Big changes are brewing for Toyota of Olympia.
Founded in downtown Olympia 38 years ago by James H. Rotter, the now third-generation family-owned auto dealer has grown and moved with the times. It’s been an anchor at the Olympia Auto Mall for 48 years.
General Sales Manager Darrell Gillen has 20 years in the auto dealership industry and has been with Toyota of Olympia for two years.
“It’s been an interesting couple of years,” he says, describing the challenges the entire auto industry has endured.
With the tsunami, weathering the economic recession, and huge recalls – for which Toyota has been completely exonerated – it could have been a much more difficult time for the dealership.
“But our customers set us apart,” Gillen says. “We have a faithful, loyal bunch of people that would follow us right into darkness if we asked them to.”
Gillen admits the effects of the recession are still being felt. “It’s still there,” he says. “But we’re going to finish this year selling about 2,600 new and used cars, and a couple times this year we ranked in the top 20 in the state selling used cars. There are plenty of positives to talk about.”
In other words, Toyota of Olympia has successfully fought through the last few years and is on pace to come out stronger than ever.
“We sold 28 cars on a Saturday recently and had customers sharing tables,” Gillen says, describing both how strong sales are at the dealership, as well as one of the reasons Toyota of Olympia is currently constructing a new, bigger, even better facility at the entrance to the Auto Mall.
Currently tucked in at the back of the mall, the main Toyota of Olympia building sells new cars and provides service and maintenance.
But Toyota of Olympia is completely rebuilding its longtime building, located right inside the Olympia Auto Mall, which is used for used car sales and detailing services.
“The natural traffic that comes into this auto mall sees us last,” says Gillen of the current setup. “Now they’ll see the number one company first when they come in.”
The older building has long been known as the Rotter’s facility, where the family once had a Pontiac Buick GMC store. After selling that dealership, the space became Toyota of Olympia’s used car showroom and lot.
Why the newer, bigger building?
“We had to have an upgrade,” Gillen explains. “We’ve simply outgrown this facility.”
Renovations and expansion of the current building by 17,000 square feet began in October and is expected to take one year. New cars will move to the front of the mall, while used will move to the back.
“It’s all torn up right now,” Gillen says of the project. “They’re building onto the core, leaving the metal structure, while everything else is demolished.”
The new building will bring a much-needed expansion of express maintenance services for Toyota of Olympia, which currently has just two full-time lube, oil, and filter bays working overtime at the current facility.
“There have been some time frustrations for customers,” Gillen admits. The dealership does between 60 and 80 oil changes a day and customers sometimes have to wait upwards of two hours.
The new building will have four new additional bays and much more efficient wait times for oil changes, maintenance, and service.
It will also include an eating facility, wifi, and electronic gadgets for waiting customers to use while they wait.
For Gillen, one of the most important aspects of the new facility – on top of the added service bays – is the overall wow factor it will bring.
“When you’re selling cars or service and you pull into a drab place, the customer feels drab,” he says. “It’s our job as salesmen to give them a wow.”
2380 Carriage Loop SW
Olympia WA 98502
360.539.3939
