COMPANIES

Mini opens Dutchess dealership

Craig Wolf
Poughkeepsie Journal

Mini of Dutchess County is now in business, adding a new make to the lineup of cars that buyers can find at local dealerships.

The Route 9 store in Wappinger has been catching eyes for weeks with its novel sign, which consists of a small hill with Mini models parked on it at rakish angles, lit up brightly at night.

Prestige Mini of Ramsey, New Jersey, decided to branch out to the north after the Mini corporate strategists surveyed dealerships and car owners in the broad region and saw a gap. Between Prestige's store in Ramsey and another north of Albany, there was nothing.

"This fills the gap," said Christopher Turner, vice president of operations for Prestige.

It also fills a need for Mini owners. Steve DePoala, of Saugerties, has a Mini Cooper that he bought in February.

"It's a great car. I like it," he said. But his concern is to be able to find more service options.

Despite the lack of a local dealer, people in Dutchess and Ulster found places farther away to buy their Minis. In Dutchess, there were 126 buyers from mid-2013 through mid-2015, and in Ulster, 98, according to industry data.

"A number of those customers have been servicing with us in Ramsey," Turner said. The new store at 1162 Route 9 has a full service department as well as sales. There are about 40 new cars there and about 100 used cars, which include Minis and other makes.

The British-born brand is noted for its range of options, including two-tone body color. People commonly refer to it as "Mini Cooper," but that is a model, Turner said, not the name of the brand.

About 30 jobs have been created by this business, Turner said. The general manager is Andy Fotos.

It's also an investment of more than $10 million to develop the site and to build and equip the sleek glass and metal building that now greets Route 9 drivers.

The dealership will be open six days a week, Monday through Saturday.

Craig Wolf: 845-437-4815; cwolf@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @craigwolfPJ