Raymond Chevrolet to celebrate expansion, 70-year history

For the last 70 years or so, Antioch has been home to a Chevrolet dealership. Since 1972, the Scarpelli family has run the store, first through a partnership in John Teresi Chevrolet, then as sole owners of Raymond Chevrolet.

Raymond J. Scarpelli Sr., who originally partnered with Teresi 40 years ago, still oversees the group’s four dealerships, but day-to-day operations at Raymond Chevrolet and Raymond Kia, located across the street from each other on Route 173, are headed by his son, Mark Scarpelli. In 2011, the two dealerships combined were the second biggest contributor of tax revenue to the community of Antioch. During the family’s long tenure, the dealerships have become not only fixtures in the community, but contributors to community development and charities.

The dealership recently completed a major renovation and will host a grand reopening in July. Mark Scarpelli shares his thoughts on the changes and the dealership’s long history.

How did the recent remodeling change your building?#147;This building dates from the early #146;70s so we had to make some monumental changes. The fascia is Chevy corporate as GM wants all of the exteriors to look somewhat the same. Ours is a little distinctive as we have an atrium in front. The showroom was redone as well as all of our offices. We now have a state-of-the-art waiting area with Wi-Fi and refreshments, a new cashier area and a customer parts windows with a pro shop.#147;In the back, we added eight service bays, put in state-of-the-art equipment, including new lifts, front end machines, all the diagnostics needed to service your vehicle. We#146;ve put a display of tires we sell on the wall in our service area so customers can easily see them, plus we have a car wash, a complementary service for anyone who buys a car from us. The work took about five months to complete, ending in March, at a cost of more than $1 million.#148;What are you going to do for the dealership#146;s grand reopening?#147;We going to have something on a Saturday in early July and coordinate it with Ray Chevrolet, my brother#146;s store in Fox Lake, so we can go back and forth between the dealerships. We have about 300 invitees, including some of the local dignitaries. There will be entertainment, food and free giveaways.#148;When did you add the Kia franchise?#147;We got it about six years ago. When we purchased it, there were only about five to 10 cars sold per month. Now it#146;s between 95 and 110 per month. We took it from being an infant to being full grown. We also have an off-site body shop, just down the street, that serves both dealerships.#148;What positions have you held in the automobile business?#147;I joke that my first job was pushing a broom here, but I have done everything here. During summers when I was in high school, I wrote service (orders), I washed cars. When I was in college, I sold cars. Then, after I graduated from Northwood University, I got hired by Oldsmobile, went to Boston for a year, then back to Michigan. All of this was on the road to getting back to the family business and it was quite beneficial. I got back here in 1988.#148;Besides your duties here, what other positions do you hold?#147;I#146;m an elected director for NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) for the Chicago metro area. I represent 540 new car dealers of all make. I ran the Chicago Auto Show in 2009 and was chairman of the Chicago Automobile Trade Association. I serve as a director of the Better Business Bureau and I#146;m also a director of State Bank of the Lakes, which is a Wintrust bank. For me, it#146;s a wonderful thing being so involved.#148;How did your father influence you?#147;We are very lucky, all of us, to have an opportunity to work with my dad. We have the best mentor. There were no favors given as we all had to work hard for a living. I give a lot of credit to my dad for keeping us on the straight and narrow.#148;How has business changed for you in the last few years?#147;Traditional media has changed. For customers 40 years and older, we advertise on TV, radio and newspapers. But those who are younger are looking on the Internet, on their Smartphones. The lion#146;s share of our advertising is electronic: Internet, SEO (search engine optimization), pay-per-click, website design. That truly is where people find cars. If you#146;re going to be found by people, you have to be in the first 10 listings on a Google search. My role as a dealer-principal is to have some foresight and give some direction in our advertising. We manage by consensus. We are always looking for new avenues for our business.#148;How has business remained the same?#147;My job here hasn#146;t changed. It#146;s face-to-face interaction, a handshake, ethics and believability. Eighty-five percent of our business is repeat or referral. The key is taking care of customers. There#146;s no change in that philosophy. That just doesn#146;t happen with a dealer-principal who is not here. On a weekly basis, I#146;m here 55 to 60 hours per week.#148;What do you like about the automobile business?#147;It#146;s the people #151; the people I work with as well as the people who patronize us. I#146;m meeting our customers#146; kids now. They#146;re getting married and buying cars. I love it. It#146;s a lot of fun. I love cars.#148;What is your favorite car?#147;I love Corvettes. I#146;m driving one right now. But the one that excites me because of new technology is the Chevrolet Volt. This car has huge potential because it runs on electricity and has a gasoline generator. As technology progresses, its range will go further. The price will be less expensive. But right now for the fit and finish, the quality, the quiet engine, the Volt is just a fabulous car.#148;How do you see the future of the automobile business?#147;I see a lot of positive signs in our business. Credit is loosening up. Loans are much easier to get that three years ago or even 12 months ago. So many people were hurt by credit ratings, but the banks are starting to make adjustments.#147;Product has never been better in design, quality and safety. Six to eight years ago, we had 26-, 28-miles-per-gallon cars. Now, most are in the high 30s to mid 40s, plus the styling is simply knocking the cover off the ball.#148;How does Raymond Chevrolet contribute to the community?#147;We run a Big Play Program where we contribute money to the local high schools for every home run, every touchdown, things like that. Over the past few years, we have donated $100,000. We donated two cars to the Lake Villa Little League that helped them raise $200,000 to build their baseball complex. We have donated vans to the senior center, and have provided cars to families in need.#147;One of my favorite programs is Shop With a Cop, which we started three years ago. We donated money to the police department and they take young people shopping for Christmas. We also have a Christmas party here every year where we have items for the little guys and gals. It#146;s very heartwarmiong to see they often pick out something like slippers for their moms.#148;What will the summer bring for you?#147;I am very happy that my kids, Jessica, 19, and Mark Jr., 17, will work here at the dealership. They will get a flavor for the business.#148;What do you like to do in your leisure time?#147;First and foremost, I like to spend time with my family and my wife, Julie. But I also like to ride on my road racer bicycle. I probably put 90 miles a week on it. It#146;s a nice stress reliever and it helps to get the cobwebs out.#148;sales35052337Chevrolet is creating a uniform look to its dealership network across the nation. Raymond Chevrolet’s new facade matches this theme.Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.comsalessales23373505Styling on the 2012 Camaro is one example of how Chevrolet engineers and designers are “simply knocking the cover off the ball,” Scarpelli said.Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.comsalessales18813265Raymond Chevrolet’s history in Antioch predates June 18, 1963, when John Teresi bought the dealership from Roger Drije.Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.comsalessales30292097Mark Scarpelli, who learned the auto business from his father, now works with his own children at the dealership, including daughter Jessica.Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.comsalessales33532237A driver enters the service department at Raymond Chevrolet, which has been expanded by eight service bays in the recent renovation.Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.comsalesMark ScarpelliDealer-PrincipalRaymond Chevrolet and Raymond Kia118 Route 173 Antioch, IL 60002 www.raymondchevrolet.comTag Line: Where You are Always No. 1Sales: (866) 561-1489Hours: 9 a.m to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. SaturdayService: (866) 611-2458Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday