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By Susan Elise Campbell
Greg Goldstein opened the doors of GT Toyz Motor Sports and Marine four years ago and is already expanding the full-service dealership to keep up with growing and shifting demand for motorcycles, motorboats, all terrain vehicles, and other sporty equipment like jet skis and snowmobiles.
All permits are in place and ground-breaking is soon to begin on an expansion that will increase parking space and showroom space for the business at 1537 Route 9 in Halfmoon, and continue to accommodate administrative offices and a growing service department.
There is 7,500 square feet of space now, and Goldstein said he is “trying to figure out how to reconfigure” optimally the property that the business purchased five years ago. He said he is filling in a ravine for parking and wants to consolidate boat storage, which overflow is now across the street and at another rental location.
Goldstein credits the growth of GT Toyz to his retail background selling automobiles for his father, Alan Goldstein of Goldstein Auto Group, a career training that developed an attitude he believes other dealership owners do not have.
“A retail background gives you the mentality of doing what is right for customers and treating them the way you like to be treated,” said Goldstein. “So we try to hire good people with similar values.”
He said his business is as challenged as any other by finding and retaining a competent staff.
“Your staff is your biggest asset or liability,” he said.
Much of the company’s growth is coming from “selling gaps in the industries,” he said. “For example, we were in the pontoon business only, but saw a need for adding manufacturers of fiberglass boats and fishing boats. Also with motor sports, we added Kawasaki to fill a gap in that market.”
He said in the car world, manufacturers have long-standing standards for handling customer relationships, and “the motor sports industry is just stepping into that.”
The company philosophy is resulting in healthy boat sales, he noted.
“The last few years we have sold a lot of boats to first-time buyers,” Goldstein said. “If the buyer is uncomfortable, I tell them I will take them out the first day, whether it’s two hours or all day, whatever it takes.”
To further differentiate GT Toyz from the competition, Goldstein has offered a lifetime engine warranty on motor sports over the 2022-2023 season, which includes motorcycles, scooters, utility vehicles, dune buggies and ATVs.
This year has been “hot to cold, season to season,” according to Goldstein. But his business is well-diversified with 18 different manufacturers represented.
Early on he sold used high-performance automobiles, but “now half our sales are motor sports and we sell a few cars,” he said. “But it is a market to be had.”
Visit gttoyz.com for inventory, financing information, job opportunities, and more.