additional $200,000 he expects to invest there. Quality sales and service, and good relations with neighbors are important to him, Reel said.
“We don’t do tacky,” he said.
Reel, a U.S. Army veteran, moved to Munson Township three years ago and will be glad to be working closer to home when the dealership opens.
“Chardon is such a beautiful town. It’s a community-based area,” he said, adding he wants to be of value to the community.
Reel is hoping to have a soft opening in a few months with a ribbon-cutting ceremony some time in April.
