Dealers give new BMW owner warm Fresno welcome

Source: The Business Journal
Written by Clay Moffitt

As soon as the ink dried on a deal to purchase Weber BMW in Fresno, new owner Al Monjazeb boarded a plane to attend to business at his home base in Seattle. However the general manager for his recently acquired dealership, Sudhir Sood, wasted no time presenting himself to his new peers. Sood has been the general manager for the dealership, now known as BMW Fresno, for a couple weeks now, and he has already made a strong impression on local dealers with his attendance at a recent Fresno Clovis New Car Dealers Association meeting. Association president Manuel Prieto found him very engaging and believes he will make a significant impact in the local luxury car market. “The luxury market requires a lot of attention because when you spend that type of money for a vehicle, you want to be assured your needs will be met,” Prieto said. Sood moved to Fresno from Valencia, where he was also a general manager for a BMW location, and shared his excitement to get to work in the Central Valley. “It’s great dealership in a great city, and I think it is a really good opportunity,” Sood said. Sood and Monjazeb have been friends for a number of years, dating back to Monjazeb’s early days in the industry in Southern California. They’re ready to establish their presence in a new area. “My general manager is from Southern California and we believe the Fresno market has great potential,” Monjazeb said. Caren Myers, the general manager for Fresno Lexus, referred to Sood as a “great automotive man” and expressed her excitement to have him in the Valley. Myers went through a similar process as the new dealer in town eight years ago, and while she was settling into her new surroundings, her phone rang. Much to Myers’ surprise, on the other end was TheeAnna Stevens, the dealer principal for Fresno Acura, welcoming her to the area and wishing her good luck. Myers recalled how much that meant to her, and she extended the same courtesy to Sood on his first day in Fresno as general manager. “You’re a in a strange town and you’re coming here to do a great job, build the business and it really helps to know it’s a friendly environment,” Myers said. The new ownership group plans to keep nearly the entire staff of 80 employees at the dealership. “If anything we plan on adding some jobs,” Sood said, noting the dealership is looking for additional salespeople and technicians. Previous owner of the dealership Yrma Rico confirmed the employee retention was one of the selling points in accepting Monjazeb’s offer. “It’s good for the community, good for Fresno and it was great for the employees,” Rico said. “All and all, it was a good deal.” Monjazeb first started selling cars in 1980 in Southern California and moved to Seattle in 1995, where he began building his luxury import empire. He currently owns dealerships in the Seattle area featuring the Jaguar, Land Rover, Lamborghini, Bentley, Rolls Royce, BMW and Mercedes brands. He has been involved with the BMW brand since 1990. Monjazeb boldly envisions a bright future on the horizon, with a primary object to become the flagship BMW dealership for service in the state of California. “When your selling the best brand in the world, you have to provide the best customer services in the world,” Monjazeb said. Despite being headquartered in the Seattle area, Monjazeb indicated he has no intentions of being a silent partner and will frequently visit the Fresno location. Although the local luxury dealers may pride themselves on their cordial hospitality, they’re quick to point out it’s still a very competitive field. “Absolutely,” Myers confirmed. “We don’t intend to give up market share.”

URL to original article: http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/retail/5228-dealers-give-new-bmw-owner-warm-fresno-welcome

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