Today we’d like to introduce you to Roy Podolin.
Roy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My passion for classic cars started when I was about 12 years old. My father would buy the Sunday paper on Saturday night and ask me to go through the classifieds and circle cars that looked interesting. He would call the ones he thought looked good and we would go check out the good ones together. He enjoyed having something fun in the garage for sunny weekend drives and we would keep them for a few years and then sell them to find another. We also attended a few car shows together each summer where he shared his love of cars with me and would point out the different cars he owned when he was younger.
When I turned 16, I began the search for my first car, combing the classifieds, Auto Trader, and Hemmings. I eventually found a nice 1966 Ford Mustang Coupe for $2500 that I bought with the money I saved up working as a busboy. About 18 months later I sold the Mustang for $4000 and ran into my house telling my Dad how much money made. My next car was another 1966 Mustang that I again sold for a profit when I was in college.
After college, I got a more practical car and worked in the retail industry for Foot Locker, running stores and then working in their Marketing Department in New York City. The Corporate life was not for me and I realized I needed to own my own business. I had played quite a bit of competitive tennis as a kid, so I purchased a Tennis Shop near our home in New Jersey which seemed like a good fit for me. I eventually opened 4 more stores working 6-7 day work weeks. I enjoyed it, but after my wife and I had our 3rd daughter, I decided it was time for me to make a change.
While on a business trip in the Atlanta area, I did a little exploring and was so impressed with the real estate values and sense of community in the Alpharetta area, that I told my wife to start packing. Sure enough, less than 2 months later, we were living in our new home in Alpharetta. When I turned 40, I decided it was time to buy a fun classic car and began my search just as I had when I was a kid. With eBay and other internet sites getting popular, I had a blast searching late at night when the kids were asleep. I located a 1969 Chevelle SS, 4-speed car in Miami, FL and I was headed there on business so I set up a time to check it out. I bought it and had it transported back to Georgia.
For about 18 months I had a blast in that car, taking the kids to their soccer practices, picking them up from school in the “cool car,” or just going for drives on a sunny day.
About 18 months later, I sold the Chevelle for a decent profit, and the feeling I had as a kid when I made money selling my first car, ran through my veins. I began buying and selling classic cars as a hobby for the next few years while I was working a sales rep in the tennis industry. I was doing really well and discovered that my passion truly was in buying and selling classic cars. I loved the search and negotiation on the buy side, along with the marketing and promotion on the sale side. One night I told my wife that this is what my next business was going to be, so I began working on the business plan.
Shortly thereafter, Cloud 9 Classics was launched. I started off leasing a small space on Mcfarland Parkway in Alpharetta that was attached to a Mercedes Repair shop. The business grew fairly rapidly and I expanded by sub-leasing some additional space at the Mercedes location. A few years later, I decided I needed a larger space and began looking for a possible building to buy rather than rent. The timing was perfect as the landlord at the Mercedes location decided he was ready to sell the property. I bought the property and acquired the full 10,000 square feet which was ideal for what I needed. The property also has a separate building with a large parking area that I lease out to a used car dealer.
I have been a classic car dealer for 8 years now and have bought and sold some amazing cars, meeting some amazing people along the way. Thanks to the internet, roughly 90 percent of my inventory gets sold to customers sight unseen who put their trust in me to help them “Drive the Dream.” We have shipped cars to customers in Dubai, Australia, the United Kingdom and all over Europe. I have also enjoyed having customers from around the US fly or drive to my showroom to see and drive their dream cars. I truly love what I do!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Overall I have to say the growth of the business has gone quite smoothly over the years, however, I did encounter one struggle that I learned a great deal from. When I launched the business I thought it made sense to bring on a partner rather than hire employees. I had a good friend who was also looking for a business to get in to and he had automotive industry experience.
Unfortunately, the partnership did not work out and it destroyed our friendship as well.
As difficult as it was, I do not regret the decision and have never looked back. My wife has gotten involved in the business and has been an amazing asset, not to mention my partner for life. This business is truly my passion and as an entrepreneur who is doing what he loves I look forward to continuing to grow the business for years to come.
Please tell us about Cloud 9 Classics.
Cloud 9 Classics is a classic car dealership that sells everything from early Ford Model A’s to Hot Rods, muscle cars and trucks, classics of all types, imports, and some modern specialty cars and trucks. We typically own most of our inventory but also take select, high-quality cars on consignment from local owners who need our expertise to help find a new home for their car. We focus on high-quality cars and trucks that are ready to drive and enjoy and will be welcome at any local car show or cruise in. While we have had some cars that would be considered “trailer queens”, we hope that our customers will drive and enjoy their purchase and build memories that will last a lifetime. Our top sellers are the Early Ford Broncos, Classic Ford Mustangs, and a variety of classic trucks from the 40’s to the 70’s.
I personally buy each car and spend extensive hours searching for cars, speaking with the owners and negotiating the deal. I usually buy a car from private owners from around the country who have owned their classic for quite a while which enables me to know quite a bit of the cars history. We go through each car that we buy and do any work needed to make sure the car looks great and drives as good as it looks. Occasionally we do find some great cars that need some restoration and we handle much of that in-house but have some great vendors who handle paint and bodywork when needed. I also handle the entire marketing and sales process and when someone calls Cloud 9 Classics whether it is 9 am or midnight they will talk to me and get honest answers to any question they have.
I provide extensive photo tours of the cars as well as videos on our website so buyers who cannot come to see the cars in person can see everything needed to make a smart buying decision. I love to market these cars and put my heart and soul into each writes up knowing that this can be an emotional purchase.
I believe that what sets Cloud 9 Classics apart is my extensive retail background and belief that customer service truly is the key to success. I follow up with customers after the sale and most of the time receive pictures of them with their cars and testimonials from them of their buying experience which we post on our website. I have actually bought back quite a few of the cars I have sold over the years as my customers will decide they are ready for a new toy or perhaps just need the money for other obligations. These old cars can truly provide some amazing memories and great times and I love knowing that I am part of that process.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
There was one car that my Dad bought that stands out from my childhood. It was a 1976 VW Beetle Convertible that had just 4000 miles on it. This was back in 1980 I believe and I had found it in the local classifieds on a Saturday morning. I was playing in a tennis tournament that morning but I was so excited by the car which was priced pretty low that I told my dad to drop me off to play my match and go and see the car before someone else got there and bought it. He did and he bought the car that day.
Soon after that, before I had my drivers license I decided I wanted to drive that VW Beetle even though I had never driven a manual shift car and even though my parents were not home and would never approve. I remember getting it out of the driveway and getting to a stop sign that was on a slight hill. I looked in the rearview mirror and sure enough, there was a police car behind me. Somehow I managed to not stall out on the hill and drove straight home with my heart beating like crazy with the thought that the cop was going to pull me over.
Needless to say, my dad sold that car a few years later and made a nice little profit!
Contact Info:
- Address: 824 McFarland Parkway, Alpharetta GA 30004
- Website: www.cloud9classics.com
- Phone: 770-359-8400
- Email: roy@cloud9classics.com
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