Keeping Up with the Community Now there will be even more green space for Automaster’s team and customers, thanks to the new 13-acre lot that the dealership recently purchased at the site of the long-shuttered Harbor Hideaway. (The knickknack-filled restaurant was the provenance of the Automaster museum’s knight in armor.) The added space means more parking, lined with landscaped islands and walking paths. “We want to keep with the Shelburne image,” says Fillion. “That’s why we have a wooden sign, not a lot of lights. We don’t want to look like a big city.” The Automaster keeps up with the community in additional ways, such as supporting the Center for Technology at Essex High School, sponsoring a new playground at Shelburne Beach, donating more than 1,000 helmets to Burlington kids, and contributing to numerous other northern Vermont organizations. Awareness of the Automaster has brought in a steady stream of potential new-car owners seeking some of the most popular models right now—Honda Accord and CRV; BMW 3 series, X3, and X1; Mercedes Benz ML-class and 300 series. Then there are the Minis. “That’s one big fun time!” says Fillion with a laugh. “Just walking into the building is fun; they’re like M&M’s.” As the dealership has grown and changed over the decades, beginning with Rambler—Audi, Delorean, Ferrari, Isuzu, Infiniti, Land Rover, and Porsche have all been part of the fleet at one time, while new showrooms have sprouted—the Automaster’s commitment to its reputation remains constant, unchanging. “We’re trying to grow with the towns,” says Fillion. “It’s important for us to maintain relationships with the community—because we’re not going anywhere.” w
The Automaster
3328 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT (802) 985-8411 www.theautomaster.com
62
www.bestofburlingtonvt.com