MARYSVILLE — Honda of Marysville drew dignitaries from throughout the Marysville and Arlington business communities to its official grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

While the showroom is a standard feature of any car dealership, Marysville Honda General Manager Pete Smith noted that one aspect which sets his store apart from others is that most of his business is conducted on the showroom floor itself.

“Even the offices lining the showroom all have glass windows instead of walls, so there’s nothing to hide,” Smith said. “We’re literally as transparent as possible. You get the price right up front. It’s a model whose appeal has been proven.”

Even the delivery center adjoining the showroom floor is entirely glass-walled, so that customers can become acclimated to their new cars in an enclosed and heated space, even in the midst of snow and rain outside.

“We’re starting with 35 employees, but we expect to grow that number very quickly,” Smith said.

The large open spaces of the Honda of Marysville dealership include expansive waiting areas for adults and children alike, the latter with their own toys, but both equipped with large TV screens. Vending machines are placed in a well-stocked coffee room adjacent to the waiting areas, while the dealership’s parts boutique can be found just down the hall, although Smith admitted that the shelves of the latter are still being filled.

“In the service area, when you drive in over the ramp, it tells you how your tires are wearing, by measuring their tread depth and alignment,” Smith said. “We did a soft open of the service area on Feb. 15, just to make sure everything was working properly. Our goal is to make our technicians more efficient, so that you can spend less time here. It’s all part of our guest advocacy policy, which is to meet your needs and budget.”

The service area alone takes up close to 18,000 of the dealership’s estimated 42,000 square feet of space, and will be complemented by a detailing shop that will serve non-Honda automobiles as well.

“This is a phenomenal facility,” Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring said. “I hope this area can become an auto row in the future. The technology is state-of-the-art, and the folks here have already shown their heart for the community, by donating to groups like the Marysville Community Food Bank.”

Honda of Marysville is located at 15714 Smokey Point Boulevard.