Planet Hyundai to open new dealership

Ron Coury, co-owner of the Planet Hyundai at 7150 W. Sahara Ave., said the company will open Planet Hyundai Centennial at 6200 Centennial Center Blvd. on March 1. The dealership will employ 50 workers.

The site, near Ann Road and U.S. Highway 95, has five acres and a 39,000-square-foot building.

Coury said the buyers agreed not to disclose the name of the seller and terms of the real estate transaction. However, sources said John Staluppi formerly operated a Hyundai dealership at the location.

The Centennial operation will be the third Hyundai dealership in the Las Vegas area. Separately owned Henderson Hyundai is located at 460 N. Boulder Highway.

Hyundai has been a popular new car nationally with a moderate price tag, high fuel efficiency and 10-year warranty, Coury said.

“You get a lot of bang for your buck,” he also said.

In January, the Korean automaker began selling a luxury car, the Equus.

The company bought the Hyundai dealership on Sahara in March 2010. The owners decided to add a dealership because of strong sales at the West Sahara location, Coury said.

“We believe so strongly in the resiliency of this country and particularly the Las Vegas community that we are very comfortable making this financial commitment,” Coury said in a statement.

The Cenntenial Center area is becoming a car dealership hot spot. Neighbors include Jim Marsh Chrysler Jeep and the Towbin family’s Chrysler Jeep dealership. A used-car dealership in the area closed in December.

Las Vegas officials forced Joe Scala, who operated the Courtesy auto dealerships, to close the used-car dealership because he was no longer selling new cars at the location. Zoning prohibited used-car sales unless they were affiliated with new-car dealerships.

Southern Nevada’s new-car dealers have been whipsawed in recent years. The recession slowed sales of big-ticket items, like cars, as residents started losing their jobs because of layoffs and homes in foreclosure.

As part of bankruptcy reorganizations, General Motors and Chyrsler announced they were eliminating thousands of dealerships around the country. Chrysler said it was terminating four Southern Nevada dealerships, including Integrity Chrysler in southwest Las Vegas, United Dodge and United Chrysler Jeep.

Integrity closed in May 2009, months before the loss of its Chrysler dealership, laying off 118 workers.

Some new-car sellers around the country, including Jim Marsh, successfully challenged the termination of their dealerships.

General Motors terminated no dealership in Southern Nevada, but Bill Heard Chevrolet and Heard’s Vista Chevrolet, closed in 2009. A Kansas dealer reopened the Vista property as Ed Bozarth Chevrolet.

Also in 2009, the Obama administration sought to energize the new car business with its “Cash for Clunkers” program. Motorists were offered up to $4,500 to replace their old cars with new vehicles.

Findlay Automotive Group was forced to close its Saturn dealership in Henderson in 2010 because GM eliminated the brand, but Findlay replaced Saturn with a Lincoln dealership.