Who: Chris Fannin, general manager
Dealership: Fannin Lincoln-Mercury-Toyota-Scion, Ashland, Ky.
2005 sales: 1,100 new and used
Idea: Fannin moved the family dealership into a former big-box store and turned it into a destination, with a 1950s cafe, car museum, children's play area, shark tank and events center.
Quote: "You need good staff, unbelievable products, the right location and the ability to create a facility people will want to visit and use."
Chris Fannin knew it was time to move the family business. He had been eyeing a big-box store outside Ashland, Ky., that once housed a Lowe's home-improvement store. Moving from a cobbled-together, 47,000-square-foot dealership selling Lincoln, Mercury, Toyota and Scion vehicles into a site with a 140,000-square-foot potential seemed unrealistic. Yet intriguing.
