Where When How Summer 2012 : Page 42

I S L A N D S U C C E S S S T O RY Grace Bay Car Rentals and Automotive Arts “A Value for Money Company” WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO PROVIDEN-CIALES, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, TAXIS WERE A RARITY AT THE AIRPORT, ESPE-CIALLY ON THE LAST FLIGHT IN FROM MIAMI. That’s how I happened to be stand-ing on the sidewalk with everything I owned in the world, when I met Reed Hartley. Reed happened to be at the airpor t when I ar-rived, he also happened to be driving a van! Hopping into an unmarked van with a stranger isn’t usually the smar test thing to do, but in this instance, it worked out for the best. Although Reed was living in Japan at the time and only on Providenciales for a brief visit, during our short drive to Grace Bay, he told me he was (and is) a business partner of Todd Foss. Together with a third partner, Todd and Reed run what is now the largest automobile rental business in the islands, as well as a recently opened service centre and auto par ts store. Grace Bay Car Rentals maintains their original location in the heart of the tourist centre in Grace Bay, and the company’s brand new building on Leeward Highway houses a second location for Grace Bay Car Rentals as well as Automotive Arts’ service bays, body shop and parts store. Todd and Reed have been friends since they met in grade nine, ever so appropriately, in shop class. “His mom and dad owned a big shop,” Todd says, “So I can remember being in shop class with him, because I didn’t know anything.” Grace Bay Car Rentals began with an initial shipment of 13 cars from Japan, Reed says, “We sold two to pay a few bills,” A few weeks later 27 more cars followed, and a few more sales were made. “We probably started with 30-33 rental cars. We planned to grow in increments of 50 a year. 250 cars was our five-year goal. We achieved that.” Todd adds, “It was good tim-ing, the amount of business we did with con-struct companies, long term rentals and car sales, that all helped. The boom really helped us out.” The business has continually proved itself, though, even in the leaner times of the recent years, “We’re a ‘value for money’ company. When we arrived, there were ten resorts charging 800-900 a night. Now there are 30 re-sorts, better rates, and the tourists appreciate good value. Whether we are smart or lucky, it’s worked out for us.” Grace Bay Car Rentals has continued to expand and evolve, and the par tners even-tually accepted an oppor tunity to take on another business, a Thrifty’s Car Rental fran-chise. Then, last year the company expanded into their brand new location on Leeward ~ STORY BY KATHRYN FOX ~ 42 • • • • • SUMMER 2012 “Where When How -Turks & Caicos Islands”

Island Success Story

Kathryn Fox

Grace Bay Car Rentals and Automotive Arts “A Value for Money Company” WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO PROVIDENCIALES, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, TAXIS WERE A RARITY AT THE AIRPORT, ESPECIALLY ON THE LAST FLIGHT IN FROM MIAMI. That’s how I happened to be standing on the sidewalk with everything I owned in the world, when I met Reed Hartley. Reed happened to be at the airport when I arrived, he also happened to be driving a van! Hopping into an unmarked van with a stranger isn’t usually the smartest thing to do, but in this instance, it worked out for the best. Although Reed was living in Japan at the time and only on Providenciales for a brief visit, during our short drive to Grace Bay, he told me he was (and is) a business partner of Todd Foss. Together with a third partner, Todd and Reed run what is now the largest automobile rental business in the islands, as well as a recently opened service centre and auto par ts store. Grace Bay Car Rentals maintains their original location in the heart of the tourist centre in Grace Bay, and the company’s brand new building on Leeward Highway houses a second location for Grace Bay Car Rentals as well as Automotive Arts’ service bays, body shop and parts store. Todd and Reed have been friends since they met in grade nine, ever so appropriately, in shop class. “His mom and dad owned a big shop,” Todd says, “So I can remember being in shop class with him, because I didn’t know anything.” Grace Bay Car Rentals began with an initial shipment of 13 cars from Japan, Reed says, “We sold two to pay a few bills,” A few weeks later 27 more cars followed, and a few more sales were made. “We probably started with 30-33 rental cars. We planned to grow in increments of 50 a year. 250 cars was our five-year goal. We achieved that.” Todd adds, “It was good timing, the amount of business we did with construct companies, long term rentals and car sales, that all helped. The boom really helped us out.” The business has continually proved itself, though, even in the leaner times of the recent years, “We’re a ‘value for money’ company. When we arrived, there were ten resorts charging 800-900 a night. Now there are 30 resorts, better rates, and the tourists appreciate good value. Whether we are smart or lucky, it’s worked out for us.” Grace Bay Car Rentals has continued to expand and evolve, and the partners eventually accepted an opportunity to take on another business, a Thrifty’s Car Rental franchise. Then, last year the company expanded into their brand new location on Leeward Highway adding a multi-bay service department, automotive body shop, and par ts store to the list. Including casual staff, the various businesses under the Grace Bay Car Rentals umbrella now employ more than 40 people. When it came time to hire for Automotive Ar ts, the team showed their commitment to the islands, “We had 186 applicants, 60 wrote the exam, 25 got interviews and we hired all Belongers.” This is no surprise, Grace Bay Car Rentals has always been community minded. Heavily involved with the Salvation Army, where Todd serves as Chair of the advisory board, they also contribute to Soccer, Hockey, the Youth Centre and Children’s Home, “We tend to focus on the youth if we can.” He says, “In a situation where there’s no corporate tax, I think it’s every corporation’s responsibility to give something back to the community.” Reed echoes this sentiment. Another goal is to eventually offer a certified course in Automotive Technology, “Once operating,” Todd explains, “We would have two to three Belonger students each year from a local high school come and take classes in the morning and receive work experience in the afternoon. When asked about the future of the business, the two are optimistic, “I think that, sitting in this building today, a couple guys who met in grade 9 did this together. So I think we want the same thing to continue. We hope that someday there will be a new airport terminal, and that will mean new flights and new customers. We hope to continue to grow and share the results of our hard work with the island and our employees.” RIGHT HAND DRIVE VS. LEFT HAND DRIVE: Todd, “My speech is, and it always holds true, in 15 minutes you’ll feel totally comfortable. The worst thing that will happen is you’re going to turn the windshield wipers on every time you signal.” Grace Bay Car Rentals has the largest fleet of vehicles and the lowest accident rate. In their first four years, the company had just four accidents, a fact Todd attributes to the company’s right-hand drive vehicles, “When we went to renew our insurance, they dropped it $25, 000 dollars.”

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