Greenville Nissan updates its facility

Like a shiny new model fresh off the assembly line, Greenville Nissan has a new look.

A total makeover makes the facility on Greenville Boulevard what owner Elliott Greer believes is more functional for employees and customers. The project took nearly 18 months to complete and cost nearly $1 million.

"It's a Nissan-approved facility," Greer said this week during a tour. "... Whether they're building from ground up or remodeling, Nissan looks to have a certain image. So this way, when you go from city to city, town to town, all the Nissan facilities ... all have the similar characteristic about them."

Greer, who has owned Greenville Nissan for eight years and also owns Saturn of Greenville, said creating a feel of openness with plenty of space and light was a goal of the renovation. The former building was essentially gutted, leaving only a skeleton from which to work.

Business continued throughout the banging and clanging.

"It's a new building other than the frame is still the same old frame," Greer said. "We operated our business as we did this. ... We didn't close the building down and move out. We kind of worked around. A lot of our construction people came in the off hours, whether they came at night or came on the weekends. They kind of worked within our schedule. ... When you're doing it, it seems like it's never going to end."

Greenville Nissan's nearly 20,000 square feet features spacious showrooms and service areas separated by service and express lanes. The waiting area tripled its space and offers big-screen television and comfortable seating for customers.

A showroom that can accommodate as many as six vehicles has four on display. A reception desk is positioned just to the left of the entrance, and flat-screen televisions face one another from each end of the room.

It also has a definite hometown feel with an East Carolina University Pee Dee Pirate statue in one corner and two Awards of Excellence displayed, sandwiching an ECU helmet.

Unlike many dealership models, there are no visible offices. Desks for salesman line a full-glass front facing Greenville Boulevard. All consultations are held at tables in the middle of the showroom.

"We don't have any traditional salesmen desks," Greer said. "We have a lot of round tables, so it's much more non-confrontational. ... Whether they're in service or sales, customers will be able to see what's going on."

Business bits

University PC Care has opened at 1909-F E. Fire Tower Road in the Covengton Shoppes, offering new and used personal computers, computer-related products and parts, and in-store and on-site service. Call 558-1280.

The first Crystal Coast Showcase of Homes is today and Saturday, featuring an open house at more than 200 homes. Real estate agents that belong to the Carteret County Association of Realtors and Crystal Coast MLS teamed to put on the event, which includes food and drawings for prizes. A list of participating registered homes are at www.ccrealtors.org. The association can be reached at 247-2323 or BrendaRoney@ccrealtors.org.

The ECU Merchants Fair was postponed this week due to inclement weather and has been rescheduled for Wednesday.

Caché Junction in Simpson has closed. Cheryl Johnson and Caroline Hardee opened the boutique in September 2007 in a refurbished 92-year-old building.