Lindsay Karlin has moved locations, and is now operating out of Relia Tech on Maple Avenue with Karlin's Auto Sales, which opened this past January.
Karlin, who had worked for a different local dealership for 29 years, leased the sales side of the Relia Tech from John McEachron, the new owner of the business.
“It’s been really good,” Karlin said. “Hundreds of my previous customers have reached out to me.”
He added “Customers like the low pressure, relaxed atmosphere that the person they start with is going to be the person they end with.”
McEachron, a volunteer Captain firefighter, councilman and technician for Relia Tech for the past 20 years, bought the business from John Lant, the owner for over 50 years who was retiring.
“I don’t have the time to do both, sell and fix the cars,” McEachron said. “I contacted Lindsay and Bill because they were old friends of mine.”
Bill Arpey, Karlin’s colleague in sales with over 30 years of sales experience, handles the legal and finance side of the business.
“Bill came out of retirement to help me,” Karlin said. “He handles all of our paperwork, motor vehicles, he deals with our banks, and he does all of the title and paperwork.”
Both Arpey and Karlin do everything they can to accommodate their customers. Karlin talked about how one of his customers only lives in Saratoga seasonally, and otherwise is from Denmark, and how Arpey hand delivered a car to Massachusetts a week ago.
“They kind of remind me of John [Lant], in a lot of their values.” McEachron said. “It’s all about the community and the people.”
“This is a quieter pace,” Karlin said. “I thought there was a nice need for a hometown, instead of a big dealership they’re just dealing with me and my colleague, that’s it.”
