Obi Okeke is the co-owner of American based
prestige car dealership, Fusion Luxury Motors. His
clientele list includes Floyd Mayweather, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, Britney Spears and the likes. He
speaks with Doyin Adeoye in this interview on his
foray into being a celebrity car dealer, among other
issues. Excerpts.
How I carved a niche for myself
I would say it is the result of me following my
passion for cars. I’ve always stayed true to myself in
the automotive industry and it has always paid off.
My focus was always to learn, and try to be the best. I
always knew what I wanted, but did not know exactly
how to get there. So after years of trial and error
here I am. I’ve always appreciated every opportunity
that came my way.
Foray into being a car enthusiast
The journey began when I was only four years old. I
remember being very intrigued with automobiles
while in Nigeria. My father at that time had a classic
American car in Enugu, Nigeria, and he would take us
for a ride in it on Sundays.
So when the Nigerian Civil War broke out, my mother
took us out of Nigeria; we were five children at that
time. My father, being a Nigerian, had to stay and
fight in the war. So my mother, my sisters, brothers
and I arrived in the USA as refugees.
My mother worked in a hospital in Ohio as a
dietician, with the responsibility of taking care of five
children. And it was during that period that my love
for cars continued to grow. Since my mother worked
so hard and so many hours at the hospital, we really
could not go out on our own as little children, so I
remember sitting at the front window of our house
watching the cars go by. I just liked to watch cars.
So the combination of being exposed to cars in
Nigeria, Switzerland and the USA acted as a catalyst
that propelled my love of the automobile. At age 15,
I knew that the car business would be my future.
Taking up car business as a career
I started the car business at age 23, and got into it
full time at the age of 25 when I felt it was time for
me to forge forward with 100 per cent commitment
in the automobile business. The influencing factor
was that I needed a job, and I felt the time was now.
Brand of cars I’ve dealt in and how the chain has
changed over the years
The first automobile brand that I started with was
Chevrolet. I have dealt in Volkswagen, Lexus, BMW,
Mercedes-Benz, Maserati and Ferrari, Lamborghini,
Rolls-Royce, Bugatti, Bentley, Aston Martin, etc.
The car business has changed a lot over the years.
Buyers today more educated due to the internet.
There is a plethora of information available for the
public to access, but not all of it is accurate when it
comes to some of the exotic cars, super cars, hyper
cars, and muscle cars that we carry.
The level of service and client attention has
diminished over the years. A client who spends $3
million expects to be treated differently from a
client that spends $300, 000. Most of the time, the
level of service is below their expectation.
Growing into a celebrity car dealer
I did not focus on being a celebrity dealer when I
started; I focused on being the best dealer in taking
care of the clients’ needs, from sales to service. I
love cars and I love people, but most importantly, I
am willing to work harder than the next guy to satisfy
a client. If I need to be in Miami, Abu Dhabi, Milan
Italy, New York, Tokyo, Dallas Texas, I will be there.
So some clients call me to refer them to a High End
Resort in Las Vegas that may be sold out, or to help
them get into a five star restaurant. It's more than
just selling cars. It's establishing a relationship.
Whatever it takes, I am ready.
My big break came when I got a call from Arnold
Schwarzenegger. From there, I joined a Ferrari/
Maserati dealership and kept going until I opened
Fusion Luxury Motors with my partner.
Passion keeps Fusion Luxury Motors going
Fusion Luxury Motors has been in business since
2012 and I can say that passion and hard work are
what keeps it going. We all love what we do.
How I met Floyd Mayweather
I met Floyd Mayweather for the first time back in
2008/2009, when I managed a Ferrari / Maserati
dealership. So when I opened Fusion Luxury Motors,
a business associate brought him to Fusion Luxury
Motors in 2013 when we were just over a year old.
Transacting business with Mayweather
The first car I sold to Floyd was a 2013 Rolls-Royce
“Phantom Drophead.” The Drophead is what I call an
"Exclusive Propulsion Machine." It is quieter than a
house. So Floyd came into Fusion Luxury Motors and
said “Obi, is this your place?” I said “yes Floyd.” He
then said “Obi, I am going to support you.”
I will never forget that day. We are a small company
trying to accomplish big things, and we got a big
boost from the richest athlete in the world. I just
thank God for all his blessings.
Total cars I’ve sold to Floyd
We have transacted with Floyd Mayweather 39 cars.
Why I organised the car rally, ‘Mayweather Unlimited’
ahead of the Mayweather/Pacquiao f
No comments:
Post a Comment