Rick Karcz drove north along U.S. 45
to visit a friend in eagle river one Wednesday late last November.
He noticed the rich hues of burgundy, gold and turquoise
from the stunning array of collector cars and street rods at H.O.
Enterprise Performance Auto Sales & Service in Birnamwood.
But one Vehicle especially caught his eye: A bright red 1946 Ford
F-series pickup truck fully restored from the ground up with all
of its genuine Ford glass intact and almost 59,000 original miles.
"I couldn't believe it", said Karcz, vice president of Karcz
Ford-Mercury in Pulaski and an avid 1960s Ford Mustang enthusiast.
Rick and his older brother, Mike, dealer president, were looking
for that year, make and model to exhibit in their showroom. Their
father, Edward, founder Karcz Motors Co. in 1946. It's the oldest
Ford dealership in Brown County , 17 miles west of Green Bay . Today
it is the eighth largest Ford Dealer in the Green Bay and Fox Valley
. |
Rick Karcz envisioned the exceptionally rare 1946 Ford Truck as
a great conversation piece for their real tight-knit
group of customers. So he purchased it two days
later from owner Kelly Long. Previously, the vehicle had sat in
Mayville Museum for 27 years. Long called Rick's Motive for buying
it noble and really cool.
The 1946 truck symbolizes the Karcz family established business
while complementing the displays of of old black-and-white photographs
and newspaper advertisements lining the showroom walls.
The dealership has earned a slew of prestigious
national awards including 38 for distinguished service achievement.
Long said the truck and the Karcz's 1936 Chris Craft boat look
absolutely gorgeous together. I've got a picture of it coming
I think, he said.
Sales: The dealership reported $25 million in
900 new and used vehicle retail sales last year. Leasing comprises
58 percent of its new vehicle business.
History: Eighth-grade
educated E.R. Karcz opened Karcz Motors Co. out of a small warehouse
on Wisconsin 32 in
downtown Pulaski with one sales person
and one mechanic in February 1946. In June, he moved the dealership
to a 6,000-square-foot building. Karcz sold eight new vehicles
that year.
In 1952, a 5,000-square-foot addition was built and full-time
staff increased to 28 by 1968 with more than 100 new cars in stock.
Green bay Press-Gazette newspaper ads in the late 1960's to the
mid-1970s proclaimed Edward Karcz as "Mr. K. and The King of
Ford Country. His sons Bob, Mike and Rick joined Karcz Ford full
time in 1969, 1974 and 1981. They has washed and cleaned cars,
cut glass and swept floors at the dealership from grade school
through high school.
 |
By July 1974, Karcz Motors Co. had
35 employees and moved into a 23,000-square foot "hugh ultra modern
complex with a 10 car capacity showroom on Wisconsin 32, according
to an Aug. 21 1974 ad in the Green Bay Press-Gazette. The firm
sold 1,200 vehicles that year.
Edward Karcz retired in 1979; Bob Karcz retied as president in
1995.
The dealership purchased the mercury franchise in 1985. In 1991,
it added a 3,200-squaer foot, $190,000 drive-through service write
up area, an up-stairs lunchroom and training room.
I n 1997, Karcz Ford-mercury spent $250,000 to remodel the building
facade, raise its showroom ceiling and install an 80-foot canopy.
Plans include assisting four-to-six stalls to the service department
in March.
Management: Kevin Harris is new car sales manager.
Others are
 |
;
Linda Trappe, finance and insurance manager; LeRoy Geil,
body
shop manager;
Kevin Mastey, parts manager; and Debbie Niec, office manager.
Staff: Karcz Ford-Mercury employs 50 people.
Two Worked for Karcz Motors C. in 1946.
Brands of cars sold, leased or traded: Ford
and Mercury.
Best-selling model:
Ford f-150 pick-up truck.
Services: Karcz Ford-Mercury does industrial,
commercial and residential painting for clients such as Badger
Sheet Metal and Bayland Builders.
Vision: Expand business into the surrounding area as
Pulaski and Howard grows.
Mission: "Customer service is not an option...
it's what we do.
Business philosophy: Service brings sales. Mike Karcz
said the dealership has a 98 percent, 12 month fix-it-right-the-first-time
average "because we go out of our way.
Slogan: "Noboby walks away from Karcz Ford-Mercury, they
drive away!
Dealer Profile
Karcz Ford-Mercury
Highway 32 South
Pulaski , Wis. 54162
(920) 822-3001
www.karczford.com
|
