GOLDENS BRIDGE, N.Y
For Tom Maoli, the success of his chain of luxury car dealerships can be explained in one simple word: "hospitality."
"It's all about taking care of people," he said. "It's about relationships and it's about networking. People want to be treated with respect, whether they're buying something or they're not buying something."
Maoli, an award-winning New Jersey entrepreneur, real-estate developer, radio host and the CEO of Celebrity Motor Car company, is continuing his commitment to hospitality at Mercedes-Benz of Goldens Bridge. Maoli, who also owns Lexus, BMW and Maserati/Alfa Romeo dealerships in New Jersey, took over the dealership in March 2017 when the previous owner's dealership agreement with Mercedes was terminated in November. Maoli says he's excited about bringing the Celebrity Motor brand to Goldens Bridge. While he feels the original owner, Charles Buonanno, who operated the dealership since its inception more 30 years ago, was reputable and ran a great operation, Maoli noted that the owners who followed were far less accommodating.
"Customers have not been treated well in the past and we're changing that and turning that around little by little," he said. "The growth in sales is showing already, as is the growth in service."
The next phase of Maoli's revitalization plan for the Goldens Bridge location is the construction of a whole new facility on the property. "It's going to be a state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz facility," he says. "It's going to be one of the most prestigious and best Mercedes-Benz facilities in the country. The entire front wall is going to be a glass showroom that you'll be able to see from miles down the highway." Maoli jokes, "If you slow down enough while you are driving on highway 684, you can order your car."
The location on Interstate 684 is prime real-estate, Maoli says, "location, location, location," and given that more than 125,000 cars traverse the road each day. And, he says, the location is also a perfect match for Mercedes-Benz because of the prevalent wealth in northern Westchester.
"The area is one of the wealthiest areas in the country, and the wealthiest county in New York," he says. "The demographics there are just unbelievable. It's a wealth belt and the home of the star-studded, who's who of society. Ralph Lauren was in our store two weeks ago. Bill Gates just bought property in Westchester. The Clintons, Glen Close, Phil Ramone, Tommy Mottola, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Kate and Rooney Mara, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, Martha Stewart, Mary Kennedy, Mary Blige, Steven Tyler, Vanessa Williams, Chevy Chase-the list goes on and on, including our commander in chief, President Donald Trump. It's an amazing area; in fact, the wealthiest county in New York, and what better brand to be there than Mercedes-Benz."
In addition to his business ventures, Maoli hosts "Go Big or Go Home," a radio show that airs on iHeartRadio every other Sunday.
"My radio show is for entrepreneurs who want to get out there and start their own businesses," he says. "They have ideas and they don't know how to launch them. So, the show talks about how to invest in real estate, how to do deals and how to get things. And we talk a lot about the car business; we have a lot of conversations about the car business and what goes on at Goldens Bridge Mercedes-Benz and all my other dealerships."
If you aren't able to catch his Sunday show, don't worry. iHeart also carries "The Maoli Minute," a quick shot of daily business tips that airs during the morning drive and again during afternoon drive. "The show is about what's going on in the stock market, what's happening in the world, interest rates, people's investments," he says. "And it's also about what's going on in Washington, because clearly Washington has a big effect on what's going on in the world." For Maoli, hospitality is more than just a buzzword and more than just something he alone champions.
"It's not just about me, it's a team," he says. "That's what we do. That's the success of Celebrity Motor Car Company. We don't want to say 'no' to a customer. We want to figure out how to make their life easier, more pleasurable and get them what they need and what they want. And, because of that, I think this Mercedes-Benz store is primed to be one of the premier Mercedes-Benz stores in the country. It's a business of reputation," he says. "And without your reputation, you have nothing. But we're building the reputation of the brand back, we're building the reputation of the store back. People are coming back. They're starting to realize that they can get a deal at Mercedes-Benz of Goldens Bridge, New York, and we'll service them (the cars) and that they're going to be treated properly and with respect, like a Mercedes-Benz customer should be."
