Spotlight On: 4x4 Group Buy

Jason LaLiberty was looking for a way to get discounted parts for 4-wheel drive vehicles after seeing video of a woman rolling her Jeep over in Utah and walking away. That’s when he came up with the idea to get a group of people together to buy in bulk and get a discount from the manufacturers. The idea called 4x4 Group Buy took off while he lived in Arizona.
“Jeep owners are very loyal. That’s what helped us. Seventy-five percent of our customers are Jeep owners, so loyal to the brand,” LaLiberty said. It’s not just Jeeps they carry parts for, however.
He opened a store on Route 4 in Auburn, but has completely relocated to the Shops at Sebago off Route 302 in Windham.
“We have more room for product and inventory,” LaLiberty said. The business is mostly Internet based, but since moving to Windham he has seen an increase in sales. Before the business moved to Auburn, only half a percent of the business was in Maine, now 10 to 15 percent of the business comes from within the state, he said.
“A lot of what we sell you can’t use on the roads in Maine,”  LaLiberty said. “But, Maine has definitely gotten better in the last five years.” Their top selling products are Rough Country suspension lift kits and tires as well as exhaust kits and diesel performance programmers, which gives a 4x4 “ridiculous amounts of power.” They also sell LED light bars. Prices range from $20 to $25,000. There’s something for any budget, he said. “We try to have the best prices on everything so they don’t have to shop around,”  LaLiberty said. The online volume helps keep prices lower for the local customers, he said.
On Saturday, 4x4 Group Buy is hosting a grand opening celebration with a barbeque, raffle and a DJ starting at 11 a.m. “The location here is a great spot,” he said. “I turned a hobby into a business. I like talking about Jeeps and trucks during the day,”  LaLiberty said. Visit them online at www.4x4groupbuy.com.