In addition to announcing its first EchoPark Automotive retail hub location in Nevada this week, Sonic Automotive said Thursday that starting Sept. 1, it will increase its minimum employee wage to $15 an hour.
The retailer has approximately 8,500 teammates working at its franchised dealerships and EchoPark locations across the country.
“Our people are our greatest asset, and we are proud to be able to give our teammates across the country the ability to earn a minimum wage of $15 an hour and to ensure they are paid above average for the industry,” Sonic and EchoPark chief executive David Smith said in a news release.
“As Sonic and EchoPark reach new heights and achieve record-breaking performance levels, we want to show our teammates how much we value their contributions,” Smith said. “Moreover, this increase, coupled with the full spectrum of benefits we provide our associates, furthers our position as an employer of choice that attracts and retains the best possible talent.”
Moving over to the expansion news, Sonic said Tuesday it has opened a retail hub in Las Vegas. The store is 20,500 square feet and will have roughly 40 employees once fully staffed. Just last week, Sonic opened an EchoPark delivery center in Austin, Texas, its seventh EchoPark facility in the state.
“The opening of EchoPark Las Vegas is a key component of the company’s ongoing growth strategy, as we continue to execute our accelerated expansion plan to meet the strong demand for pre-owned vehicles across the nation,” Sonic and EchoPark president Jeff Dyke said in release.
Jim Ellis adds Cadillac store
Sonic isn’t the only group expanding. Jim Ellis Automotive Group announced Tuesday that it has added Cadillac to its franchise roster.
The group has opened Jim Ellis Cadillac of Atlanta, located at 5880 Peachtree Blvd. in Chamblee, Ga., between the Jim Ellis Chevrolet and Buick GMC stores.
As such, this is the only General Motors dealership campus in the Atlanta area that includes all of the GM brands, the group said.
“We are pleased to be able to offer our clients the convenience of all GM brands in one Atlanta location,” Jim Ellis Automotive Group president Jimmy Ellis said in a news release. “I believe that Cadillac owners and prospects will appreciate the legendary Jim Ellis customer experience they can now get in Atlanta.”
The store is the Jim Ellis group’s 21st overall dealership. With the addition of Cadillac, the retailer now has 17 brands.
Source : AutoFinanceNews
