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Sterling Heights Dodge Opens Commercial Center and Launches New Fleet Elite Service


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STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich., July 23 -- It is no secret that truck sales in the United States have not been good. And yet, one Detroit-area businessman is recommitting to the truck and fleet business with the opening of a new Commercial Center and the launch of Fleet Elite(TM), a new service experience to ensure that these customers are serviced well.

Anthony Viviano, chairman of Sterling Heights Dodge, said: "Commercial trucks and corporate fleets are central to the Michigan and United States economies. To the operators of those vehicles, their car or truck is a tool of their trade. When that tool is unavailable or unusable, they are out of business. We will excel at keeping them in a great vehicle and on the road."

Sterling Heights Dodge Commercial Center

The new Commercial Center will open on Friday, August 1, 2008. It is located at 39909 Van Dyke Avenue in Sterling Heights. The facility occupies a 14,000 square feet on six acres.

  Other details of the new Commercial Center include:
  -- 6,700 square foot service department
  -- 15 service bays
  -- Lifts in the service bays that can accommodate vehicles from 2,500 up
     to 60,000 pounds
  -- 2,800 square feet of parts storage
  -- Full accessories installation and up-fit center
  -- Automated wash bays - bigger and more robust than a traditional car
     wash - to accommodate the demands of large commercial vehicles.
     Customers can access this service 24/7 with a special card reader.
  -- The Commercial Center also provides amenities for the care and
     convenience of its customers - a snack bar, complimentary computer
     usage and wireless Internet connection, and a lounge - all designed to
     support the customer's business.

Viviano invested nearly three years and over $6 million to create the Center. He anticipates that it will initially create 35-50 new jobs and will grow with the addition of a second service shift as demand warrants.

The Commercial Center complements the Sterling Heights Dodge retail dealership which is located two buildings north of the Center. Viviano states: "Commercial trucks require special equipment - like heavier lifts, special tools, special expertise, and a special experience for its customers. We have built all of these things into our new Commercial Center."

Fleet Elite(TM)

In addition to selling and maintaining commercial trucks, the Commercial Center will also work with national corporate fleet customers through a program titled Fleet Elite(TM). This program is a pilot of a national Chrysler program dedicated to improving service to national corporate fleets.

Years ago, Viviano managed a Kmart corporate fleet program for Chrysler. Since that time, he's frequently thought about the need to improve service to national corporate fleets. Viviano believes: "The corporate fleet customer has always been underserved. We have taken the best of our retail dealership, invented new processes specific to fleet and commercial customers, and will now offer a new level of service."

The Commercial Center will manage the complete Dodge lineup -- from the compact Dodge Caliber to the Dodge Ram 5500 and Dodge Sprinter. Center associates will be specially trained to service the corporate fleet customer. They will handle transactions like licensing and titling, manage maintenance, and coordinate the turn-in process.

Patrick Dougherty, director of Fleet Operations at Chrysler, LLC, says: "Chrysler makes great vehicles. Our objective is to provide the best service in the marketplace to fleet and commercial customers. When they are satisfied with that experience, we hope they will be vocal advocates to their friends and family to buy a Chrysler, Jeep, or Dodge vehicle at our retail dealerships. Sterling Heights Dodge created the right environment to implement this approach."

About Anthony J. Viviano

Tony Viviano is the Chairman of Sterling Heights Dodge (Sterling Heights, Michigan) and Meadowbrook Dodge (Rochester, Michigan).

A resident of Shelby Township, Viviano was raised on the east side of Detroit and attended De La Salle Collegiate High School. He began his college education at the University of Detroit and Wayne State University. While in school, he became employed by Chrysler Corporation and attended the Chrysler Institute at night. Though he was only about four classes away from his degree, Viviano decided to focus on his opportunities with Chrysler. Success came quickly for the determined Viviano as he rose to executive ranks within Chrysler.

Viviano left Chrysler to start his own dealership, Utica Dodge, in 1965. He then acquired ownership of a Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile dealership in northern Michigan and a Dollar Rent-a-Car based in Detroit. Currently he owns and operates two dealerships - Sterling Heights Dodge which opened in 1970, and Meadowbrook Dodge, which opened in 1979.

Viviano has also been honored by many organizations for his commitment to our community. He serves on the boards of the March of Dimes and Henry Ford Hospital, volunteers as commander of the Macomb County Sheriff's Marine Safety Division, and is active in other community causes.

A dedicated family man, Viviano attributes much of his success to his wife, Cathy, and to his children - Sal, Mary, Nino, and Elizabeth and his five grandchildren. Viviano says, "I thank God every day for my wife and family. They made sacrifices over the years and supported me in every way. I am a very blessed and lucky man."

About Sterling Heights Dodge

Located in Sterling Heights, Michigan, Sterling Heights Dodge was originally founded as Utica Dodge in 1965. The dealership moved to its current location and was renamed Sterling Heights Dodge in 1970.

Consistently among the largest volume Dodge dealerships in the United States, Sterling Heights Dodge sells approximately 2,500 units annually and employs approximately 60 people.

Anthony Viviano, chairman of the dealership, says, "Our mission is to provide our customers with a shopping, buying, service, and ownership experience that consistently satisfies each individual's needs and exceeds their expectations in a comfortable, supportive environment."