Retired Mercedes-Benz Exec to Open New Dealership in Fairfield, California's Expanding Auto Mall

FAIRFIELD, CA - May 21, 2007: Retired Mercedes-Benz USA President and CEO, Paul Halata, plans to open a new Mercedes-Benz dealership in Fairfield, CA in 2008. Halata and his son Mark will be the owners of Mercedes-Benz of Fairfield and will lease the MB dealership land and building from Von Housen Automotive Group.

"We are excited to bring Mercedes-Benz to Fairfield and anticipate a great future and much success with the Mercedes-Benz brand," says Halata.

The Mercedes-Benz dealership will join the approximately one dozen dealers located at the 31-acre auto mall. Halata plans to build a state-of-the-art dealership that includes a two-story glass building and roof-top parking.

Other Auto Mall additions include Saturn of Fairfield which has submitted plans for a 22,258 square foot facility. Saturn will relocate from its current Fairfield location, less than four miles to the west.

In addition, Simon Buniak, the owner and president of Golden State Mitsubishi and Suzuki, is acquiring a 1.46 acre Auto Mall site for a new car dealership. This dealership will be in the newest phase of the Auto Mall, which will extend the mall to the northeast. The City is under-grounding utilities and constructing new curbs, gutters, sidewalk, pavement, and freeway landscaping in this phase.

"Fairfield is a good community for our new dealership because of its geographic location between San Francisco and Sacramento," said Buniak.

Auto dealers currently located at the Auto Mall: Acura, Chrysler, Jeep, Kia, Plymouth, Dodge, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Lincoln, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota, and Volvo. There are five additional sites available for new luxury auto dealers.

"We are pleased that Mercedes chose to locate in Fairfield," said Harry T. Price, Mayor of Fairfield. "Our auto mall has freeway visibility with high traffic counts. The location allows the dealers to serve a wide market ranging from Solano, Contra Costa, Napa, and Sonoma Counties to the Yolo County market."

Fairfield Offers Important Business Benefits
Fairfield continues to appeal to retail and commercial entities seeking to grow their businesses. It offers an accessible Bay Area location, abundant space, value-priced real estate, and a diverse workforce. For additional information on the city of Fairfield, visit www.fairfield4business.com.