LAWRENCE: Auto Lenders gets site approval on Brunswick Pike

Auto Lenders, a used-car dealership that specializes in low-mileage cars, got the green light from the Lawrence Township Planning Board Monday night for its proposal to open its sixth location

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   Auto Lenders, a used-car dealership that specializes in low-mileage cars, got the green light from the Lawrence Township Planning Board Monday night for its proposal to open its sixth location in New Jersey — on Brunswick Pike.
   The Auto Lenders dealership will be located on a 10.4-acre lot on Brunswick Pike, south of the Lawrence Lexus new-car dealership. The approved plan calls for constructing a 30,200-square-foot building that will accommodate about 40 cars on the showroom floor, plus office space and a 16-bay service area.
   There will be outdoor storage for more than 300 used cars, plus parking spaces for customers and employees. The entrance to the service bays will be on the north side of the building, away from the homes in the Colonial Lakelands neighborhood that borders the property on the south end.
   Terry Combs, the applicant’s engineer, told the Planning Board the entrance to the dealership will be off Brunswick Pike. The driveway will be a right-in and right-out configuration. There will be two driveway entrances off Magnetic Drive, which is off Brunswick Pike — one for customers and one for the service department.
   Mr. Combs said the showroom building will be about 165 feet from the nearest house in the Colonial Lakelands subdivision, which borders the property to the south. On average, the building is set back about 200 to 220 feet from the homes.
   Architect Stephen Fenwick said the building will have a “high tech, industrial look.” It will have metal panels, with blue accent colors, on the exterior. It will be a highly insulated, energy efficient building, he said, adding that “it will be a handsome, state-of-the-art facility.”
   Outlining the company for the Planning Board, Auto Lenders principal Michael Wimmer said it has five locations — Winslow Township, Lakewood, Voorhees Township, Toms River and Egg Harbor Township.
   The company acquires cars that are coming off-lease, Mr. Wimmer said. The cars have an average of 26,000 to 27,000 miles, and many are still covered by the balance of the factory warranty. Extended warranties can be purchased through the dealership, he said.
   Mr. Wimmer said Auto Lenders has a “no-haggle” price policy. The corporation sets a profit mark-up on each car. All customers that walk in the door are treated the same, he said, adding that “what you see is what you get.”
   The cars that it acquires are all sent to be reconditioned at the Winslow Township facility before they are put out for sale, Mr. Wimmer said. They undergo a 110-point checkup, he said, adding that those cars are “some of the best used products. We are pretty particular about what we sell to the public.”
   Tom Nichols, who is the company’s chief operating officer, said the goal is to sell 200 cars per month. He admitted the goal is ambitious, noting that the Egg Harbor Township dealership sells about 125 cars during a “good” month. Sales of about 140 to 150 cars in Lawrence is more realistic, he added.
   Auto Lenders stocks about a 60-day supply of cars, which is the industry standard, Mr. Nichols said. Most customers will have previewed the stock of cars on the company’s website before they go to the dealership, he said. Customers will likely want to test drive one or two cars that they have pre-selected.
   The service department can service the cars that Auto Lenders sells, but it also welcomes customers who did not buy from the dealership, he said. About 25- to 30-percent of the cars that it services were not purchased at Auto Lenders.
   ”I am in awe that this whole industry exists,” said Planning Board Chairwoman Doris Weisberg.