CALIFORNIA’S INLAND EMPIRE HOME TO NEWEST MINI DEALERSHIP: MINI of Ontario Celebrates Grand Opening

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – March 5, 2010… On Saturday, March 6, MINI USA and the Inland Empire community will celebrate the MINI of Ontario Grand Opening, the 15th MINI dealership in California, and the largest facility in Southern California. The newest location fills a geographic gap in the brand’s dealer network, making MINI more readily available to new customers and offering additional convenience to several thousand MINI owners who already live in the area.

“California is a key market for the MINI brand, and we are expanding the dealer network by positioning new facilities in markets that have solid growth potential, like the Inland Empire,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President MINI USA. “In doing so, we are committed to maintaining the profitability of our existing dealers, and will add new facilities where it makes sense for the network as a whole, as well as the community.”

The MINI of Ontario dealership is located at the intersection of four major highways (I-15, I-10, Highway 60 and I-215) which connect Los Angeles, Orange County and Palm Springs. The new MINI facility is ideally located for Inland Empire customers who currently drive two hours roundtrip to Monrovia or Irvine for sales and service.

A total of 37 new jobs were added to the local economy when the dealership began operating, and the owner made use of an existing building, staying true to the brand’s values associated with MINIMALISM. Re-using an existing facility allowed the dealer to minimize the negative impact associated with building a brand new facility, save cost and re-energize a storefront. 

The fully renovated facility where MINI of Ontario now operates was previously a BMW Certified Pre-Owned dealership. Positioned on 2.13 acres, the new MINI dealership covers 22,017 sq. ft., including a 3,200 sq. ft. showroom that displays seven MINI vehicles. 

To ensure the best possible customer experience, the facility is equipped with a state-of-the-art sound system and big screen TVs throughout the showroom, service reception area and service drive. The service drive also has a built-in gas grill and air hockey table, offering customers real MINI hospitality during visits. To manage the work flow, Inland Empire MINI utilizes IMAC Apple computers and has 10 work stalls (with room for future expansion).

 “The world is becoming more MINI every day, and consumer tastes are shifting decidedly to cars that offer tremendous value. The MINI brand is considered ageless, and its core traits are well-aligned with the demands of today’s customers,” said McDowell. “Our cars are not only fuel efficient, and offer great value, but they also provide a fun and dynamic motoring experience and are packed with personality.”

MINI of Ontario is owned by Pete Savage, who also owns Savage BMW in Ontario, California. He has been BMW dealer for 25 years, and is a seven-time winner of BMW’s Center of Excellence Award. MINI is proud to welcome him to the MINI family of dealers.

The MINI of Ontario dealership is located at 1251 Auto Center Drive, Ontario, CA 91761.

The Grand Opening celebration begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 6. Guests will enjoy great food, entertainment, prizes and raffles. Ontario Mayor, Paul Leon, will perform the ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. Other special guests will include Jim McDowell, Vice President of MINI USA; Robert Frisch, Vice President, BMW Group Western Region; as well as local celebrities. Media interviews are available. Please contact MINI Communications for scheduling.

In the spirit of MINI’s giving back philosophy, MINI of Ontario has selected the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House to receive a donation from the event. The mission of the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House is to provide a “home away from home” for families of critically ill or injured children receiving medical treatment at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital and nearby facilities. In addition to this charitable effort, the team at MINI of Ontario works on a regular basis with other non-profit organizations, including: Automotive Youth Education System (AYES), Law Enforcement Organization of Ontario (LEO), Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Automobile Dealer Association, Rancho Cucamonga High School Band and the Inland Empire Chapter of Red Cross Blood Bank.

MINI in the US
MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC which has been present in the United States since 1975.  Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003.  The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country.  BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes.  The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car centers, 335 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 143 BMW motorcycle retailers, 91 MINI passenger car dealers, and 31 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers.  BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:  www.bmwgroupna.com

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Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address: www.press.bmwna.com.  Additional information, images and video may be found at www.miniusanews.com.  Broadcast quality video footage is available via The NewsMarket at www.thenewsmarket.com.

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