GRAND RAPIDS, MI—Prestige Imports West Michigan is completing a 3,500 square foot addition to its sales and service facility on 29th Street in Grand Rapids. To celebrate, owner Joe Licari has scheduled an open house for Friday, October 27 from 5-9 pm and Saturday, October 28 from 10 am-3 pm.
The Prestige sales department specializes in low mileage, late-model imports, including Volvo, Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Lexus and Porsche. As part of the celebration, all profits from vehicles sold during the open house will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan, which helps grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Joe explains, “During the final months of this business expansion, my family expanded as well. I was blessed with my first two grandchildren, which got me thinking about doing something for the kids of our community. And Make-A-Wish seemed like a perfect choice.”
In addition to a greatly expanded showroom, the added space will support a new customer waiting room, a car accessories department, and a place to drive in for service write-up inside the shop. Gordon Julius was the architect for the expansion and Jerry Gauss was the contractor.
Prestige Imports has its own niche in the West Michigan market. It’s not a new car dealer and it’s not a high-volume used car dealer. “Our customers prefer high quality vehicles,” says Joe. “But they don’t want to take the big depreciation loss that hits a new car in the first couple years. So they depend on us to find low mileage, late-model vehicles and carefully screen out those that are not in excellent mechanical condition.”
Service customers like the fact that Prestige Imports specializes in import service and employs “some of the top import techicians in the Midwest,” according to Joe. “We invest regularly in equipment and training that allow us to match the services of new car dealers—but at more competitive prices.”
Joe Licari started gaining his knowledge of import vehicles at a young age in Palermo, Sicily. He immigrated to the United States at the age of 17 with his family, settling in the Grand Rapids area where he received a job as a mechanic working on Mercedes Benz, Volkswagen, and Volvo vehicles. After 11 years, Joe decided to open his own repair facility in 1978. His company grew from a small repair shop on Division and, in 1985, moved to its current location on 29th Street. Since the relocation, Prestige Imports has offered high quality used cars and parts sales as well.
Several members of Joe’s immediate and extended family work in the business, including his son, Phil Licari, who graduated from the automotive program at Northwood University.
Prestige Imports is located at 2919 29th St. SE in Grand Rapids and can be reached at 616-957-4661 or toll-free at 888-717-7004. It can be found online at www.prestigeimport.com.
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