Fort Myers Porsche broke ground on a new 80,000-square-foot salesroom, dealership and service center.
The $35 million investment and construction project will be more than four times the size of the current dealership at 10064 Daniels Interstate Court. The new one will be about 50 yards east of the current location and just next door to the Rockstar Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership.
“We’re so hidden,” Fort Myers Porsche managing partner Mitchell Sherwood said of the current showroom, which has trees shielding it from the view of tens of thousands of drivers each day along Interstate 75 at the Daniels Parkway interchange. “The visibility from I-75 will be a huge win for us. You don’t even know we’re here unless you’re looking for us.”
Sherwood said he first fell for the Porsche brand at age 9. His 15th birthday cake had a Porsche model car on it.
Thirteen years ago, he began working in sales at a Porsche dealership. Since then, he has worked in sales for Ferrari, Rolls Royce, Maserati and Bentley in Denver. However, four years ago, he decided to invest in his favorite brand in south Fort Myers.
“Porsche, it’s everything to me,” said Sherwood, who drives a Taycan, an all-electric model with a range of 220 to 280 miles, and also ordered a new, gas-powered 911 model. “I’m very passionate about the brand.”
About every 10 years, the German company produces a “super car,” a high-performance sports car with a limited production run. While most of the cars on the lot sell for the high $60,000 range, the 911’s start at $120,000 to $125,000 and run up to $300,000.
“I love the brand because it’s so versatile,” Sherwood said. “It’s so well-rounded. There are very few brands in the world that offer a super car and a car that can be driven every day, in the same brand and in the same company.”
EnviroStruct is building the new dealership that should be ready in early 2024. Sherwood said he and his team of 43 employees look forward to moving into some additional space as he currently shares his office with two other staffers. The new facility will have 25 service lifts instead of the current nine, and it will be 40-feet tall instead of 25 feet with room for a full catering kitchen for special events.
“It will really help us expand our service footprint and help the customers who are driving Porsches now,” Sherwood said.
