Leaping into the New Year...

You may have noticed a small feature in the Erie Times-News in February called "Bianchi a Honda Sales Leader". We are proud to be recognized for selling more new Hondas in January and February than any other dealer in the entire state of PA. This was no small feat for a dealership located in Erie - to outsell dealerships in major areas like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. This growth is excellent news for the city of Erie and and our goal is to become the number one Honda dealer in the entire state for 2012. We are extremely thankful for all of our loyal customers that believe in Honda and continue to allow us earn their business.

Susan Joehnk Chosen as This Month's Employee Spotlight

Q. You have been working here for over five years now, what do you like most about the Bianchi environment?
A. The best thing about working at Bianchi Honda is the interaction with other employees; they go out of their way to provide any help possible.

Q. What do your daily responsibilities consist of?
A. My responsibilities vary from day to day, depending on the time of the month and year.  I am busiest the first of the month preparing to get the financial statement to Honda.  I post and pay bills; post repair orders; calculate and post commissions; handle accounts receivable; file tax returns, etc.

Q. We heard that you were in the military, what branch were you in and can you tell us about your experience?
A. I served nearly 6 years in the US Navy.  I joined at 30, so I was the oldest woman in the group that I went through boot camp with.  I did a tour of duty at NAS Whidbey Island, WA;  COMFAIRMED, Naples, Italy, and NAS Oceania Virginia Beach, VA.  While in Italy, I went on temporary duty to Crete, Sicily, and Rota, Spain; so I got to see some of Europe.

Q. Can you tell me about your life outside of work?

A. In my spare time, I enjoy crafts: cross stitch, embroidery, rug hooking, crochet, knitting, etc. My husband Dieter and I also like to go on wine tours.  We have been to the Finger Lakes region in New York twice, and to just about all of the wineries in this area as well as the Northern Illinois Wine Trail.

The 2012 Honda CR-V is Here at Bianchi Honda in Erie PA

Honda has referred to the new CR-V as "the latest evolution" of its popular five-passenger crossover. The 2012 model is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 185 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque — modest increases from 180 hp and 161 lb-ft on the 2011 CR-V. The 2.4-liter is mated still to a five-speed automatic transmission.

Four-wheel-drive versions of the 2012 CR-V get a new driveline — Honda calls it Real Time All-Wheel-Drive with Intelligent Control System — that returns EPA fuel economy of 22 mpg in city driving and 30 mpg on the highway, up from last year's 21/27 ratings. The standard front-wheel-drive variant of the 2012 CR-V is EPA-rated at 23/31 city/highway, compared with last year's 21/28.

Honda has focused some new CR-V features on younger parents (and singles) who rely heavily on mobile devices for communication, information and entertainment. Bluetooth connectivity is now standard, as are an intelligent multi-information display (i-MID) and an SMS text messaging function, which can read smartphone texts aloud over the audio system. The new CR-V also features an iPhone-compatible Pandora Internet Radio interface, which works through the i-MID.

Features that will likely appeal to owners of all ages include a multi-angle rearview camera, a roomy center console, a lower cargo floor and an easy fold-down split rear seat. All models are available in front or all-wheel drive.

Honda has dropped the mid SE trim level on the new CR-V. The 2012 range will start with the CR-V LX, which gets more standard equipment, including air-conditioning, cruise control, electric power steering and a 160-watt audio system. Next up is the CR-V EX, which adds a power moonroof, 17-inch alloy wheels and an upgraded audio system. At the top of the line is the CR-V EX-L, which adds leather interior with a 10-way power driver seat, dual-zone automatic climate control and 328-watt premium audio system. Among the options for 2012 are a sat-nav system and DVD rear entertainment system.


From: http://www.insideline.com/honda/cr-v/2012/2012-honda-cr-v-is-redesigned-2011-los-angeles-auto-show.html

Do You Remember...

Did you know that “Bianchi Honda” wasn’t always just “Bianchi Honda”? Whether you are a recent customer or a long-time Honda buyer, you may not know that Bianchi did not always just sell Hondas. It’s hard to image Bianchi selling anything other than Hondas, but we offered two other makes of vehicles: Mitsubishi and Daewoo. Bianchi was also at a total of three locations, all along Peach Street.

The first was at 5242 Peach Street, right across the street from Long John Silvers.

    
BIANCHI MITSUBISHI 5242 PEACH STREET

The second building was located at 5305 Peach, previously across from the Lecom gym and the Millcreek Community Hospital.

5305 PEACH STREET - BIANCHI HONDA

Bianchi then moved into the current location at 8430 Peach Street in a beautiful new building back in 2003 (construction photos below)
 

CONSTRUCTION ON THE NEW BUILDING - 2003

With the building upgrade, Bianchi was able to better accommodate our customers. With more room, additional service bays, the latest equipment, 26 factory trained technicians and service advisors, we can now complete work on your car more efficiently.
 

THE NEW BUILDING ALMOST COMPLETE - 2003

In our spacious and comfortable service waiting areas, you can enjoy free pastries, fruits, boutique coffees and teas, multiple televisions, and Wi-Fi, along with more than 50 current magazines and newspapers, and periodicals. There is even a Kid's Zone where your children can play with educational toys and watch family-friendly movies all while enjoying some freshly made popcorn.

THE FIRST CAR IN THE NEW SHOWROOM - 8430 PEACH

Although we have changed locations, there is one consistency through the years - our excellent customers. We appreciate that you share your experiences at Bianchi with your friends and relatives. We know we would not have such a great history without you.

BIANCHI HONDA AS YOU KNOW IT (CURRENT PHOTO)

New Detailing Building Finished at Bianchi Honda

The final product of Bianchi Honda's summer construction has finished! The newest addition to our store has provided a fast-paced and comfortable working environment for our Prep Department.

The Prep Department is already hard at work using the new building to its capacity. The primary use of the new building will be to assure that all of our vehicles are as clean as possible and to also polish customers' vehicles in the state of the art AutoButler machines. This valuable service is in high-demand and the new machines will help accommodate our customers in a timely fashion.

What is the AutoButler service? It's designed to protect the paint and enhance the look of your car. This occurs by coating the vehicle surface with a protective barrier that can be cleaned and restored time after time to provide a beautiful, long-lasting finish that will be easy to maintain for years to come. If a customer decides to purchase the protection plan from the Finance Department, they bring it in every six months keeping their car looking brand new. The building makes it much easier to schedule a car for an AutoButler session with two machines located inside.

On an average day, we can take care of 15 to 20 AutoButler applications, check-in multiple trucks of cars, and take care of about 12 deliveries. With the extra space, the team is able to work together to get the job done at a fast and efficient pace. The interior of the building has plenty of open space to get cars ready for the lot and for the customers.

Tom Robinson, our Prep Manager, has been working hard to continue to keep things running as smooth as possible with the transition. His team includes fourteen employees: Frank Buzzanco, Brandon Campbell, Anthony Chimenti, Josh Davis, Kyle Dumbeck, David Gomez-Palmero, Gabe Harrick, Steve Karsh, Bill Niemi, Justin O'Connell, Scott Pohl, Mike Schley, and Chad Washburn. Together, these gentlemen will continue to make the best use of the new building and everyone is excited to see the building up and running!