Business View Magazine | April/May 2022

84 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4 “We want to make sure that we can still celebrate the car buying experience with our customers,” Stryker says. “Through advanced planning we know that we can sell vehicles before we get them.” Having strong relationships with long-term customers helps, as well, because sales professionals know what to look for when vehicle deliveries are promised. Some Bob Penkhus Motor Company customers are multi- generational families that have bought 15 or more vehicles from the company over the years. The used vehicle market has evolved as well. While consumer prices are higher, options are still available because Bob Penkhus sales professionals have become experts at purchasing vehicles directly from consumers using online research and researching key websites. Those vehicles are then inspected by service staff, thoroughly cleaned, and made available to customers. Stryker explains, “These efforts are paying off, not only for us, but because our customers rely on us for used cars as well. We always take the high road with our customers and maintain a positive mindset.” Semiconductor and microchip availability is expected to rise later in 2022, and Stryker believes inventory will increase again. This will allow customers to choose from a larger selection of new vehicles onsite at all dealer locations. Stryker says that the prevalence of electric vehicles will increase rapidly in the years ahead, with the help of governmental mandates, rising oil prices, and evolving consumer preferences. Volvo is leading the charge, with 50 percent of its new vehicles being fully electric by 2025, and 100 percent by 2030. All Bob Penkhus Motor Company’s brands already have EVs available. One of the challenges of this EV trend is the lack of charging stations in many parts of the country, including throughout Colorado. Stryker admits, “I don’t think we are ready for the overwhelming adoption of EVs with the available infrastructure.”