comes together in a very comfortable, environment at © the all-new. Mountview Dodge Chrysler Jeep dealer- ship on Marine Drive in . North ‘Vancouver. It’s a winning combination ‘for Mountview customers and staff alike. CLIENTS SERVED BETTER ~The Mountview dealership has rein- 7 vented itself over the past year to serve » its valued ciients better: . dt's'a $3.5 million investment i in new : “constriction, new computers, furnishing and special equipment. : ; “A. litle - history: the. building just “ccréplaced had: existed at 1600 Marine Drive since the late 1960s. It was home "” , to. an American Motors dealership in the “early 1970s.’ Matadors, Javelins and Jeeps filled the Gremlins, . Pacers. lot in those days... In the 1980s, byw way of a partnership Advertorial _ America, " franchise, °. it, ou between AMC and Renault, the dealer- ship became Mountview Motors AMC Jeep Renault. - FAMILY BUYS IN The business was purchased by the Bani-Sadr family in 1983. Notes Ali Bani-Sadr, vice president and general manager of Mountview Dodge Carysler Jeep, “We were always involved in the car business in one shape or form in Iran. When we came to Canada this was an opportunity we pur- sued.” In 1987 when Chrysler purchased Jeep and Renault.departed from North the dealership became Mountview Jeep Eagle. Subsequently in 1993, with the addition of the Dodge evolved to become Mountview Dodge Chrysler Jeep. PLANS TAKE SHAPE Behind-the-scene work began to lay the ground for Mountview's new facili- ty. Says Bani-Sadr, “We felt that our client base had increased to a size where we needed more service space. “Our focus came to be, ‘What is the most important for the customer?” The conclusion: the after-purchase service experience is paramount for Mountview clients. The service department and the showroom area got _ attention. Remembers Bani-Sadr, “Once we looked at afl of that we said, ‘Well just addressing these and not addressing the rest would be pointless.’ So then it became a complete project. It is a 100% new building.” The new dealership facility increases all aspects of the business by about 40%. CHALLENGE MET Mountview met the challenge of remaining open for business and rebuilding simultaneously. To carry it out the project was divid- ed into three stages. Phase one began in April 1996. The first phase addressed the all- important issue of customer service. A service and parts area was added to the eastern side of the lot. The existing orig- inal eight service bays remained opera- tional. Eventually 16 service bays and two detailing bays will be humming with activity. NEWS photo Terry Peters ALL equipment i in the service department at Mountview i is brand new and state of the art. The second phase entailed moving the service garage and the parts depart- ment into the new service area. STATE OF THE ART The original service bays were ren- ovated. All equipment in the service department at Mountview is brand new and state of the art. The final phase addressed the show- toom and administration area. The pre- vious auto showroom housed six vehi- cles. It was time te expand. The smart new showroom now holds 10 vehicles. The facility is fully air-con- ditioned and outfitted with high-tech lighting throughout. The lines of the new building are anything but static. It flows. The structure was designed by the architectural department of Chrysler in Windsor, Ontario. InterPlan Architecture and Planning Incorporated was the local architecturai firm on the project. AUTOMCTIVE INNOVATION Says Bani-Sadr, “Traditionally deal- erships are very boring. They wind up being a square building with a litile bit of glass and that’s all. - “Chrysler is well-known and well- looked at for its technology. The cars are very innovative. What we wanted to do is to reflect that image.” The result is both attractive. and functional. A conscious effort was made to incorporate environmentally friendly, . best-in-the-industry materials for the _ project. The color scheme serves to enhance staff and customer interaction. Dominant colors include deep blue and bumished mahogany tones. It is a soothing combination. The colors allow (or a stress-zeduced environment. “The point was not to have another grey structure on Marine Drive. We wanted something that enhances the look of the North Shore, Bani-Sadr said. FAMILY OWNED Mountview itself is enhanced by the fact that it remains a family owned and operated enterprise. The Bani-Sadr fam- ily is involved in many aspects of the business. NEWS photo Terry Peters , THE Mountview dealership has reinvented itself over the past year to serve its vaiued clients better. The new generation dealership has been designed to capture and project the spirit of leadership and innovation exhibited in Chrysler vehicles. tstanding service =~ MOUNTVIEW’S Aili Bani-Sadr Ali Bani-Sadr’s father, Mr. H. Bani- Sadr, is Mountview president. Ali's : younger brother Houtan is one of the dealership’s sales managers. : The benefits are multiple. “We've gota lot of people who care. We ali have a vested interest in seeing the company succeed, which is a very good benefit for the clientele. a “All these people will be here tomor- - row. The customer will benefit just for the very simple reason that we try hard- er. We don’t own any other businesses, it’s all herc,” said Bani-Sads. : Naturally, by extension, all staff at Mountview have become purt of ihe femily. There are strong bonds. “We have people who have been here a great deal of years and ! look at them just like another brother or sister,” said Bani- adr. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION | - Clients returning to Mountview find friends and continuity. “If you come in . here you see the people you saw yester- day, a month ago or a year ago.”, And of course Mountview clients always find a fantastic lineup of vehi- cles.The Jeep Grand Cherokee. is a major favorites among North Shore res- idents, for example. The sport. utility market heats up with the all-new TJ. Mountview carries the award-winning Caravan and Grand Caravan vans as well as the critically acclaimed Neon, Cinus and Intrepid sedans. Truck. afi- cionados have excitement on wheels with the in-your-face Dodge Ram truck. Drop in to Mountview Dodge Chrysler Jeep. The automotive future is . now. It’s at 1600 Marine Drive.