Portsmouth Chevrolet
549 Route 1 Bypass Portsmouth, NH 03801Sales: 800-611-7845
- Service: 800-611-7845
- Parts: 800-591-5960
Key Auto at the New Heights Golf Tournament 9/20/12
Published in Foster's Daily Democrat
On Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Key Auto Group matches donations for
wheelchair van
DOVER - Key Auto Group is pitching in to help Dover mother Liz Harding purchase
a wheelchair accessible van so she can transport her two handicapped sons
around town more easily and efficiently.
Christopher, 5, and Aaron, 6, are both physically handicapped with severe
limitations in motor skills, mobility, and communication. Both of the boys have
significant development delays.
Further, both children are wheelchair-bound and it's a daily struggle for
Harding to physically fit them and their wheelchairs into the car to transport
them to school, therapy sessions, and doctors appointment.
"Basically, my car is too small to fit my children," Harding
previously stated in a June 21 Foster's article.
Since then, a benefit barbecue/pig roast was held Aug. 18 at the Dover Elks
#184 and The Loyal Order of Moose #443 held a benefit breakfast on Sept. 9 at
its Chestnut Street location in Dover.
And now, Key Auto Group is stepping up, too ? offering to match any donations
contributed to the Liz Harding fund. Recently launched, the fund has already
received $185 in donations, which totals $370 after Key Auto Group matches that
amount.
To donate, visit Key Auto Group's Facebook page or website at keyauto.net and
click on the 'Help the Hardings' tab on the top right of the page.
Portsmouth Chevrolet, Portsmouth Used Car Superstore, Salem Ford Hyundai, and
Key Auto Center all have links on their websites as well.
The goal of the project is to raise the estimated $31,000 it will take for the
Hardings to purchase the wheelchair accessible van.
Moose #443 will also hold a meat bingo on Friday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.
The grand finale, a dinner/dance, will also be held by the Moose on Saturday,
October 20.
|
By LIZ MARKHLEVSKAYA |
PORTSMOUTH Just a few weeks after a Chevrolet dealership moves into its new
facility, prospective customers eye the vehicles showcased during the official
grand opening event Saturday.
"Chevy is my favorite make so I had to come
down here," said 25-year-old Shane Jacobson, of Seabrook, Mass., who claims the
Chevrolet Silverado is the best pickup truck on the road.
Throughout the
afternoon, bounce houses and balloons, as well as free lunch offered by The Meat
House, drew visitors to the grand opening event near the Portsmouth traffic
circle, which has hundreds of new Chevys already on display.
In front of
the newly constructed, two-story, 40,000-square-foot facility stood the new
model of Chevrolet Camaro, a black convertible ? offered $1,000 below invoice
price.
Jacobson, upon seeing the Camaro, said, "I think it's the best
car."
Rob Chidester, of Portsmouth, said the event had "one huge
turnout."
He said in the future, he hopes to buy a new vehicle, and leans
toward Chevy.
"They run good, they last, they're worth the value," said
Chidester.
Portsmouth Chevrolet has nearly 400 cars, about 300 of which
are new Chevrolets, said sales manager Curt Sylvia. The preowned cars are
available in various makes and models.
Portsmouth Chevrolet, located at
549 Route 1 Bypass, is part of the Key Auto Group, which also includes
Portsmouth Used Car Superstore, Key Auto Center in Somersworth, and Salem Ford
Hyundai in Salem, N.H.
John Viola, of Somersworth, was among a long line
of people waiting to sample lunch from The Meat House at the grand opening
event.
Viola said he already bought three vehicles from Key Auto Group in
the past, and now he wants to buy a pickup truck, possibly from Portsmouth
Chevrolet.
"I prefer Chevy," said Viola. "I have always had
Chevy."
Speaking about the Key Auto Group, Viola said, "I like the way
they treat their customers."
In addition to the new cars showcased,
multiple antique cars were displayed.
Arthur Cole, of Tewksbury, Mass.,
brought his 1975 Chevrolet Silverado, painted in the scheme of the American
flag. Cole said the car was built for shows, and only has about 9,000 miles on
it.
Cole, a disabled veteran of Vietnam, said he enjoys taking the car
out for parades, on occasions such as Memorial Day and Fourth of
July.
"It's been a good morale boost for me, with my PTSD," he said. "It
makes me feel good to have kids go out and look at it."
By Suzanne Laurent
business@seacoastonline.com
August 29, 2012 9:47 AM
Chevrolet opened last month in a new gleaming state-of-the-art, eco-friendly facility at the city's traffic circle.
"It's great to have the company here," said Brad Solomon, director of business development for the Key Auto Group.
Portsmouth Chevrolet is part of the Key Auto Group that also includes the Portsmouth Used Car Superstore, Key Auto Center in Somersworth, and Salem Ford Hyundai in Salem.
"It's a prime location for selling cars made in America, in a great city," Solomon said.
The new two-story, 40,000-square-foot facility at 549 Route 1 Bypass was built by Whitcher Builders based in Strafford. The old dealership at 2025 Woodbury Avenue in Newington will become a used car processing facility, Solomon said.
The lot holds more than
400 vehicles and all new cars are $1,000 less than the invoice price.
"We want our customers to know up front how much we are asking for the car,"
Solomon said. "The sales staff is trained to be discrete and let the customer
look around."
Solomon said the larger facility will bring new jobs to the community in both the service and sales departments. Beginning in October, the entire facility will be open for business 13 hours a day, six days a week.
"We hope to increase this to seven days a week," said service manager Walter Ferrara.
The service area has 21 bays including three re-alignment pads.
"This is a self-contained department," Ferrara said. "We use air and water lifts instead of hydraulics."
Ferrara said the
hydraulic lifts in the old facility used 210-volt batteries that ran on
electricity.
"We also recycle all of our waste materials," he said.
The building itself is heated with waste oil from the service department. The service area has radiant flooring and there are tinted windows in the showroom to keep out sun glare.
"We use a parts washer that contains micro-organisms that break down oil," Ferrara said. "It's called a smart washer."
Portsmouth Chevrolet was chosen as one of fewer than 200 dealers out of 44,000 to participate in the General Motors workbench pilot program that allows customers to go any service shop in the country and all of their information is available. A full analysis of each car sold at Portsmouth Chevrolet is electronically stored.
"We just had a customer visiting the area with a 2007 car that had a water pump failure," Ferrara said. "We were able to see by his record, that the pump had a lifetime warranty and repaired it at no cost to him."
The spacious waiting room has free Wi-Fi, two large flat-screen televisions and a children's play area.
The dealership held a grand opening celebration this past Saturday that Solomon said was a huge success.
"We had about 400 adults and 100 kids show up," he said.
Solomon said the location of the dealership is ideal for community events.
"We may poll our Facebook fans to see which charity they would like to see us hold a charity bash for in the future," he said.
AT A GLANCE
Portsmouth Chevrolet
Phone: 436-5010
Address: 549 Route 1 Bypass, at the Portsmouth traffic circle
Web: portsmouthchevrolet.com
12/7/2011 Helping out at the Dover NH Meals on Wheels
