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World tensions mean business for Upstate dealership By Jenny Munro BUSINESS WRITER jmunro@greenvillenews.com On some cold future Afghan morning, U.S. troops may have Greenville's Tom Kassab to thank for getting their vehicles up and running.
He's supplying replacement parts for some of their HUMVEE ®s, the U.S. military's all-purpose, go-just-about-anywhere ground vehicles. And beginning this week, he's shipping the military a new type of glow plug to help the vehicles' diesel engines to start in cold weather. Not bad for a year-old company that grew out of a hobby. Kassab's Kascar sells and services HUMVEE ® military surplus vehicles and Hummer ®s, their civilian cousins. And while the company sold only about 30 in its first year, its main business is selling parts and accessories over the Internet. With escalation of hostilities in Afghanistan, more and more of the parts are being ordered by the military, he said. And more and more civilians are visiting the used vehicle lot at his new sales and service center near the Donaldson Air Industrial Park. "We're getting more calls on the vehicles plus the military has increased their parts ordering from us," Kassab said. The military introduced the HUMVEE ® in 1989 as a replacement for the venerable Jeep, but the squat, flat and massive vehicle didn't really capture the public's attention until two years later, during the Gulf War. Hummer ®s followed the HUMVEE ® — only with creature comforts like air conditioning, leather appointments and stereo sound systems. And price tags of $50,000 and up. Whether HUMVEE ® or Hummer ®, "it's is a very patriotic vehicle," Kassab said. "You see them on the news. There are two HUMVEE ®s parked at the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport," he said. "When you see this vehicle, that's America." Big and heavy, with its military connotation, "it make people feel safe," Kassab said. "The size is intimidating." The business began as a hobby, Kassab said. He bought a Hummer ® and had fun with it. Then he bought a few military models. As people in the area found out about his interest, they turned to him for parts, and it eventually became a business. With a background in car remodeling and restaurant equipment sales, Kassab knew Opportunity when it knocked. "I looked at this market. There was a void here," he said. "There was not a single company that handled both civilian and military vehicles." That wasn't too surprising since there were very few surplus military vehicles in private hands. Civilians can't just go and buy a HUMVEE ® directly, he said. However, he found a company that traded goods and services to the military for surplus HUMVEE ®s. Kassab said he also buys Hummer ®s from individuals, then refurbishes them for resale. Surplus military and used HUMVEE ®s start about $19,900 and go up to about $29,900, while Hummer ®s, used and new, command prices from about $30,000 to $112,000, he said. Kassab established Kascar in Greenville because he was already established in the area selling restaurant equipment, but the location is prime because of central location to Southeastern military bases, Interstate 85 and the mountains.
About 99 percent of his business is from outside South Carolina, and "we get calls from all the government agencies," he said. Police departments in Rock Hill, Goose Creek and Gastonia, N.C., all have HUMVEE ®s, and the U.S. Secret Service uses one as an ambulance. Kassab said Kascar and a German company decided that the glow plugs that came standard on diesel-equipped vehicles could stand a lot of improvement. So, they improved it. The originals, he said, swelled with use, making it necessary to replace them often. And making them hard to remove without breaking. The partners developed a glow plug that didn't swell up and that lasted two to three times longer than the originals, Kassab said. But there is more. Kassab said he works with Raytheon Corp. to retrofit some HUMVEE ®s with rooftop antennae that will allow them to be used to guide and monitor Raytheon-built Patriot missiles. Previously, the antennae were installed only on vehicles too large to be airlifted to a battlefield or remote location. Not so with the HUMVEE ®, which can be carried by plane or helicopter, Kassab said. Kascar is also developing a spare-tire carrier, something that HUMVEE ®s don't have now, he said. "We want to be a total solutions provider in the Hummer ®-HUMVEE ® market," Kassab said. While his customer base may be small, its members are very enthusiastic about their vehicles and about Kascar. Guy Smalley, who owns a bed and breakfast in Waynesville, N.C., said he bought his vehicle, a Hummer ® that looks like "a pickup-version of a HUMVEE ®," as a work truck. But it doubles for light off-roading. But best of all, Smalley said, is it has proved to be a great promotional vehicle for his Mountain Creek Bed and Breakfast. "I cannot go to a gas station without people coming over and talking about it." In the last couple of weeks, he said, it's been bringing even more attention. "I have some people saluting me when I go to town," he said. Steve Holsinger, owner of Semper Fi Plumbing in Hendersonville, N.C., said he was introduced to HUMVEE ®s in the military and is happy to be able to drive one in civilian life.
"I'm a former Marine, and I'm a plumbing contractor," he said. "I knew this vehicle. I bought it because of its ability to get anywhere. It fills a need for me." Holsinger said he chose the military version because "I can throw whatever in it. It's a more rugged vehicle." Smalley said he found out about Kascar and Kassab only through the Internet, but he recommends them to his bed-and-breakfast guests. "He's not your typical car salesman. He really stands behind his work," Smalley said. Holsinger agreed. "Tom's very helpful. He's willing to take care of any problems. He stands behind everything he sells," he said. So far, his vehicle has needed nothing more than routine maintenance, Holsinger said. If he is a good businessman, Kassab said, he owes it to his upbringing. "My father always told me, 'Be different. Give the customer something he needs,'" Kassab said. |
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