[10] Bmw N Scottsdale On This Month News

Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers stepped to the podium in a dirt lot Nov. 9 and announced to a crowd of more than 100 people, “Here we grow again,” in welcoming Arrowhead BMW to the city.

Eight months after approving the land sale, numerous city officials and officials from Visionary Automotive Group LLC – operators of the new Arrowhead BMW – dug in and shoveled the ceremonial first dirt during the groundbreaking ceremony.

“Arrowhead BMW will shatter traditional dealership experiences for the premium brand customer. We understand it is about more than vehicles; it is about achieving an intimate relationship with our customers, providing a genuine experience that satisfies our customers’ needs and leaves our customers feeling valued. We have an opportunity to sustain our ‘Customers for Life,’” said Steve Bowers, Arrowhead BMW Center Operator and Visionary Automotive Group LLC Executive Managing Member. “Rethink everything you know about the modern luxury buying experience; we are creating the retail experience of the future.”

The new dealership, located between Beardsley Road and Union Hills Drive along the west side of Loop 101, will be more than 100,000 square feet in size with the largest indoor display of vehicles in the country.

“Today, we get a peek behind the curtain and moving into the future with changes to our business plan,” said Greg Marks, department head of Center Development, BMW North America LLC. “This facility will be a model store in our network with a state-of-the-art repair facility and one of BMW’s largest indoor vehicle displays.”

When the new facility is completed, Arrowhead BMW will add up to 200 new jobs, from sales to technicians.

“We will hire the best talent and employees with superior communication skills, and respect towards the customer our first value,” Bowers said. “We want to make our customers feel empowered and appreciated because we want to build a relationship with them.”

BMW also has a program that uses Universal Technical Institute, which has locations in Avondale and Phoenix, that fast-tracks service professionals specific to BMW.

“Local schools, from UTI, Glendale and Scottsdale Community College and Arizona State University are important partners with Arrowhead BMW and we look forward to working closely with them,” Bowers said.

The dealership will also be the only Alpina dealership in Arizona when it opens, a full-service dealership that will offer sales, service, leasing and repair of its higher-end vehicles.

“The next closest Alpina dealership is (in California),” said City Manager Kevin Phelps. “This dealership has been awarded that designation, as well, and we are ecstatic about that and believe it is reflective of the market’s income that we have here in Glendale and the entire West Valley.”

The Glendale City Council voted unanimously March 9 to sell the 13-acre parcel for $2.4 million — the same amount the city had paid for the parcel about a month before from PDS Realty when city officials were planning to develop a Park-and-Ride lot on the land.

BMW officials added that the new location has plans to improve the sales experience. The average customers who purchase a new vehicle spend three to five hours in the dealership; the goal is to reduce that time.

“That is unacceptable,” said Marks, “and this group is focused on improving that for us. Ninety-eight percent of our customers do research on the internet before coming and most know more about the product than the employees.”

Arrowhead BMW will be at 19250 N. Loop 101, and is being built over 13 acres, with freeway visibility and convenient access for customers. The facility and land is owned by West Valley RE Investments LLC. Construction of the $30 million building, plus sales lot complex, is expected to be completed in late 2018.

“I can’t wait to be back here next year for the grand opening celebration,” said Cholla Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff. “The jobs and revenue will be a very important part of moving this city forward and for BMW to recognize that Glendale is the right place for this project shows the way the West Valley is growing.”

“We celebrate this milestone of BMW Glendale’s groundbreaking and continue to be ecstatic that this international, luxury automotive brand, known for its high-quality products and services, chose Glendale and the vibrant well-established Arrowhead area to grow its brand,” said Phelps. “BMW’s careful selection of this location is reflective of the extremely hot economy we have right now in Glendale and the West Valley.”