Eight years ago, Mike Garrard and Doug Bergener left the big boy car dealer world and opened Bargain Buggy’s, a local used auto sales lot in Erda.
Bargain Buggy’s blossomed into a thriving business, according to Garrard.
“When we started out, we sold an average of 10 vehicles a month,” he said. “Today we average over 40 a month.”
The idea of striking out on their own occurred to the two friends one day when they turned to each other at work and asked, “Why are we doing this for somebody else when we could do it for ourselves?” Bergener said.
The key to their success has been making the car buying process a personal experience and building long-term relationships with customers, according to Garrard.
“Seventy-five percent of our customers are repeat customers,” he said.
As a small local business, when you buy a car from Bargain Buggy’s, you are most likely dealing with the owner of the business, according to Garrard.
“There is no manager, or departments, or other levels of supervisors to deal with,” he said. “And we keep the buying process straight forward, quick, and as simple as possible. We don’t use gimmicks.”
Bargain Buggy’s keeps 60 to 70 vehicles on its lot off of SR-36 and Cimmaron Way. Available vehicles represent a broad range of makes and models. They range in price from $3,000 to $30,000.
If Bargain Buggy’s doesn’t have the vehicle a customer is looking for on the lot, a vehicle locator service is used to find the vehicle that matches any customer’s specifications, according to Garrard.
“Tell us what your looking for and we’ll go out and find it for you,” he said.
Tooele County residents buy a lot of 4×4 vehicles, family cars, and cars for commuting, Garrard said.
With a combined total of 53 years in the car business, Garrard and Bergener have seen a lot of changes.
“Cars today last a lot longer,” said Garrard. “Cars used to wear out around 100,000 miles, but today it’s not uncommon for a car to last for 250,000 miles.”
Drivers putting more miles on their car mean less frequent purchases, Garrard noted. The economy has also made an impact.
“The last year and half has been the hardest market for cars that I have experienced,” he said. “With the recession and uncertainty, it caused people to delay major purchases and to hold onto their cars longer than usual.”
Sales have picked up lately, but any bad news locally or nationally can quickly affect sales, Bergener said.
To keep the lot full, Garrard makes up to four trips a week to car auctions, looking for quality used cars at the best price.
“We turn over our inventory about every three months,” he said.
Garrard and Bergener both grew up in Tooele County and are sold on supporting local businesses.
“We use local businesses as much as possible,” said Garrard. “It keeps our money in our community and that’s what we want to do here. People don’t need to go to Salt Lake to get a good deal. They can get the car they want right here and enjoy a personal buying experience.”
Neither Garrard nor Bergener have any plans for retirement in the near future.
“What do people usually do when they retire?” asked Bergener before answering. “Get another job. I’m already doing what I love and I’m happy.”
However, Garrard does have an exit plan. When the time comes to leave Bargain Buggy’s, he plans to turn over the business to his son, who works at Bargain Buggy’s now.
“We’re building a family business here,” he said. “The car business is our life and we know this business.”