Roberts understood the power of advertising, targeting ads in
The Kansas City Sun, the prominent local African-American newspaper. His 'cutting edge' advertisements were quickly responded to by the black community and his business prospered. By 1921, he had acquired offices and showrooms, hired two salesmen and increased sales to meet the growing business.
Dealerships With his success at capturing the negro market, many small, niche auto manufacturers entered into sales agreements with Roberts. Smaller companies like Hupmobile, Rickenbacker, Whippet, and Marmon saw potential in the negro market and also backed his business, landing him franchises by
Hupmobile in 1923 and by
Rickenbacker in 1925. He had also signed a local
Oldsmobile dealer to a distributorship arrangement in 1923 that bore fruit under the Oldsmobile banner. This also helped Roberts to land a
Ford franchise that grew to feature an auto repair shop, a parts store, and a 60-car showroom. By 1925, his dealership, Roberts Co. Motor Mart, was ranked third in the United States for its sales of the Rickenbacker automobile. A new facility, when completed would offer painting, tires, repairs, accessories, upholstering, batteries, and a filling station. He then partnered with 2 black businessmen in Kansas City and a Hupmobile dealership under Thomas 'Big Piney' Brown remained at this location until 1929. In 1928, Roberts and the other businessman, Kenneth Campbell Jr., moved to Chicago and in 1929 opened a second Hupmobile dealership, located at the Hotel Grand on South Parkway. It was the second black-owned automobile dealership in America. Both the Kansas City and Chicago dealerships were named Roberts-Campbell Motors Inc. 'Big Piney' Brown managed the Kansas City dealership until it closed in 1929. Due to the depression and the failure of the Chicago showrooms, Roberts subsequently let the Kansas City showroom falter, eventually closing the operation. By then, Hupmobile had appointed Harry Williams, a black, as a replacement in 1930, but little else about the dealership is available, it was closed shortly thereafter. Today, the Roberts Motor Mart still has a dealership operating in Kansas City. After the closing of his dealerships, Roberts worked as a salesman for local white dealers who wanted to appeal to black customers. ==Legacy==