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By Jill Nagy
Dan Marchese, co-owner of Marchese Ford of Mechanicville, may be the new guy in town, but he is an old hand at the automobile business.
The Marchese brothers, Dan and Joe Jr., were long-time owners of J&J Auto Sales, a used car dealership in Troy founded in 1956. They purchased the former Jack Byrne Ford dealership at 1003 Hudson River Road in Mechanicville in November.
Dan Marchese said they kept most of the Jack Byrne staff and brought the J&J staff from Troy to Mechanicville. Their used car operation was closed. They also own Goewey Ford in New Lebanon, N.Y., which they are keeping.
In Mechanicville, they increased inventory, service capacity and advertising, Marchese said. Otherwise, they did not make changes.
“The facility is fantastic,” he said, and, so far, business has been very good.
One change coming soon will be the arrival of the Mustang Mach-E, an all-electric car. The car is a four-door hatchback, larger than the Ford Escape and smaller than the Ford Explorer. Its only resemblance to sportier past Mustangs is the pony logo on the back. In fact, according to Marchese, “It is a totally different concept for Ford.”
He predicted a small but growing market for the electric Ford, which will sell in the $40-50,000 range. He noted that electric cars now comprise about 3 percent of the automobile market but thinks that market share will “incrementally grow over the next decade or so.”
In the meantime, he expects the new Mustang Mach-E to attract people to his showroom even if they are not yet ready to abandon the internal combustion engine.
Big sellers now are the Ford Escape and Edge and the F150 pick-up truck, he said.
The purchase of the Byrne dealership was “a very friendly acquisition,” Marchese said.
Jack Byrne Sr. comes in frequently, as do some of his old clientele. Byrne started selling cars 55 years ago.
“Jack Sr. keeps his desk for life,” Marchese said of the popular local businessman. And his son, Jack Jr., also has a desk, as controller of the new company.
Marchese’s son Nick is also part of the new business as a manager.
The telephone number for Marchese Ford of Mechanicville is 518 664-9841.