July 24, 2023
What makes an automobile dealership include a dog park?
It begins with seeing yourself as more than an automobile dealership.
“It was spur of the moment,” acknowledged Sarah Schulte, whose hubby, Mike, is the second-generation of Schulte Subaru.
“Mike and I are always trying to think of creating ways to be more than a car dealership and include the community, so we were talking one night and said, ‘Let’s open a dog park.’”
One of Subaru’s 5 pillars includes caring family pets, so it fit, she included.
Now, the south side of Sioux Falls and beyond is finding the brand-new park on the north side of the dealer. It it includes 3 different locations for dogs of numerous sizes, numerous shade shelters and even areas to plug in and play music.
There are non reusable water bowls to avoid canine illness, waste bags and significantly programs from pet-related nonprofits.
“We’re hearing from our neighbors that live in the residential community by Schulte Subaru that it’s packed at night,” she said. “We’re advertising as much as we can that it’s free and open to the community.”
Sioux Falls is a Subaru neighborhood, Mike Schulte said. While particular car manufacturers outsell Subaru in other markets, in Sioux Falls they’re equated to and even exceeded by Subaru, he said. Sales have actually continued their upward pattern, and Schulte said he’s hearing that stock will be back to pre-pandemic levels by November.
“Subaru is very, very strong,” he said. “The region loves Subaru because of the safety and all-wheel-drive components.”
Soon, the Schultes will provide the marketplace another factor to take a trip to the corner of 85th Street and Minnesota Avenue. They’re including a more than 50,000-square-foot building that will be larger than the existing dealer building and deal “a state-of-the-art collision center for all makes and models, a tire center for tires, alignments, balances, windshields,” Schulte said. “And on top of that, we’re paving another 2 acres of parking lot.”
The brand-new building likewise will consist of a 1,500-square-foot neighborhood room developed to be utilized by groups for conferences or occasions.
“That’s going to be free for the community to use,” Schulte said. “Even for events like if a Girl Scout or Boy Scout troop wants to reserve it, they can.”
There’s room in the market for more body stores, he included.
“Right now in Sioux Falls, body shops are still fixing damage from last summer’s storms. Most are three to four months out, so if anything, Sioux Falls has a shortage of body shops, and we felt that was an area that’s really needed,” he said.
Initial deal with the website has actually begun, and building activity is anticipated to begin quickly. The hope is to have the center prepared to pass early next year. Some hiring has actually begun already.
“We’re going to be crowded in our 8,000-square-foot current shop, but we’re starting to bring people in already, and we’re looking for people who aren’t going to start until the building is done,” Schulte said.
