Pottsville auto dealer Bob Weaver said Wednesday he's expanding his GM service center with a $2.1-million addition and renovation project.
"Being in business is kind of like rowing up stream. If you stop paddling, you go backward. There's no such thing as standing still. You're either moving forward or you're moving backwards. There's no in between," Weaver, owner and president of the corporation, said.
His dealership takes up an entire block on the city's west side. It includes the Bob Weaver Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram at the former Pope Motor Co. building at 2100 W. Market St., and the Bob Weaver GM Superstore at 2174 W. Market St.
"It took us 10 different real estate purchases over 28 years to put that together. Today, we have about 80 employees," Weaver said Wednesday.
Worked out in the summer, Weaver's plan is to upgrade the GM Superstore, a 15,000-square-foot property, by adding another 15,000 square feet to it.
"The footprint of the dealership will double and we're going to add a state-of-the-art service facility," Weaver said.
According to the building permit application Weaver filed in City Hall on Aug. 30, the building project will cost $1,125,000 and the contractor is L&K Construction, Pottsville.
"But we're also going to remodel the original 15,000-square-foot building and the interior renovations and addition of new equipment will probably run us another million," Weaver said.
L&K Construction started construction of the new addition in September and it's 20 percent complete.
"This week, they've been erecting the steel frame," Weaver said.
He believes the new addition will be built by March 1, and that week, renovation of the original 15,000-square-foot wing will begin.
"Our goal is to make it look like it's a brand-new building, and we're hoping to have our grand opening the week of the Great Pottsville Cruise, which is the second week of August," Weaver said.
In April, Weaver will celebrate his 29th year in business. He credited the success of his business to his faith.
"We've been blessed by God. For whatever reason, God has chosen to bless us here and it's an amazing thing. The year of General Motors bankruptcy, which was in 2009, was our most profitable year ever, and that makes no sense because sales were down 40 percent at our dealership and nationally. It was our most profitable year ever to that point. Since then, our most profitable year has been 2011," he said.