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American Motorsports finishes expansions
Published 9:55am Friday, September 14, 2012By Laura Pemberton, Staff Writer
American Motorsports has once again expanded.
The company, which is the Bennington dealer in the Lake Martin area, recently increased covered storage to 29,000 square feet and added a brand new showroom that features the new Bennington boats.
For Deano Vopal, expansion using local is always on the agenda, and keeping money local is a top priority.
“There’s not one day we don’t spend money on expanding,” Vopal said. “We use all local people. Everyone is local.”
Vopal said he uses all local people to complete expansions at their Highway 280 locations because it enables the local economy.
“I like to keep the money local,” Vopal said.
He hopes the expansion will help him better serve American Motorsports’ customers. “We just kept getting more and more request for storage,” Vopal said.
The Highway 280 facility is not only a dealership but a full service boat repair shop, and Vopal said he can totally rebuild a boat without ever leaving his shop.
“Folks on the lake want to enjoy their boats so we try to finish them in a day or two,” Vopal said. “We have more customers requesting to store with us, so we are making that happen. They are not only our customers but our friends and keeping them happy is our number one goal.”
Vopal is a Wisconsin native, who began building drag boats in 1966. He moved to the Lake Martin Area 9 years ago and opened the dealership in 2004.
“These are the friendliest people on the Earth,” Vopal said. “I love it here.”
In announcing another expansion, Vopal said he plans to start a Lake Martin boat show next year.
“I would rather sell a boat here and take care of them here,” Vopal said.
The boat show will be Jan. 18-25. It will feature family friendly activities such as a hay ride, inflatable obstacle course, band and catering.
Vopal invites all members of the community to come out to the event, and to check out the progress of the project on their website at www.amspontoons.com
