Mazda dealership celebrates 31 years in business
Colorful balloons dot the entrance of Lee’s Summit Mazda. The reason: It is the 31st anniversary of the dealership that originally opened as Blue Ridge Mazda in Raytown.
In 2008, the dealership moved to 975 SE Oldham Parkway in Lee’s Summit.
“I love the open area,” said Lee’s Summit Mazda general manager Dara Nielsen-Bock. “Nobody feels closed in, put into a booth. It is not intimidating.”
The colors are bright and the atmosphere is happy, Nielsen-Bock added.
“We give kids fun packs because kids don’t necessarily have fun at a car dealership, but we make it fun,” Nielsen-Bock said.
In conjunction with the 31st anniversary at Lee’s Summit Mazda, there will be a few more items given away starting Saturday and running through the final two weeks of November.
Drawings for Kansas City Chiefs tickets, dinner certificates and gift baskets will take place for customers.
Nielsen-Bock said they consider their loyal customers like family members. Sales associate Rudé Grdinovac echoed those sentiments.
“You can talk about a product all you want, but the cool thing about this place is that you are going to find a familiar face at this location,” he said.
“For example, you have Marty (Reed, general sales manager) who has been here 27 years, starting at Blue Ridge Mazda.”
Once you are at Lee’s Summit Mazda, sales associates will eagerly explain why the new Mazda6, Mazda3 or Mazda CX-5 are worth owning.
“Extremely top-notch technology,” Grdinovac said.
Even though gasoline prices are on the decline, fuel efficiency is still very important for the consumer.
The SKYACTIV technology in the Mazda6 allows it to get close to 40 miles per gallon on the highway. The SKYACTIV body is composed of 58 percent high-tensile steel, creating a lighter, stronger body with superior handling.
“You get great gas mileage without it being a hybrid,” Nielsen-Bock said.
Another feature in some of the new Mazdas is a blind-side monitoring system.
“If somebody pulls up beside you on the highway, it will light up for you on the side of your mirrors and let you know somebody is there,” Grdinovac said.” If you give a signal to go into another lane, it will start beeping on you and let you know somebody is there.
“Another cool thing about it is you have a cross-monitoring system for reverse so if you are parked in a lane and you can’t see anybody coming from either side, (and) you put it in reverse, it lets you know automatically that there is cross traffic coming.”
These features helped the 2014 Mazda6 earn Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Lee’s Summit Mazda sales associates are eager to show the various 2015 Mazda cars now in their showroom.
“Please stop by our Lee’s Summit location to celebrate with us,” Nielsen-Bock said.
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This story was originally published November 14, 2014 at 6:00 PM.