Clason Family Donates an ATV to the La Crosse Fire Department

 Who does the fire department call when they need help? The Clason Family of La Crosse. “I am very pleased to announce that the Clason Family has donated a 2014 Polaris Ranger and Rescue Skid to the La Crosse Fire Department," says Steve Doll of Clason Buick GMC. 

Giving back to the community is not something new for the Clason family.  “The fire department is only as good as the community that supports us; and the Clason Family has been a very strong supporter of the fire and police departments as well as the community” says Fire Chief Gregg Cleveland.

The Polaris Ranger will be utilized in a number of fashions; it is equipped with an EMS cot to allow transportation of patients from difficult locations such as bike trails and the human powered trails in the bluff areas. The maneuverability and variety of the terrain that the Ranger can transverse will lead to quicker response and transport times for the fire department.

The fire department also plans to use the Ranger during special events such as Riverfest and Oktoberfest to better serve the community. “The support of the Clason Family has been invaluable in maintaining the quality of public safety in the La Crosse”, says Mayor Tim Kabat. 

On Thursday of Grand Opening week, the Clason Family unveiled the 2014 Polaris Ranger and Rescue Skid in a ceremony at their new facility.

 Ralph the city's first drug sniffing dog procured with funds donated by the Clason family was also present.

Watch the video from the event here

Grand Opening Grand Prize Winners

We had a fabulous turnout for our Grand Opening on Friday and Saturday.

Congratulations to our Grand Opening Grand Prize Winners Linda (Friday) and Lynn (Saturday)!

Grand Opening

Next week we'll be celebrating the Grand Opening of our new building.
Join us Friday, April 11 (open 7:30 am - 6 pm) and Saturday, April 12 (open 8 am - 4 pm). We'll have a complimentary lunch from 11-2 both days, as well as other snacks outside of those hours.

There will also be shop tours, drawings every half hour, and Grand Opening Specials on New & Used Vehicles as well as in our Service Department and Detail Department.

Before & After: Exterior

Now that we're all settled in at our new building, we thought it would be fun to share some photos of what it looked like before we started this project and what it looks like now. We've also linked to past posts from when everything was being worked on.

It's definitely come a long way! Today we're focusing on the exterior.

Here's the showroom. We did a lot here including painting, installing a whole new front facade, adding a front entrance with the distinctive Buick GMC Entry Element arch, and updating the sidewalks.



And here are a few more detailed shots of the Entry Element -

Happy New Year

This has been a big year for us!

 

 

Happy Holidays

Exciting Week: All Moved in to the New Facility

We're all moved in and open for business in our new building! Everything went pretty smoothly considering what a big undertaking it was. It was so nice to be able to upgrade our facility like this with little disturbance to our customers and staff. We closed Saturday afternoon in the original facility, and opened Monday morning in the newly renovated one!

A few highlights of the completely renovated facility are
- 32,987 square feet (nearly double our original facility)
- Lots of space for new and used cars with a 4.27 acre lighted lot
- Larger showroom
- Spacious Customer Lounge with coffee bar, TV and complimentary Wi-Fi
 - Dedicated Cashier and Retail counter
 - Climate controlled Service Drive-in

Our customers and staff love it! If you haven't had a chance to stop in and see it yet, here's a quick tour!

When you walk in the front door, you'll be greeted at our new Welcome Desk with arch on the showroom floor.

Walking around the showroom, you'll find that it is nearly double the size of our old one and can fit 8 cars comfortably.

Our Sales staff have desks around the perimeter of the showroom, and will always be nearby to assist or answer any questions. This is Terry's desk.

There are a few offices on the back wall of the showroom, like this one belonging to Bob, our New Car Sales Manager.

Down the ramp, you'll find the large Customer Lounge. It features a coffee bar and cooler with water, along with TV and complimentary Wi-Fi so you can use your laptop or other device while you wait.

On the other side of the wall, is our dedicated Cashier Counter and retail space. We have lots of Clason, Buick, and GMC merchandise for sale.

Around the corner is Service Manager Rob's Office. He's always dreamed of having this office!


Here's the Service Reception area with individual Service Adviser desks. The TV on the back wall lists some of our services and prices.

In the same space is the Service Drive-in area. This will take some getting used to, but now customers can drive right in to the Service Department. It'll be great for winter!


Beyond that big white door is the shop, where all the magic happens!

Last on our tour is the Parts Department. Look how clean and organized it is!

We're so excited to finally be in our new facility! Stop by and take a tour, we'd be happy to show you around.

Moving Day!

Now that our major remodel is done, moving day is finally here! We started moving some things over on Friday afternoon, like the Parts bins.

Here they are all set-up in the new Parts Department. Look at all that space!

Saturday was our official moving day. We had a great crew helping. Of course we took a break to feed everyone some pizza.

Here's Lisa from the Service Department setting up the retail space. We have Clason and Buick GMC apparel along with other merchandise.

It's so nice that we're able to move with very little disruption. We closed for business on Saturday afternoon, and will reopen in the new facility on Monday morning. Excitement is high. We can't wait!

Cars in the Showroom!

As we near our move in date, more items are getting checked off on our list.

The most exciting thing last week was when Owner and General Manager Steve Doll drove the first car onto the showroom floor!

It's been a flurry of activity! Here's how we got to that point -

The dividers arrived and were installed in the showroom.

Our welcoming arch was put up behind the front greeter's desk.

Ceiling panels were placed in the offices,

and the furniture was set-up. Here's Service Manager Rob Smith's office, all ready for move-in day!

The signage and 55" TVs were installed in the info hub in the showroom,

Service write-up area (to display our services),

and Customer Lounge.

Also in the Customer Lounge, the lights, fridge and cabinets + counters were completed. The only thing left is the tile backsplash!

Outside, the sod arrived. If you look closely you'll see Steve Doll driving the skid steer. He'll do anything to help get us closer to move-in!

Look how sharp the new building looks with fresh sod and landscaping!

And that brings us full circle back to the showroom full of cars!

We're almost there!

Finishing Touches Begin

Now that our move in date is 2 weeks away, and rapidly approaching, we're working on doing some finishing touches.

This includes putting in the lights,

 and installing the countertop for the Customer Lounge Snack Bar,

as well as prepping for carpet.

In the Service Department, the Service Write-up desks are in!

Up in the Showroom, the Buick and GMC signs went up.

Excitement is high! It won't be long now!