The Man Behind Machens

First there was Ford. Then came Toyota, BMW, Scion, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, Nissan, Hyundai and Mitsubishi. Whew.
And now the latest to join — rejoin, really — the nearly dozen Joe Machens dealerships: Volkswagen.
Beginning with Joe Machens’ first Ford dealership in 1969, the company has made a steady march toward becoming one of the largest auto sales groups in the Midwest, if not the United States.
Would the group’s current size surprise the founder, the late Joe Machens? Probably, says son Dave. “Dad was always looking to the future, so he knew early on that expansion was one way of staying ahead of the competition,” he says. “But I doubt he could have imagined how big it’s become.”

Drewing joins Machens

Business in the ’70s continued to improve. But in 1982, Joe Machens suffered a heart attack, and he knew it was time for a break from running the day-to-day operations.
“In ’83 Dad met Gary Drewing, who worked for Capital City Ford in Jefferson City, and the two hit it off right away,” Dave Machens says. “He was young and full of energy and great ideas. Dad knew he’d picked the right guy for general manager. And then he became a partner.”
When Joe Machens died in 1997, Drewing and Dave Machens continued as partners until 2006 when Drewing became sole owner of the dealerships. “We’ve kept Joe’s name because it’s got such a good history. It’ll always be Joe Machens,” Drewing says.
Drewing credits business values — putting customers first and creating ties with the community — as reasons why the dealerships grew. Selling Ford and Toyota vehicles, he says, was another plus.
“We’ve had good, steady business through the decades, and by all means Ford and Toyota were an advantage,” Drewing says. “Both brands are very popular in this area, especially the trucks. The Ford F-150 has been our best seller by far for more years than I can remember.”
Throughout the decades, Joe Machens, like other dealerships, has traveled the economic hills and valleys that have mapped the auto industry. There were slow periods during oil embargos and gas shortages and boom times when the national and local economies were doing well.
But the economic meltdown and auto industry crisis that began in 2008 were a challenge for everyone. “I used to be one of those who said that Columbia was recession-proof but not after what we’ve seen in recent years,” Drewing says. “But we didn’t feel the impact that the auto industry did and many other area businesses did.
“A lot of Ford dealers struggled, but our whole group — especially Ford, Toyota and BMW — fared pretty well,” Drewing says. “Our pre-owned business really took off. My son Rusty is responsible for the growth in pre-owned and used cars.”
Dealerships throughout Columbia
Drewing says sometimes a tough economy is really an opportunity. In the past three years, the number of Joe Machens dealerships has doubled. (See timeline.) And under Drewing’s leadership, the new Automotive Group, Nissan and Hyundai stores have each gone from selling a couple hundred vehicles a year to selling nearly 200 each month.
Next year there will be three new facilities for Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and the newest member of the group, Volkswagen. “The Toyota and VW dealerships will go on the old Ramada Inn site: VW next to our Hyundai dealership and Toyota next to VW,” Drewing says. “Mercedes-Benz will be on the site of the Old Chicago restaurant near our BMW dealership.
“All three will be under way early next spring. We’ve finalized the blueprints, and we’re getting final factory approvals. Then we’ll get construction bids and be on our way.”
Joe Machens owns property at Crosscreek Center on Stadium Boulevard east of U.S. Highway 63, and Drewing originally intended to build the Toyota dealership there. “There really isn’t enough space out there for a sizeable dealership, so we chose to build next to Hyundai and the new VW,” he says. “Right now I’m not sure what we’ll do with that property.”
Drewing says there are advantages to having dealerships throughout Columbia rather than located in one large auto mall. “All manufacturers now want their dealerships to be separate; most require that,” he says. “There are very few that you can dual with other ones. And this gives us a way to present our vehicles in unique ways. The new Mercedes-Benz facility will be like our BMW one — showcases for two of our luxury makes.”

V-Dub is back

Volkswagen is returning to the Joe Machens group after a 19-year hiatus. Joe Machens added Volkswagen to its dealerships in 1986 when it purchased Riddick Motors in Columbia. Lagging sales and what Drewing calls a lackluster selection of models forced Joe Machens to drop the line in 1993. Since then, the nearest place to buy a new VW has been either in St. Louis or Kansas City.
Drewing says the timing is perfect for a new Volkswagen dealership. “VW will be a home run here in town with our demographics,” he says. “There’s a line of more sophisticated cars, and they will appeal to our customers.”
Drewing joins others in the auto industry who see a bright future for VW. In a recent article on the National Automobile Dealers Association website, Volkswagen Group of America CEO Jonathan Browning stated that Volkswagen expects to be profitable in U.S. sales this year, and Volkswagen AG plans to ramp up production of its new and existing brands. The company will invest $86.1 billion through 2016 as part of its goal to become the world’s largest auto manufacturer.
As Joe Machens Dealerships continue to grow, one thing that will remain constant, Drewing says, is their location in mid-Missouri. They will continue to look for opportunities right here in our area.
“Absentee ownerships are difficult because you can’t really control the customer experience when management is located a ways away like you can when the ownership is right there,” he says. “My office is here at our Ford dealership, and customers know they can talk to me. We’re all a part of the community. We have 630 employees who work here, live here and shop here. That’s what Joe Machens has always been about.”

General managers for Joe Machens dealerships

Rusty Drewing, Ford and Lincoln
Dan Kellar, Toyota and Scion
Richard Vairo, BMW
Bob Jacaway, Automotive Group, Nissan and Hyundai

History of Joe Machens dealerships

1969 – Joe Machens moves from St. Louis to Columbia and purchases the Ford franchise from Tom Allton, who owns Allton Motor Co.
1972 – The dealership moves to its present location at 1911 W. Worley.
1977 – The Body Shop building at 600 Bernadette is completed.
1981 – Isuzu trucks are added.
1983 – Gary Drewing joins the company as partner and general manager.
1984 – The BMW franchise is purchased from Carmichael Motors in Jefferson City and moved to the 600 Bernadette building.
1986 – Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche are purchased from Riddick Motors on Old Highway 63 in Columbia. These franchises join BMW as Joe Machens Import Center.
1987 – The main building on West Worley is expanded.
1989 – The Honda dealership is purchased from Lee Thornton Honda in Jefferson City. The Toyota dealership is purchased from Legend Automotive Group.
1992 – Machens Automotive on Vandiver begins selling used vehicles.
1993 – BMW and Isuzu are moved to the Toyota building, Volkswagen and Audi are dropped, and the 600 Bernadette building becomes the Ford Truck Center.
1997 – The Ford building on West Worley, the Ford Truck Center on Bernadette and the Toyota-BMW-Isuzu building on Bernadette are remodeled. The Honda dealership in Jefferson City is sold to focus on Machens’ larger dealerships in Columbia. On Oct. 15, Joe Machens dies, and the company is managed by son Dave Machens and Gary Drewing.
1999 – The Ford store undergoes its largest expansion yet, which substantially increasing the size of the service department and administrative offices.
2003 – The rental department and the Ford store detailing department move to a new location at 1908 W. Worley. At the Toyota store, the Isuzu franchise is dropped because of Isuzu’s declining sales nationwide.
2004 – Scion, a new brand from Toyota, is introduced at the Toyota store.
2006 – Gary Drewing becomes sole owner of the dealerships after buying Dave Machens’ half of the company.
2007 – The BMW franchise moves to an exclusive facility on I-70 Drive S.W. The Lincoln and Mercury franchises are added to the Ford store.
2008 – Legend Automotive Group is purchased and renamed Joe Machens Automotive Group and offers Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac and Pontiac vehicles. This brings the total number of new franchises to 10 for the Joe Machens Dealerships organization.
2009 – Joe Machens purchases Perry Nissan and forms Joe Machens Nissan.
2010 – Joe Machens purchases Estes Motors and creates Joe Machens Hyundai. The creation of Joe Machens East Collision Center brings the total number of Joe Machens body shops to three.
2011 – Joe Machens acquires the Volkswagen franchise and begins plans for the construction of Joe Machens Volkswagen on Vandiver Drive next to the Hyundai store.