Liberty Bay Auto Center

">Anyone entering Liberty Bay Auto Center in Poulsbo, Washington might think they’ve stepped back in time, to the 1950’s. They might think that they’re in a small diner and that the Fonz may come around the corner any minute.

Although the décor is from the 1950’s, the business is completing its 26th year, and looking forward to another 25 or more.
“I’d love to be right here in another 25 years, celebrating our 50th,” said owner Dean Church. “Our customers know we’re here for them today and we’ll be here for them tomorrow.”

According to Dean, it was his father Sandy who was the motivation behind Liberty Bay Auto Center which came to Poulsbo in 1989. Dean grew up on Bainbridge Island and feels that this plays an important part because this is where his roots are and where his children are growing up also.

His father was a partner with his brother-in-law at Bill Smith Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Toyota, and Volvo in Bremerton over 20 years ago.
When his father sold out of that dealership, Dean opted to sell cars in Seattle but soon found he missed the familiarity of folks in Kitsap County.

“I wanted to connect with people when I worked with them and that just wasn’t happening over there,” he said, “so I came back to Kitsap County and worked for a few years at a local car dealership.”

Dean and his father were looking for a location to begin a pre-owned car business. They discovered the right location when they found the former Poulsbo Lumber yard site at the Head of Liberty Bay in Poulsbo.

They began buying cars and trucks to sell, but until they had the needed permits, they couldn’t put the cars on the property.

“We had 26 vehicles inside this building,” he said. “On the first day we opened, we pulled them all outside. We had five or six employees when we started.”

At the time Liberty Bay Auto Center had a very small service department, and over the years, it, and the sales operation have grown to need every inch of space that large lumber yard had to offer. The building has been renovated and updated several times, including installing Solar Panels on the roof in order to make it more energy efficient.

Liberty Bay Auto Center includes just about any make or model of car, truck or van.

Customers return again, and again because we treat them like family, with respect.

The “Friendliest Car Store on the Planet” actually came from our customers, and it stuck.
In fact, Dean thinks that is why the business succeeded. “We see our customers at the grocery store and all around the Kitsap Peninsula and we want to be able to know that they’re happy with their purchase, service needs and detailing so we make every sale right and we do what we need to see that that happens.”
All vehicles sold are delivered with a full tank of gas, a second set of keys and their first lube, oil and filter change, plus a ninety (90) day warranty and a forty-eight (48) hour money back guarantee.

Liberty Bay Auto Center is known for its complete service, which includes washing and vacuuming your vehicle with every service.
Liberty Bay Auto Center has top rankings from the American Automobile Association and has been named TOP SHOP by AAA for the last 10 years. It has been voted as the West Sounds Best Dealership in Kitsap County for the last five years as well as placing in the top three each year in KING 5’s “Best of Washington Independent Dealer and Auto Detailing. They have also received five stars from the EnviroStar for its environmental work.
Besides the use of Solar Energy they store and use, they also use LED lights inside and outside and replaced florescent tubes with T8 energy-saving tubes.

In all, Liberty Bay Auto Center employs 45+ people in administration, service, detail and sales. Many of them are long time employees who have been with the company since they opened in 1989.

Liberty Bay Auto Center has sold vehicles to families whose children and grandchildren are now buying vehicles.

Like Liberty Bay’s motto says, “The Friendliest Car Store on the Planet,” and that’s another reason why we have been so successful. We look at our customer base as a long term relationship, not just a one-time sale.

Generations have done business with us. We know families and we watch them as they grow. It’s like we’re all just one big family.