In a competitive auto retailing economy, car dealerships always look for a competitive edge. Mel Grata Chevrolet/Toyota has found climate-controlled indoor air comfort greatly improves customer satisfaction especially during cold Pennsylvania winters.
Mel Grata Chevrolet/Toyota’s new green service bay buildings in Hermitage, Pa., save energy while keeping employees and customers warm.
In a competitive auto retailing economy, car dealerships are always looking for an edge, and Mel Grata Chevrolet/Toyota has found that climate-controlled indoor air comfort greatly improves customer satisfaction, especially during cold Pennsylvania winters.
Instead of fighting inclement weather, Mel Grata customers now drive through one of two new climate-controlled service/staging areas featuring doorway air curtains. The air curtains, also referred to as “air doors,” efficiently separate the indoor and outdoor environments and maintain indoor temperatures, even with constant door openings during morning rush hours.
The Chevrolet service area was expanded into a 2,000-square-foot, newly remodeled three-bay space. The separate 1,500-square-foot Toyota service area is a recently built two-bay, four-door space. Both buildings adjoin the dealership’s main 75,000-square-foot showroom and office complex. Industrial Direct Drive 12 Series air curtains with three-speed motors, manufactured by Berner International, New Castle, Pa., seal each of the seven 12 x 12-foot doorways with a controlled airstream to protect against outdoor air infiltration during hundreds of daily door cycles.
“Without the air curtains, it would take several minutes for the heating system to recover our 70°F set point temperature that keeps customers and employees comfortable,” said President Mel Grata, who conceived of the idea after seeing air curtains in action on truck docks, vestibules and retail store entrances.
“We’ve had no air comfort complaints from customers or employees even on the coldest winter days, and that’s good for business,” said Grata.
— Mel Grata, President, Mel Grata Chevrolet/Toyota
