The used vehicle industry in Greater Victoria is highly competitive, with operators doing whatever it takes to attract and keep customers.

In an industry where small- to medium-sized dealerships dot the landscape, especially on the West Shore, some organizations have done a good job of building staying power.

One such company is Galaxy Motors, which centralized its Greater Victoria operations in Colwood on Island Highway in 2010-11, having opened lots in Nanaimo in 2009 and Duncan in 2010. Galaxy recently opened stores in Courtenay and Langley, giving it five sales lots in total.

Company owner Phil Dagger estimates that Galaxy, its growth fuelled by repeat and referral business, will open four or five new dealerships on the mainland within the next four to five years.

B次元官网网址淚 like to think we always treated customers the way they wanted to be treated,B次元官网网址� he says of how Galaxy sustains its business.

A former executive chef who enjoyed success selling cars for a major GM dealership in Victoria in the mid-1980s, he leapt into the world of pre-owned vehicles in 1988 when he borrowed $10,000 from his mother to open his own business B次元官网网址� Uptown Motors focused on the wholesale vehicle trade.

B次元官网网址淚 still had some of that entrepreneurial spirit in me,B次元官网网址� says Dagger, an affable Brit who shuns the spotlight.

The Galaxy Motors name was secured in 1990 when he spent B次元官网网址�$40,000 that I didnB次元官网网址檛 haveB次元官网网址� for the rights to use it, Dagger says. The new company landed in various locations, primarily on the West Shore, and operated multiple lots in Greater Victoria in the 2000s, when head office was located on Attree Avenue in Langford.

According to Galaxy general manager David King, the decision to pull everything back together on one site was made partially to eliminate competition between lots. B次元官网网址淲e were competing with ourselves more than anything,B次元官网网址� he says.

Removing the cost of operating multiple lots in Greater Victoria also allowed Galaxy to upgrade its inventory, King says. While it happily accepts trade-ins, this is not a company in the business of refurbishing tired, older vehicles. With few exceptions, the rule is to avoid selling vehicles older than 10 years, or those with more than 175,000 kilometres.

It also spends approximately $750 per car in refurbishing costs, which includes a 155-point pre-sale inspection, far more intensive than the industry average of 42 points, King says.

In describing the company and how it operates, he says, B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e like a new car dealer that doesnB次元官网网址檛 sell new cars.B次元官网网址� He explains that concept by saying the companyB次元官网网址檚 inventory B次元官网网址� more than 620 used vehicles at last count, worth upwards of $10 million B次元官网网址� allows it to match clients with their desired vehicle in a way similar to new car dealerships.

B次元官网网址淓ach dealership operates as if they have 600 cars, and at the end of the day, theyB次元官网网址檙e all Galaxy cars."

A major underpinning for the company, like most car dealers, is its ability to arrange financing for customers, a strategy it undertook way back in 2002. Galaxy was one of the first pre-owned vehicle dealers in the area to offer sub-prime loans B次元官网网址� also known as second-chance credit B次元官网网址� to clients with credit issues or income challenges.

Today, King says, GalaxyB次元官网网址檚 sales ratio is about one-third each for cash deals, sub-prime rate financed deals and those financed at prime.

Galaxy expects to do an estimated $55 million in revenue this fiscal year and an incredible $80 million to $90 million next fiscal with the new dealerships and its service departments contributing ever more significantly to the bottom line, King and Dagger say.

Asked about his long-term goals for Galaxy Motors, Dagger, who employs more than 100 people, mostly full-time, grins and says the plan is to keep moving forward, keep buying cars and continue to offer more choice for customers.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just what I do; work is not work. ItB次元官网网址檚 a passion, something I thoroughly enjoy. WeB次元官网网址檙e going to keep growing.B次元官网网址�

editor@goldstreamgazette.com