West Herr's Bieler calls Rochester dealership a 'good fit'

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Scott Bieler, president, West Herr Automotive Group Inc.

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David Bertola

Buffalo Business First Reporter- Buffalo Business First

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Scott Bieler, president of West Herr Automotive Group, said that the company's recent acquisition of a Rochester car dealership was made to strengthen the overall company, which should set a sales record this year.

"We will not grow just for the sake of growth, but we will evaluate opportunities in both Buffalo and Rochester for how they strategically fit with our company and our long-term objectives," Bieler said. "From both a branding and a geographical standpoint, it seemed like a very good fit for our team to strengthen our position in the Rochester market."

On Nov. 7, the company announced its acquisition of Vision Ford of Rochester. Financial terms were not disclosed.

West Herr now has three dealerships in the Rochester area, including Mercedes-Benz of Rochester and BMW of Rochester. The Ford dealership, located at 4545 Ridge Road West, will be renamed West Herr Ford of Rochester. Rich Wilkinson has been appointed general manager of the dealership, which employs 65. The company expects to add about 20 employees as sales volumes increase.

Bieler said that West Herr is excited about the Vision Ford acquisition, which should help the company retain the title of New York's largest volume Ford dealer. West Herr has 19 locations, 20 new vehicle brands, and more than 1,600 employees. West Herr is the 24th-largest automotive group in the country.

Bieler added that the company is poised to sell 39,500 new and used vehicles in 2014, up from 37,709 last year. Selling 39,500 vehicles would be the most in the history of the company, which dates to 1950.

David Bertola covers small business, energy and marketing