Risk & Business Magazine F.A. Peabody Insurance Fall 2016 | Page 25

Randy Norsworthy

North Country Auto
A Friend In The Car Business

“Y

ou can have everything in
life you want, if you will
help enough other people
get what they want”.
This is a quote by the
famous Zig Ziglar that Randy Norsworthy
tries to live by every day in his business.
In fact, this quote is written on the wall
of his office and has definitely assisted
Randy in building numerous contacts and
developing personal relationships with
his business partners and customers.
Randy’s initial indoctrination in the car
business began in 1977, when he and
his father opened a used car dealership,
Norsworthy’s Sales and Service, on Rice
Street in Presque Isle. He continued to
learn and gain experience when together,
Randy and his father purchased a Chrysler
dealership in 1986. They ran the dealership
for 6 years, while opening a second
Chrysler store in Caribou, but the closing
of Loring Air Force Base in 1993 ended
the venture. After having worked for
his father-in-law for a short time he was
provided with an offer that he “couldn’t
possibly refuse” by John Linnehan of
Linnehan’s Credit Now used car business.
Randy managed the very successful
Presque Isle dealership for 6 years. He
continues to credit John Linnehan with
giving him a great education in running
a dealership. The experience he gained
lead to his new venture, North Country
Auto (NCA), which began in Presque
Isle in 1999. Today, 17 years later,
North Country Auto has expanded to
four different locations throughout the
state of Maine: Presque Isle, Houlton,

Lincoln and most recently, Biddeford.
Purchasing vehicle inventory has changed
dramatically in recent years. The vast
majority of dealers now buy their inventory
on line with the advent of the Internet.
North Country’s general manager does
occasionally buy online, but online
purchases make up less than 5% of their
total inventory which averages 280 vehicles.
Unlike most dealers, the bulk of North
Country Auto’s inventory is purchased
on site, with Randy traveling to auctions
twice a month or by his experienced buyer
to the south. Being located in Aroostook
County calls for a careful analysis of
consumer demand in the area. Randy,
with his staff has determined that their
biggest retail market is for trucks and
SUVs, making up 70% of total sales.

He takes tremendous pride in North
Country’s slogan, “You’ve got a friend in the
car business”, because that’s exactly how he
wishes his customers to perceive himself
and his staff. He wants to develop a close,
personal relationship with every customer,
allowing them to feel more comfortable
buying a car from him than his competitors.
He backs up his slogan with his, now 3 year
old, LifePledge Program. The LifePledge
Program guarantees a lifetime power
train warranty for the original purchaser
as long as they own their vehicle. For the
vehicle to qualify, it must be within 5
model years of the current year, have less
than 75,000 miles and meet AutoCheck
records. The LifePledge Program has
given greater comfort to buyers, as well
as having increased sales as a result.

In terms of changes in the automobile
industry, Randy repeatedly refers to the
term “informational highway” to describe
the vast improvements in technology that
have shifted the industry immensely. At
the auctions Randy regularly attends,
it has become increasingly difficult to
win bids because you are competing
against all of the buyers present, as well
as on line bidders. Also, Auto Check offers
instantaneous information on vehicles
that was unavailable just a few years ago.
Likewise, their marketing strategy has
shifted as people’s viewing habits have
shifted as of late. Social media is on the rise
and North Country Auto is placing greater
priority on the digital marketing venue.
Randy credits North Country Auto’s
success to a hard-working, knowledgeable
staff and he truly believes that it is “the
great people working for him that make his
job that much easier and brings continued
success to the business”. Looking for
a vehicle? Then look to a friend in the
car business, North Country Auto. +

BY: DEREK BOSSE, AGENT,
F. A. PEABODY INSURANCE

Derek Bosse is an agent specializing in
commercial and personal insurance.

FALL 2016

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