CarMax to open Huntsville dealership next year

Construction work begins on 9-acre site on University

CarMax Inc., the nation's largest retailer of used cars, has begun construction on a Huntsville location that's expected to open in 2008.

Workers have begun grading the 9-acre-plus site for the CarMax superstore at 6364 University Drive.

The business will be on the north side of University near the top of the hill beside TNT Fireworks, across from the Westside Centre shopping center.

The city annexed the tract several months ago; the fireworks business remains in the county.

Richmond, Va.-based CarMax joins several other car dealerships along the western stretch of U.S. 72. It will be the second CarMax in Alabama; the other is in Birmingham.

Jeff Sikes, who has franchise dealerships for new Audi, Volkswagen and Mazda vehicles and also sells used cars, welcomes the nearby CarMax store. He said it will attract potential car buyers to that area from all over North Alabama.

CarMax is "a real big operator and does a lot of advertising," Sikes said. "It's been proven time and time again that wherever (CarMax) locates, it brings in additional traffic to any nearby dealership."

The 35,965-square-foot CarMax is expected to create 60 to 75 jobs.

"We are looking forward to providing people in the Huntsville area with a CarMax that provides a no-hassle, no-haggle car buying experience that goes above and beyond their expectations for exceptional customer service," Tom Folliard, president and CEO of CarMax, said in a company news release.

According to the release, CarMax guarantees the quality of the cars sold and provides a clean title and accurate odometer readings on its cars. All vehicles are thoroughly inspected and reconditioned. CarMax offers a five-day, money-back guarantee and a 30-day warranty.

CarMax, a publicly traded company spun off from Circuit City Stores Inc. in 2002, operates 83 used-car superstores in 38 markets.