Maite will see the groundbreaking for a purpose-built Cars Plus superstore in 2006.

Joey Crisostomo president of Cars Plus LLC told the Journal that the long-planned move was prompted by the success of Cars Plus and other divisions a sign of his confidence in Guam’s future and a feeling that the Maite area would see other growth.

The sale of the eight-acre property on Route 8 closed on July 22 and the land is already being cleared.

“It’s in a very good location that is central with easy access. We plan to build a state-of-the-art automotive sales and service facility ” he said. Cycles Plus of which Crisostomo is also president will likewise find a new home in the Maite location. “We’ll have everything in one piece of property with a lot of room ” Crisostomo said.

He said planning and design had already begun. “We have some preliminary sketches of the type of design we’re looking at. It’s going to be close to what we’re looking at as far as a rendering.

“Hopefully the ground breaking will be early next year and it will be built and we can move in early 2007 ” he said.

Crisostomo said the group has expanded since the beginning of its business in 1999.

Cars Plus reported revenues of $11.93 million for 2002 and $17.71 million for 2003 in the Deloitte and Touch/Guam Business Top 50 companies in Micronesia survey in the Fourth Quarter 2004 issue of the magazine. “Our business has been pretty good. We’ve had steady growth since we started in ’99. We sold 750 units last year and we are on track for a 1 000-unit number this year. We outgrew the properties two years ago — we’re leasing our property now.”

Cars Plus and Cycles Plus presently face each other on opposite sides of Marine Corps Drive in East Agana on land owned by Jones & Guerrero Co.

The property would allow for yet further expansion he said.

“Eight acres is much larger than industry guidelines call for.” A four and-1/2 to five-acre site would have met present needs Crisostomo said but the company was looking to the future.

Crisostomo also said that Maite was ripe for further development. “I think we will see future growth in that area.”

Corporate executives of lines that the dealership represents were involved in planning he said.

“I met with Chrysler in Irvine Calif. and I’ve been consulting with Hyundai in Australia. They are as excited about it as we are.”

Cycles Plus carries Suzuki and Kawasaki motorcycles. Rentals Plus which does business as Payless Car Rental opened in October 1999 and Cycles Plus was added to the group in 2003. Crisostomo together with Joseph “Jerry” Kramer chief executive of Pacific International Inc. was joint 2004 Guam Business Executive of the Year.

The Maite property will give Cars Plus one of the largest auto-dealer footprints in the region.

Triple J Motors Guam broke ground on Oct. 2 on a 50 000-square-foot automotive dealership and corporate offices. Dick Pacific Construction Co. Ltd. (Guam) is constructing the facility on Marine Corps Drive. The project is due for completion in December. Rooftop parking on the Triple J facility will allow for upward expansion of the two-story building. Triple J Motors does business as Ford Mazda Volvo Lincoln Mitsubishi and Suzuki car brands.

Nissan Motor Corp. in Guam sits on a Marine Corps Drive lot which it expanded in 2004 to include an adjacent property rented from the Rosario family. Nissan also has a used-car facility in Hagåtña.

Atkins Kroll’s dealership sits on about a three-acre property on Marine Corps Drive in Tamuning. AK recently upgraded sections of its property. AK represents Toyota Lexus and Chevrolet.

Prestige Automobiles which does business as BMW and Land Rover opened its 40 000-square-foot facility on Marine Corps Drive in Dededo on Dec. 2 1999.

Marks Motors which does business as Honda sits on Marine Corps Drive Tamuning on property owned by M. V. Pangilinan Enterprises Inc.

Paul J. Bordallo president of Family Finance Co. Inc. sold the Maite property to Crisostomo directly without involvement of a Realtor Crisostomo said.

The eight acres comprise half of a 16-acre site formerly housing the Micronesia Hotel. The hotel and its apartments saw 23 of the 45 aging buildings at the complex destroyed by Supertyphoon Omar which hit Guam on Aug. 28 1992. Damage at the time was estimated at $20 000. MBJ