Small car dealership marks 10 years

ST. CHARLES – Eric Chock started Prestige Imports, 333 N. Randall Road, St. Charles, 10 years ago with two employees and 20 cars for sale.

On Saturday, the company marked 10 years in business, now up to 140 used cars in inventory, a dozen full-time employes, and five years of doing car repairs. Prestige also takes vehicles on trade-in and buys them outright.

"It means a lot of hard work and a lot of support from friends and family and customers," Chock said Saturday during small party with cake and soda for family and friends.

"It's exciting to be celebrating 10 years," Chock, 41, said. "I remember vividly when we hit our one-year anniversary and my family and I went out to Gino's for pizza. And I was more excited about the fact that I didn't go out of business in my first year. Because I grew up in Batavia and my wife in St. Charles, and I didn't want to be the home-town guy that came back and his business failed in the first year. It's been exciting to last 10 years and through the recession."

A 1991 graduate from Batavia High School, Chock, his wife and three children live in St. Charles Township.

Prestige now sells all kinds of cars, not just imports and its repair business is for any make and model, except really high-end imports, Chock said. The company has also expanded, taking up more space in the building and expanding the lot area.

"We are getting close to maxing out our space," Chock said.

Chock recalled opening in February of 2005 and not selling a single car for 10 days in a row.

"My father-in-law had to come and put a Post-it note on my computer screen, saying, 'Smile,'" Chock said. "He goes, 'I can tell you're depressed and that you're worried. But if you do get a customer in here that's ready to buy a car, you have to fake a smile. So try to be positive.' I had to learn how to fake a smile."

Chock said his background was in accounting and finance and he worked as a financial analyst for an accounting company.

"I counted beans," Chock said. "This is a little more exciting and more fun."

The company has sold between 4,000 and 5,000 cars since then, Chock said.

And even during the Great Recession, Chock said Prestige never again went 10 days without selling a car.

"There were some scary times during the recession," Chock said. "But ... we were able to survive and still do pretty well, all things considered."