Great expectations at Zimbrick European

When you sell Mercedes, Audi, and Porsche, everything has to be just right, including the building where people make these investments in style and quality.

Aaron Perkins, Zimbrick European's general manager, says expectations of car-buying are much higher today.

"You can't sell cars in 2008 sitting on cheap metal chairs next to the burnt-out coffee pot," he said.

A Beltline drive shows that Madison's dealerships have radically improved in five years and Zimbrick's 2006, 60,000-square-foot project on South Rimrock Road in Madison is a great example.

Each of their three car manufacturers has tight specifications for the dealership buildings, for everything from floor materials to wall colors to the sign details.

"Audi is the most stringent, specifying even the angle of the lights in the showroom," says Perkins.

Zimbrick hired Kenneth F. Sullivan as the design/builder to blend the manufacturers' specs into a functional building on a difficult site.

Siting the building

Zimbrick was in two nondescript buildings on the north side of the Beltline at Rimrock for years; retrofitting wasn't feasible.

But the new site wasn't easy: Parts had to be raised 10 feet to be visible and functional.

Customers can see all four sides of the building, which posed the challenge of making the service docks attractive. Getting the building "sited" right is a mark of good architecture.

The extensive interior windows around the offices and workstations lets sales representatives see visitors both in the showroom and the lot. The transparency is both comforting and helpful.

Visibility of signs

"You can't have enough signs, and you can't be without signs even for a day," says Perkins.

Local codes dictate the size and location of signs in each zoning district. At Zimbrick, you can see the creative use of pylon signs (Mercedes) and building signs (Porsche and Audi).

You can also see the reinforcing sign and brand messages everywhere inside. Of course the best "signs" are the cars themselves. The author can report the mid-life temptations were intense.

Service bays

There's a 300-foot service corridor through the middle of building with windows from the customer areas and also into the service bays.

"This is all part of being fully transparent for our customers," says Perkins.

Zimbrick invested in an automated parts dispenser that allows the parts inventory to be on a mezzanine, invisible to customers and to provide speedy and clean service.

Detail in building

The luxury cars shine because of their attention to detail and that's also apparent in the building:

• The office doors have fingerprint-recognition locks.
• Waste oil is reused for heating.
• There's a play area with a windowed work station for busy parents.
• Starbucks coffee is served near the branded merchandise showcase.
• Enterprise has a counter in the service area (not for rentals, but to help them manage the loaner fleet).
• A high quality "clinker" tile paves the service lane floor for strength and maintainability.
• The staff-only locker and break rooms are nicely detailed, so all 65 employees are inspired to quality daily.

Lessons learned

Perkins reports that the new facility has had a "substantial" effect on sales success. "I wouldn't change a thing."

Every business sells something and the customer visit is essential to sales success.

Zimbrick European is a sophisticated, global example of the importance of a building's transparency, brand messaging, cleanliness, and attention to detail.

Derrick Van Mell is principal of Van Mell Associates, management consultants specializing in strategic facility decisions. Steve Steinhoff is executive director of the Neighborhood Design Center, helping communities become great places.