It has no horsepower, no hybrid motor, no performance-boosting or gas-saving technology.
But new to the Denver Auto Show this year is something even more telling about the state of the car and truck industry: a job fair.
The long-suffering auto sector is suffering no more. Sales are up sharply over the past year. Along with the sales increase is a need to rebuild staffing at Colorado dealerships.
“All of my sales managers are calling me, saying we need to hire some people,” said Tracy Parent, human-resources manager at Schomp Automotive.
Schomp is seeking to increase its 480-employee workforce by about 30, Parent said, spread among sales, service, parts and front-office jobs.
While some of the hiring has resulted from normal turnover, she estimates that about 75 percent of the need stems from an increase in car sales as customers finally return to showrooms after years of declining purchases.
Tim Jackson, president of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association, said dealers decided this year for the first time to hold a “career fair” at the Denver Auto Show, which runs Wednesday through next Sunday at the Colorado Convention Center.
A handful of dealers will pay daily rates ranging from $245 to $1,100 to rent booths at the show for soliciting job applications. Their need is reflected in sales totals.
New-vehicle registrations in Colorado rose 15.5 percent in 2011 from 2010, according to the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association. That marks the second consecutive year of increases.
Still, the 130,179 registrations in 2011 is a huge decline from the all-time high of 207,836 in 2000.
Sales began falling each year after 2000, analysts say, largely because improved new-car quality and reliability has allowed owners to hang onto their vehicles longer before replacing them.
Auto sales then dropped even more sharply in 2008 and 2009 as the recession kept buyers on the sidelines.
Dealers and analysts now are seeing pent-up demand from buyers who are cautiously optimistic about improving economic conditions.
Industry analyst in a recent report said a key indicator of the recovery is that with the exception of the Cash for Clunkers period in 2009, the average age of trade-in vehicles is now the oldest on record, suggesting that consumers who were holding out through the recession are returning to showrooms.
“Overall, it’s really looking positive,” said Don Hicks, president and chief executive of Shortline Auto Group. “The dark days of ’08 and ’09 are behind us. 2010 was a nice year, 2011 was better year, and 2012 has come out of the chute just on fire.”
New- and used-car sales at Shortline’s five Colorado franchises in February were 353, up 28 percent from the same month in 2008.
During the same period, Shortline has increased staffing from 113 to 151. But more employees still are needed.
“When you come in on a Saturday, it’s hard to find a salesman without a customer, or maybe two customers,” Hicks said.
The Ed Bozarth dealership will have a job-fair booth at the auto show.
“We believe the market is up substantially this year, and we believe we need to hire,” co-owner Kent Bozarth said.
He said new-car sales at the Bozarth Chevrolet dealership in Park Meadows are up 23.3 percent for the first two months of 2012 compared with the same period last year.
Pro Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram has increased staffing from a low of 56 in 2009 to 83 today,
said president John Schenden. He won’t be hiring at the auto show, but Schenden foresees moderate, sustainable growth in the industry.
“I think we’ll see a gradual increase in sales,” he said. “I’d rather see that than a spike and a decline and another spike and decline.”
A newly issued report by the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association shows that 17,080 people are employed in auto dealerships in Colorado, plus another 9,720 secondary jobs to support the industry. The total of 26,800 represents 1.1 percent of the state’s total workforce.
Steve Raabe: 303-954-1948, sraabe@denverpost.com
