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McMullen Ford celebrates 30 years in the Bluffs CHAD NATION Staff Writer cnation@nonpareilonline.com (712) 325-5738
The automotive industry has changed a lot in the last 30 years, but the one thing that has remained constant in Council Bluffs is McMullen Ford. Harry McMullen and his son, Scott, acquired the business with a partner on June 1, 1980. Harry McMullen was no stranger to the business, having worked for car dealerships since 1948. He began his career as a bookkeeper for a downtown Chevrolet dealer and after five years joined the sales staff. In 1957, after a stint with H&H Chevrolet in Omaha, he accepted a position with McFayden’s Ford, a long-time Ford dealership in Omaha. At McFayden’s Ford, Harry McMullen worked his way up from truck manager to general manager and finally vice president and general manager before he left to pursue his own business. “I had enough experience,” he said. “I wanted to own my own business and control my own destiny.” Scott McMullen also was building experience in the business at McFayden’s. “It was mostly moving cars and a lot of washing,” he joked. While he did move and wash the vehicles, he also worked in sales and service. “He had a good background in the business,” Harry McMullen said. When they purchased the dealership, Harry McMullen said the first day was spent straightening out the lot, so it looked like a dealership. “Then we went to work,” he added. That first year was a rough one. Harry McMullen said the business lost $130,000, and he went to their business partner and told him either “I buy you out, or you buy me out.” The business partner agreed to be bought out and McMullen Ford as it is now known was formed. “We made some changes and made a profit from then on,” Harry McMullen said. Harry McMullen – who at 84 is still the chairman of the company – said the business philosophy isn’t overly complex: Be honest and take care of customers and employees. And because of this philosophy, the business has served three generations of area residents. Scott McMullen, president of McMullen, said the association with Ford over the years has also helped. “Ford has stayed with a full line of manufacturing – from small, fuel-efficient hybrids to medium duty trucks – anything that our customers might need,” he said. Ford has stayed ahead of the automotive crisis, Scott McMullen said, because of early investments in technology. “Ford was two to three years ahead of the other auto manufacturers in recognizing shortfalls and taking corrective actions prior to the implosion,” he said. “Plus they invested heavily in new technology.” An in-car connectivity system called SYNC is one example of Ford keeping ahead of the curve, Scott McMullen said. SYNC allows drivers to operate MP3 players, Bluetooth-enabled phones and USB drives with simple voice commands, in addition to turn-byturn navigation and 9-1-1 driver assist. “SYNC is just one example; MyFord Touch is another that will be on the 2011 Ford Edge,” he said. “Ford is really focusing on safety and convenience.” Scott McMullen said investments in safety, technology and quality fuel-efficient vehicles
puts Ford’s vehicles at the front of the class as industry leaders in a lot of categories. “We know the quality is there, because we don’t see a lot of warranty service,” Harry McMullen added. The quality of today’s vehicles has changed how the service department does business in the last 30 years, Scott McMullen said. “In 1980, if somebody wanted their oil and filter changed we’d tell them to go to gas station, because we didn’t have time for that. Now it is major part of our service department,” he said. Vehicles are also lasting longer. Scott McMullen said in 1980 if a vehicle had 100,000 miles on it, it would be worn out. “Now 250,000 miles on a vehicle is easy with proper maintenance,” he said. “They don’t make them like they used to, thank God,” Harry McMullen added. With better quality has also come a higher cost. Harry McMullen’s first new car was a 1950 Chevy Fleetline and cost $1,800. Today, there’s a truck on his lot that lists for $57,000. “I sold a convertible in 1953 for $3,000 and thought it was ridiculous to spend that kind of
money on a car,” he said. “Prices have really changed.” On the business side, Scott McMullen said the industry is improving after 24 to 36 months of stagnation. He said there has not been a “huge” improvement, but trends are moving in the right direction. “We don’t want a huge spike, just steady growth,” he said. “There are still a lot of questions about unemployment and fuel costs, but we’ve seen improvement. Is it where we’d like it to be? No.” “But it never has been and it never will be,” Harry McMullen joked. Exactly what the next 30 years will look like for the business is uncertain. A third generation McMullen Scott’s son Dan, 23, has joined the ranks of the family business. Dan McMullen helps keep the body shop running in addition to learning the ins and outs of the business, as well as getting McMullen exposure on the Internet. “I’m working with Facebook and Twitter to make sure we get our name out,” Dan McMullen said. Like the changing face of marketing, vehicles will also
Staff photo/Chad Nation
Scott, left, Dan and Harry McMullen will celebrate 30 years in business at McMullen Ford on June 1. A celebration today at the store will feature a sale-a-thon, prizes, give-a-ways, hot dogs and rides in a Model T. see a major shift, Scott McMullen said. After recently meeting with engineers at the Detroit dealers meetings, technology appears to be leaning toward plug-in hybrid vehicles. “People get up in the morning and drive 10 miles to work, sit there all day and drive 10
miles home, and Monday through Friday that’s true for most people,” he said. “A plugin vehicle could get 40 to 50 miles before kicking over to gas, so you might only burn four gallons in a week.” Dan McMullen said scooter sales have also rebounded with
higher gasoline prices. McMullen offers a line of Schwinn Motor Scooters that get between 75 and 100 miles per gallon. But with the changes, one thing will remain for certain. “What Ford can I show you today?” Scott McMullen said.
Steve Andersen
Dean Wimer
Randy Archer
Laura Weatherill
Rich Bentley
Mike Wallace
Harry McMullen
2010 FORD Paul Vickerman
#19331
MUSTANG
MSRP: $33,430
29,995
$ Derek Stuhr
OR #19575
FOCUS SE SEDAN
$
0.0% APR Financing for up to 60 months**
OR
$16,995 -$1,500 -$500 -$1,000 -$500 -$1,500
Sale Price Automatic, tilt, speed control, FMCC+ trailer sway control Promo Cash Customer Cash College Grad Rebate^ RCL Renewal
$37,450 -$1,200 -$4,000 -$1,000 -$500 -$1,500
Sale Price XLT Cash Customer Cash Bonus Cash College Grad Rebate^ RCL Renewal
Sale Price Retail Cash FMCC+ Promo Cash College Grad Rebate^ RCL Renewal
2010 Ford Focus
2010 Ford Ranger
2010 Ford Super Duty Diesels
$23,995 -$1,000 -$1,000 -$500 -$1,500
2010 Ford Fusion
Shirley Childs
Tilt, speed control,
Sale Price CD, Sync Retail Cash Promo Cash College Grad Rebate^ RCL Renewal
19,995*
$
2010 FORD #19405
Chris Cox
FUSION
MSRP: $19,995
Jim Crapo
18,995
$
OR
$18,995 -$1,000 -$1,000 -$500 -$1,500
ABS Brakes, tilt, speed control, AC, CD, Advanced Trac
Sale Price Retail Cash Promo Cash College Grad Rebate^ RCL Renewal
#24330
ESCAPE XLT 4x4 $
20,862
2008 Ford
#24353
FOCUS S
$
11,495
6 cyl. with 17,511 miles, all electric and satellite radio
Dennis Pauley
2009 Ford
FLEX
#24345
$
22,899
2010 Ford
#24359
$
18,995
FUSION SEL $
20,995 Leather heated seats, power sunroof and Sync
4.6 liter V8, leather seats, keyless entry, traction control
2007 Ford
#24363
EDGE SEL
$
TODAY!
#24356
GRAND MARQUIS LS
Side airbags, antilock brakes, automatic with traction control
4 wheel disc ABS, keyless entry, Sync
Ricardo Orellana
2009 Mercury
20,785 All electric with autolamps, keypad entry, reverse sensing
Jim McTwiggan
Rich McGinnis
Skip Marsh
Ed Major
Darren Lobaugh Scott Krumbholz
Ken Delnero
Duane Duffy
Saturday, May 29, 2010 11:00am to 4:00pm Many prizes from area retailers, refreshments, hotdogs and a live band. Register to win: • Adventureland Prize Package • Outdoor Gas Grill from Romano Tru-Value
Robin Krause
Joe Jones
Ron Elsasser
• Outdoor Patio Set from • 2 - $50 Cracker Barrel Gift Cards Romano Tru-Value • 2 - $50 Quaker Steak and Lube • $100 Mall of the Bluffs Gift Card Gift Cards Cody Espelund • $100 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card Do not need to be present to win.
3401 South Expressway, Council Bluffs, IA • Take the I-80 Lake Manawa Exit, Turn South Store Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am-9:00pm • Saturday 8:00am-6:00pm
Jon Neely
Roxie Daffer
14,995*
2010 Ford Edge
*All Ford Rebates to dealer. +Must Finance Ford Motor Credit at regular rates. ^Must have graduated after May 1, 2008. **$0 down. 0% APR Financing for up to 60 months. Tax, title, license extra. WAC. Expires 6/1/10
2009 Ford
Cecelia Cihacek
$
2010 Ford Mustang GT Excludes GT500 & Shelby GT500
McMULLEN’S 30th ANNIVERSARY CERTIFIED SPECIALS
Paul Meisinger
MSRP: $25,665
0.0% APR Financing for up to 60 months**
11,995*
Eric Phillips
#19880
ABS Brakes, tilt, speed control, AC, CD, Advanced Trac
$ Allison Pierson
MSRP: $39,865
$ 29,250* 21,995* 0% APR FINANCING FOR UP TO 60 MONTHS AVAILABLE THROUGH lieu of FORD MOTOR CREDIT!** Inrebates
MSRP: $17,495
16,995
#19753
$
24,495*
2010 FORD
John Ratashak
Sale Price Retail Customer Cash Promo Cash College Grad Rebate^ RCL Renewal
Alyssa Carlson
Dan McMullen
F-150 4x4 SUPER CAB 2010 FORD F-250 4x4 XLT CREW 2010 FORD ESCAPE XLT FWD
MSRP: $30,240
$28,495 -$1,000 -$1,000 -$2,500 -$500 -$1,500
$
Glenn Smith
Bob Simon
#19683
18” aluminum wheels, power & heated seats, leather, shaker 500 sound system, sync
0.0% APR Financing for up to 60 months** $29,995 -$2,500 -$1,000 -$500 -$1,500
2010 FORD
GT
Scott McMullen
Julie Jenson
Larry Helms
Bill Heitman
Bob Hathaway
Brian Fairchild
Riki Ferguson