Hilltop Motors still going strong
despite changes in the industry
CARIBOU – Hilltop Motors has been through $4-plus pricing for a gallon of gasoline, the housing bubble meltdown, the stock market crash, dealership closures all over the country and the subsequent bailout of two of the big three domestic car companies, all of which have contributed to the worst recession in years.
Still, the used car dealership has weathered all this with the same small staff they started with when they opened in December of 2007 at their location on U.S. Route 1, just south of the city before the Caribou-Presque Isle boundary line.
“We’ve had to revamp some of the methods in which we obtain our product,” said owner Scott Pike. “Due to new car dealerships doing less business, they are taking less trade-ins, therefore creating a shortage of good, used vehicles throughout the country. Market prices are extremely high at auctions.
“We’ve had to develop relationships with other dealers, wholesale networks and even occasionally buying off the street directly from individuals, as not to have to solely rely on auctions,” he added.
Pike said for awhile, tight credit markets made it difficult to obtain financing for customers. Banks are now lending again more freely and Hilltop Motors has also acquired some new financing sources in both the prime and subprime markets, making on-the-spot financing much easier.
With all this going on, Hilltop Motors’ philosophy has been constant.
“We haven’t lost sight of what we started out pledging to do, which is to offer a better than average product that is 100 percent ready to go and the cleanest you’ll find anywhere, making for an outstanding value; a comfortable purchase experience with an ease of doing business; and taking the very best care of our customers both before and after the sale,” Pike said.
“We want to create relationships that last well into the future.”
Hilltop Motors is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit them on the web at www.hilltopmotorsinc.com or call 493-4455.
