Lagina Plumbing Helps Fast-Track Opening of Wisconsin's First Smart Car Dealership

Sept. 10, 2007 -- Lagina Plumbing has been selected to develop and install plumbing systems for Wisconsin’s first Smart car dealership, which is being built by Boldt Construction on Milwaukee’s northwest side.

Bergstrom Automotive of Neenah holds the exclusive Wisconsin dealership rights for the Smart line. Its Metro Auto Park along Highway 45 near Good Hope Road in Milwaukee will be the first of three Smart dealerships Bergstrom initially will open. It aims to start selling Smart cars in January of 2008. The other dealerships will be in Madison and in Grand Chute, an Appleton suburb.

“Based on the strong demand for the Smart car, Bergstrom Automotive CEO John Bergstrom wants the Milwaukee dealership open as soon as possible,” said Jim Lagina, owner of the Milwaukee-based commercial and industrial plumbing company. “To accommodate Mr. Bergstrom, we overcame city permitting challenges to allow an early start on work. And with our in-house prefabrication shop, we have already prepared several rest room and other plumbing components efficiently and quickly to meet the condensed project schedule.”

Oscar J. Boldt Construction is part of the Appleton-based Boldt Company and has

Milwaukee-area operations in Waukesha. The company has handled numerous Bergstrom Automotive projects.

“Boldt Construction values its relationship with Bergstrom Automotive and with each sub-contractor we engage for various projects,” said Tony Meeuwsen, the Boldt project manager on the Smart car dealership. “We’re glad to have Lagina Plumbing as a partner on this high-profile project, and appreciate the company's ability to complete jobs on time without sacrificing quality.”

The Smart line of cars is manufactured in Germany through a division of the Mercedes Car Group. The cars have been sold in Canada since 2004, but U.S. safety and environmental regulations have prevented the Canadian models from being driven in the U.S. The car was first introduced in Europe in 1998 as an ultra-compact two-seater.

A version of the Smart Fortwo car was developed to meet U.S. regulations, and will first be available in January. Bergstrom would like to be one of the first dealerships open. “We are doing everything we can to help Boldt Construction meet Mr. Bergstrom’s desire to have Smart cars rolling out of the Milwaukee dealership on Jan. 1,” Lagina said.

The Smart dealership will be adjacent to Bergstrom Automotive’s highly successful Hummer dealership on Metro Boulevard, which was a prototype for Hummer dealership facilities nationwide, and its Bergstrom Chevrolet dealership.

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Contact = Jim Lagina, Lagina Plumbing, 414-645-7527

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