Photo Karen Graham
Staff at the Syer Line location of Camp Mart are ready to help you find a used vehicle or a new road to freedom in a new or used RV. Pictured from left to right are Sales and Finance Managers Bradley Matejcek, Max Clarkson, and Martin Chick with General Manager Kevin Hill.
There is a fast growing auto dealer group operating in plain sight in the township but many don’t recognize it as such.
Camp Mart/401 Auto Financing began in Cambridge in 2011, and expanded to Cavan Monaghan in 2015 when it purchased Under the Sun Trailers operating on Syer Line. The firm currently has six locations, including one in Hamilton opening next month and a seventh site secured in Ottawa will open in the future. The Syer Line property is the firm’s biggest location in terms of size, situated on 18 acres. Because of its capacity, the location provides storage for inventory, and the site currently holds more than 200 RV’s and trailers, many of them are visible from Highway 115. Some of these belong to customers who choose to leave their vehicles here and pick them up when the season breaks and they are ready to hit the road.
The original business began as a car dealer in Cambridge, focused on providing financing for used vehicle purchases. The cars, trucks, minivans and SUV’s on their lots are purchased at auction or from car rental and leasing companies and are selected based on kilometer limits, vehicle age and condition.
The owners saw an opportunity to expand into RV market, recognizing a lack of financing facilities for these large ticket purchases. The RV product also dovetails nicely with car sales, as RV purchasers sometimes need towing ability beyond their current vehicle’s capacity. Providing financing for this product line boosts its market potential by making transactions easier to complete. Trade-ins are also welcome in vehicles as well as RV sales, making moving up market a bit easier.
Part of the appeal of an RV is it provides a very affordable path to fun family vacations. Syer Line location General Manager Kevin Hill has fond memories of childhood summers in a family camper travelling to campsites across Ontario with his large family, so he relates well to his customers. Trailer options begin at prices points below $5,000 for tent/trailer combinations that can be towed by most family vehicles, and extend to luxury Park models with price tags in the mid five figures. These top end models are virtual homes, with full sized bathrooms, flat screen TV’s, full kitchens, queen sized beds and patio awnings.
The products appeal to a broad demographic, but staff notice that their customers are getting younger. There are still snowbirds purchasing “couples coaches” with all the luxuries, but young families are also appreciating the comfort an RV provides over their tents.
Before a customer pulls out of the parking lot, trailer in tow, staff ensures they receive an education on the physics of pulling and attaching their new purchase. Occasionally customers buying large RV’s prefer to leave the towing to the experts. Trailers can be delivered and set-up at their destination by staff, allowing customers to completely avoid the towing experience.
Sales staff are trained financing experts and are considered to be credit counsellors first. Their customers are often establishing or rebuilding their credit record, such as first time buyers, self-employed customers, new Canadians and customers re-establishing credit after experiencing financial distress. Great care is taken to ensure clients select vehicles they can comfortably afford, rather than ones where they have to stretch to make payments, so their credit reputation heads in the right direction. The organization works with a wide variety of financial institutions to secure credit for their customers, and will go back to renegotiate better terms for their customers after they achieve a period of successful payment history. They boast nearly 100% finance approval rating for their customers because they weed out marginal applications and work with customers to make their best pitch to the most likely financing source.
If you’re considering hitting the road next summer with your hotel room in tow, drop in to this growing local business or visit them on-line at www.campmart.ca and explore the wide range of options available right here in our neighbourhood. KG
