Locally Owned Auto Dealership Nears Completion on New Showroom

After four months of construction, Plymouth resident Alex Thayer is excited to show off his auto dealership's new Hyundai showroom to customers this week.

Alex Thayer and his brother Adam Thayer, of Northville, have been working on the addition to their Livonia dealership, Ralph Thayer Automotive, since March and are now putting on the finishing touches. They hope to open it this week.

The Thayer brothers bought the building, which is located right next to their current dealership at Laurel and Plymouth Road, last year and have been busy converting it into a new 16,000 square foot showroom and service facility.

“It was just a really good opportunity," said Adam Thayer. "The building right next door became available, and we were able to purchase it, so all of that worked out."

Thayer Automotive sells Hyundai, Mazda and Volkswagen vehicles. By renovating this new building, Hyundai will have a showroom, service, and parts all to itself, allowing the company to expand its service and sales and increase the number of cars they have in stock. 

“I think our current customers will just like having their own service department with service dedicated to them and their cars," Alex Thayer said.

The new showroom will add more parking and space, lots of LED lighting, and a dedicated customer waiting area, as well as an indoor service drive and overhead door to allow the company to complete delivers inside during the winter.

“It’s just gorgeous and nice to walk into a brand new building when it’s all squeaky clean," Adam Thayer said. "It’s like getting into a brand new car.  It smells good, everything is nice and shiny, and it’s not scratched.”

Living and working locally

This renovation project has been one of the most exciting times for Ralph Thayer Automotive since the company moved to Livonia in 2004.  Before that, the company had been based out of Monroe since 1971.

“The move from Monroe worked out well because this was already an existing dealership.  We wanted to move when we got to chance to expand, so that is what we did.  We’ve always tried to have slow, steady growth over a long period of time,” Alex Thayer said.

Now that the brothers have been living and working in surrounding cities for about nine years now, they have seen many benefits.

 “I think living in the community helps our business overall," Adam Thayer said.

The brothers expect the renovation to complete this week and to host a grand opening in August.