Car dealership chain CarMax hiring 600 workers for its stores

CarMax hiring 600 workers for its stores

RICHMOND, Va. — Car dealership chain CarMax Inc. said Friday it plans to hire at least 600 people for its stores across the country.

The positions are part of the company’s usual hiring each year to prepare for the spring and summer car buying season, CEO Tom Folliard said in a news release.

The company, based in Richmond, said a majority of the full- and part-time positions are in sales, with other openings in service operations, business offices and purchasing.

CarMax, which operates 100 stores that predominantly sell used vehicles, has about 13,000 employees. The hiring plans would boost that total by about 5 percent.

The company announced last month that it will open previously built stores — one in Georgia and two in Ohio — in the next fiscal year but doesn’t plan any further store growth until the automotive market improves.

At the time, CarMax said stronger sales, cost-cutting efforts and gains from its financing division helped it post a profit for its fiscal third quarter.

Sales rose about 19 percent in the quarter, while sales at stores open at least a year rose 8 percent. Still sales remain about 16 percent below levels seen just two years ago.

Spokeswoman Elia Imler said the three stores are not part of this hiring phase.

Over the past year, CarMax has curtailed its store growth in response to the economic environment, but has said it is committed to resuming its long-term plan of increasing its store base at annual rate of about 15 percent.

Its shares rose 6 cents to $21.71 in midday trading Friday.