Butler County Ford continuing under #1 Cochran
Rob Cochran, owner of #1 Cochran, walked through the Butler County Ford
building Friday. The company officially acquired the building Wednesday.
Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle
On Wednesday, #1 Cochran announced that it acquired the business that
has operated on Main and Wayne streets for more than 100 years, Butler
County Ford.
Rob Cochran, CEO of #1 Cochran, said visitors to the dealership won’t
notice too much of a change when coming to shop, because 90 percent of
the people it employed made the transition to the new ownership. #1
Cochran owns more than 20 car dealerships around Western Pennsylvania.
“There is one core set of values, we really work hard to make sure
each of our showroom operations tie into our corporate culture, so we
have a consistent experience,” Cochran said. “Whether you are buying a
Nissan in Cranberry or you're buying a Ford in Butler, or you're
buying a Kia in Robinson Township — it's all a consistent focus and
creating the best customer experience.”
While the business is changing hands, the building housing the
dealership is still owned by Cathy Glasgow, who owned Butler County
Ford. Cochran said he plans to relocate the dealership in the coming
years, possibly to a space near the #1 Cochran Subaru dealership on
Route 68.
The move may not affect everyone looking to buy a new Ford, however,
because Cochran said the online sales market is growing all the time.
“We are in the process now where if people want to do a transaction
all online, we will honor that,” he said. “Our expressway, digital
interface, being able to buy vehicles online, transactions online —
it's all part of what we do.”
Cochran also said that although issues with material supply chains
have impacted other businesses, his dealerships have benefitted
because they always sell vehicles at a selected price.
“We look at market conditions every day and will adjust pricing up or
down based on market conditions and supply constraints,” he said. “We
are adamant that we won't sell any vehicle above manufacturer’s
suggested retail price.”
Cochran said he expects the dealership to continue its success, seeing
that the other #1 Cochran stores around the state have been doing well
for years.
“We like Butler, we like the area. We have the Subaru store up the
road and we have had a lot of success,” Cochran said. “We have enjoyed
growing in this market and we have actively looked for more brands.”
Rob Cochran is owner of #1 Cochran, which recently bought Butler Ford.
Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle
Workers put the finishing touches on the temporary Cochran Ford sign.
#1 Cochran recently bought and is taking over Butler Ford on Main
Street in Butler. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle
