Marina Auto Center Nissan

1152 Marina Blvd
San Leandro, CA 94577
Phone: 888-275-9947
Fax: 510-297-0192

"We are united in the absolute belief that, every single day, we must provide a professional and supportive environment which exemplifies pride, enthusiasm, honesty, and caring for all our customers and employees." 1914 - The Journey Begins Founded in 1914 by a young, enlightened Lloyd A. Wise who brought a new, fresh vision and culture to the business of selling and servicing America's finest cars. His desire and attention to customer service left a footprint few can walk in.

"Deliver What You Promise"

Blessed with a fresh vision and a passion for automobiles, Lloyd A. Wise opened his first Oldsmobile dealership in downtown Oakland in 1945. His credo was simple: deliver what you promise. He believed in building a relationship with his customers long before it became a fashionable mantra. His automotive business thrived.

"The Batarse Era"

In 1972, Lloyd Wise had the vision to realize things were changing. At a young 72 years of age he knew it was time to pass the management of his heritage to someone else. Mr. Wise chose Anthony Batarse, Jr., a 38 year old Hispanic with a drive for success and seven children who helped remind Tony of his need to succeed. So in June of 1972 the future of Lloyd Wise Companies passed to Tony. Tony's first act was to try to surround himself with people who would live by his vision of dedication, hard work and customer service. He found such a person in Steve Rodman, a 22 year old fresh out of college and not certain of where his future would lie. Twenty-seven years later Tony and Steve are still together. A brief description and chronology of some of their accomplishments are listed below:

Bold Heritage

	1914	Lloyd A. Wise establishes himself as a top automobile salesperson at a Buick dealership in Carthage, Missouri.
	1920	Moved to California and opened his first automotive dealership in Fresno, California.
	1928	Opened a Chevrolet dealership on San Pablo Avenue in Albany, California.
	1935	Built an Oldsmobile/GMC dealership on 35th Avenue and East 14th Street in Oakland, California.
	1964	A new state-of-the-art facility opens on 105th Avenue and East 14th Street in Oakland, California, fulfilling Mt. Wise's desire to open a "Dream Dealership."
	1972	Mr. Wise hires Anthony Batarse, Jr. General Sales Manager of his Oldsmobile Dealership. One week later, Tony hires Steve Rodman as a rookie salesperson.
	1973	Tony convinces Mr. Wise that it is time to expand. The then Oldsmobile and GMC truck franchise needed bolstering. Much to Mr. Wise's dismay Tony showed him the merits of an upstart company just entering the country selling small economy cars. So with a $500.00 parts investment and a sign Lloyd Wise Companies welcomed Honda to its selection of products for its customers.
	1974	Honda rocks the market by introducing its new engine technology the Civic CVCC engine. Being more fuel efficient and reliable the Honda franchise starts to take off.
	1976	With the sad passing of Mr. Wise, Tony takes his rightful place as leader and owner of the company. Tony's desire is to grow and become a mega-dealer.
	1977	With brisk Honda sales and Oldsmobile sales breaking all records Tony negotiates for 4 more acres of land to expand and build a separate Honda facility adjacent to the Oldsmobile/GMC store.
	1978	After mastering the finance department and with expansion plans on his mind Tony promotes Steve Rodman to General Sales Manager of Lloyd Wise Companies opening the field for Tony to grow the company beyond even his wildest dreams.
	1979	The opening of a new state of the art separate Honda facility occurs. 1980 Tony starts to expand and buys the local Datsun dealership out. This is the beginning of an expansion of dealerships and facilities throughout the 80's.
	1984	Tony moves his expansion plan and buys a Buick/GMC dealership in Hanford, California.
	1986	With the success of Honda, Tony builds and opens Poway Honda in Southern California.
	1987	The growth continues with the opening of the Acura dealership in Concord, California.
	1990	Tony begins to negotiations on developing Vacaville Automall. A Forward thinking vision of multi franchise locations conveniently located off the freeway.
	1992	The growth continues with the opening of the Honda dealership in Brentwood, California
	1993	Tony becomes one of the original Saturn dealers in the Eastbay opening 4 locations in under a year. The Saturn philosophy helps mold Tony's vision of sales through the customer's eyes. This was the precursor to the "Square" philosophy. Under the leadership of Steve Rodman, the "Square" philosophy begins to take form.
	1994	The growth continues with the opening of the Nissan dealership in Vacaville, California.
	1995	Tony's vision of nurturing employees as well as growing franchises is exemplified with the opening of Chrysler of Vacaville. In 1980, a young African American sales associate named Clarence Williams begins working for Lloyd Wise Companies. By 1995, Tony and Clarence create a partnership, which allows Clarence to become the dealer/operator of Chrysler of Vacaville.
	1997	The growth continues with the opening of the Chevrolet dealership in Albany, California.
	1998	The growth continues with the opening of the Volkswagen dealership in Vacaville, California
	1999	Lloyd Wise Companies moves to San Leandro and changes its name to "Marina Square Auto Center. " The Square" philosophy, which was conceived in 1993 by Tony and Steve, takes form. Marina Square promise is simple, "Maximize value, Minimize the process." It began with reshaping our sales department and committing to making your buying experience a pleasant one. Our philosophy hearkens back to a more relaxed time when a handshake was all you needed to get an honest price, great service... a SQUARE DEAL.

In 1968 George Assoun came to America from France to visit members of his family....He stayed. For the next 23 years he was involved in every aspect of the automobile business from Sales to Management and Ownership of various dealerships throughout California. From 1991 through 1999 Mr. Assoun was a partner in a Toyota dealership in Hayward California. After selling this business, he and his wife Kelly and their two children took some time to be with each other....It was not long before George was looking for another dealership to purchase. On 9/20/01 George Assoun became the proud owner of the premier Nissan/Hyundai/KIA dealership in the East Bay area. George Assoun Owner Marina Square Auto Center