A Dunn staple is changing hands.
Crossroads Automotive Group recently purchased Dunn-Benson Ford, marking the first time in decades that a member of the Lamm family will not be overseeing the local dealership. Terms of the sale were not disclosed, but Denise Branch, corporate counsel with the Crossroads Automotive Group, said the community can continue to expect great service.
“We are thrilled to be serving folks in that area,” Branch said. “We’re very proud to be in that community and to continue the service that the Lamm family has had for so long.”
The Dunn location marks the third Crossroads dealership in the Harnett County area, joining Lumberton and Fuquay-Varina. Crossroads Automotive, established in 1952, owns 17 dealerships across North Carolina and Virginia, including 13 Ford stores. Branch said familiarity with the area made the transition a smooth one.
“We have locations that are not very far from Dunn,” she said. “We’ve come to know some of the people in that community and we’re very excited to continue there. We believe the people are well-deserving of great resources and great service, and that’s what we intend to give them.”
Fifty-five people currently work there and have been undergoing company training and orientation for the past few weeks. There are no plans to lay off any employees at this time, Branch said.
“We want to make sure everyone is adequately trained and that they have the tools and resources they need to continue to succeed,” she added. “We’re very hopeful that we can keep everyone onboard and give everyone the opportunity to continue with our company. We’re assessing those things as we’re going through now and getting everyone acclimated to the company. We’re very hopeful that everyone will stay onboard and be a part of the Crossroads family.”
One benefit customers can take immediate advantage of is access to a much larger library of new and pre-owned vehicles. With the dealership now part of the Crossroads Automotive Group, customers can choose from more than 1,300 vehicles across the company’s network.
“We’re very excited about that,” said Branch. “Our community now has access to vehicles on site and online.”
Early plans include upgrading the dealership’s technology to ensure high quality service.
“Any time we move into a new location we want to make sure that we have the best technology available, both for our sales and service staff,” Branch said. “We will upgrade any resources as necessary.”
Once the transition settles down and everyone gets comfortable, Branch said the dealership will host a grand opening to reintroduce itself to the community. She credited the former owners with laying down strong roots in the Dunn area.
“The Lamm family has been tremendous to work with,” said Branch. “They are absolutely lovely people and we were very honored to have the opportunity to work with them on this transaction. They were a joy and pleasure to work with. There will certainly be the same faces that folks are accustomed to and a couple of new faces coming in, but we plan to continue the same level of quality service and great salesmanship that has been with that store for years.”
Crossroads Ford is located at 1700 W. Cumberland St.
-The Daily Record
