Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Rockwell, North Carolina, is a small town off US-52, about halfway between Charlotte and Greensboro. Since 1970, Bost Tune-Up and Brake Service has been known to Rockwell residents for its outstanding car and truck service. In 1982, however, the Bost name would begin to stand for much more than cars and trucks alone: That’s when owner/manager Ken Bost discovered an impressive amphibious off-road machine in a trade paper article. The rest, as they say, is history. Starting that year, Bost Tune-Up added ‘Argo ATV’ to its name and became an official ARGO retailer in North Carolina.

Today, Ken Bost sells around 35 amphibious ARGOs and CENTAURs a year. His customers are outdoor enthusiasts, hunters, utility companies and city departments across North Carolina. “Thanks to our experience in the automotive field,” says Ken, “we can offer our ARGO and CENTAUR customers everything that may be necessary by way of service, right down to rebuilding the transmission.”

Ken remembers most of his customers by name, such as Dave Newton of CP&L, a large utility company in this part of the US (featured in a recent CENTAUR customer profile).  He doesn’t get to see them often enough, though, because, “the ARGO and CENTAUR are such dependable pieces of equipment,” he says. “That’s why we decided to go with this product in the first place, because we wanted something that would promote and build on our existing auto repair business.”

To keep old customer relationships strong – and to forge new ones – Ken Bost attends about 15 trade shows a year, and advertises in local and state-wide publications for hunters and fishermen. He is proud of his dealership and service departments, which he thinks offer a unique retail experience that can only come from years of experience. “I think it will be difficult to find another dealer that has handled the ARGO for over 20 years, and also provides full service on the vehicle,” says Ken.