Eight years in the making

Driving on Highway 99 near Garner Lane in Chico, it’s almost impossible to miss the monumental amount of work underway on the west side of the freeway. If you’ve been an Upgraded Living reader over the past few years, you likely already know exactly what’s going on—the realization of a dream eight years in the making.

Diane and Jerry Pajouh purchased Courtesy Automotive Center in May 2015. Now, as they celebrate their eighth anniversary, they are nearing completion of the promise they made to themselves when they first moved to Chico. “We moved here with our family, purchased the business, and began working on plans to completely move the facility while putting our signatures on the store itself.” Diane said, “We bought the property on Garner as soon as we arrived and knew it would be the perfect place for our new auto center.”

Calling it an auto center is no exaggeration, as it will be home to seven unique brands: BMW, Mercedes, GMC, Cadillac, Volvo, Buick, and Subaru. Together, the brands will offer a breadth of options from entry-level vehicles to luxury, each with its own offering of electric vehicles. Diane raved, “We’re at the cusp of electrification, and we’ve designed the new auto center to provide everything necessary for that giant leap into electrification. We have a variety of electric vehicles available for sale today and many more on the way.”

The all-electric Subaru Solterra sits in one of their showrooms as proof of that statement. Perfectly reminiscent of the Subaru vehicles that many have come to know and love, it comes with standard symmetrical all-wheel drive and a luxurious interior at a price point far lower than most electric vehicles. Additional electric vehicles for sale now are the BMW i4, iX, and i7; the Mercedes EQB, EQS, and EQS SUV; and the Volvo C40 and XC40. The Cadillac Lyric and GMC Hummer Electric are expected any day now. The new automotive center will sell, service, and care for all vehicles, gas and electric-powered, in the same location.

Though the growth and evolution of the business are awe-inspiring, there’s undoubtedly more to it than just its new location. “Culture and customer service have been everything to us since the day we took over.” Diane said, “In a male-dominated industry, where approximately 85% of the buying decisions are influenced by women, it was important for Jerry and myself to provide a more welcoming atmosphere to our business. I wanted to bring together a team of women who loved cars, were knowledgeable about them, and were excited to assist customers throughout the car ownership journey. I’m proud to say we’re well on our way and couldn’t be more thrilled with the team we’ve put together. Pictured above are, Jessica, our BDC sales manager; Kylie, our office manager; and Sandra who runs our guest relations department. We employ 25 other women in various areas of our company, and we are also a family business. Our niece Michelle is our social media director and our daughter, Jesika, will start in May as a product genius. Truly, these women are absolutely phenomenal, and we couldn’t do what we do without them.”

With a brand new auto center right around the corner, Diane couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come, and neither can we. Keep up on updates for the Pajouh’s new automotive center at www.chicocourtesy.com or on any of their social media profiles.