7.3. SR 05-18-2015 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Project Narrative - CUP- GATR Truck Center Company Background GATR Truck Center is a full service heavy and medium truck dealership which began in 1962. Purchased in 2000 by owner Bob Neitzke, GATR currently has three locations: Sauk Rapids, MN, Cedar Rapids, IA and Des Moines, IA, which employs approximately 200 people, with wages ranging from $12 to $100 an hour. GATR Truck Center sells and leases trucks throughout the United States and offers competitive financing packages for consumers. GATR offers an extensive ,parts department, exceeding $1 million in inventory and offering parts for cars, up to Class 8 trucks. All three locations offer well- trained, technicians, backed by their extensive parts departments, body shops and full service detailing facility. Roughly 30% of their business is through the sale of new trucks (fleets), and 70% is the sale of new trucks to individual owners. Highway visibility is crucial to the success of GATR's operations. Having served the trucking industry for over 50 years, GATR Truck Center was named Volvo Dealer of the Year in 2004, 2011 and 2012, and Volvo Parts Dealer of the Year in 2013. GATR prides themselves in their service; company culture is second to none and GATR attributes their success to the people they employ, They differentiate themselves from their competitors through the exceptional service they provide to their customers. Proposed Project With their rapid growth, GATR Truck Center is looking to open a location in the City of Elk River. GATR Truck Center is proposing to guild an approximately 42,000 square foot facility in the 2 "d phase of Nature's Edge Business Center. This location would offer new and used truck sales, rental, leasing, parts and service. GATR anticipates having 100 -150 trucks in inventory, with periodical customer and service trailers stored on the lot. The plan also depicts room for an approximately 7,500 sq. ft. area to the east of the proposed project, to be used for additional service area. GATR anticipates building this expansion within the next 5 -10 years. Hours of Operation GATR is open Monday through Friday, from lam- midnight, Saturday from lam to 3:30pm and closed on Sundays. GATR averages 100 trucks a day, in and out of their location; approximately 25% of these trucks have trailers. This pales in comparison to a car dealership. The average car dealership in a community comparable to Elk River averages 377.4 vehicles and 9 heavy trucks a day; this does not include test drives or mechanic road tests (could easily add another 100 vehicles). Number of Employees GATR currently employs 230 FTE between the three locations, paying wages $12 /hr -$125 an hour; the Sauk Rapids location employs 102 FTE. The top sales people in the Sauk Rapids location average $180/h r. Upon opening their Elk River location, GATR Truck Center anticipates hiring 10 -15 FTE; at the end of 2015, they anticipate having 38 employees. By the end of 2017, they anticipate having a minimum of 60