To Dillon Hunt, people entering the newly opened Noller Automotive Supercenter aren’t customers, but rather guests.  

“A customer is a transactional experience. A guest is someone you welcome into your home and treat them,” the general manager of the automotive center said.  

While the large facility located off Basecamp Drive in South Kalispell can be daunting on approach, upon heading through the glass doors the brightly lit open-floor plan and light-hearted banter among employees gives away that it's family-owned and operated roots.  

“The family aspect is prevalent and it’s the focus of who we are as people and as a company,” Hunt said. “We’re one big family here, and that’s the culture we are looking for.” 

The super center is the first to venture out of Kansas, where Laird Noller Auto Group owns several dealerships and service centers. In some ways, though, the business is coming back home. 

Steve Noller, the third-generation owner since being opened by his grandfather over 60 years ago, has lived in the Flathead Valley for 15 years. Hunt said Noller’s motivation to expand to Kalispell came after the pandemic put the brakes on automotive sales and service.  

The over $12.5 million facility has 13 bay doors and 20 lifts, servicing everything from passenger cars to 18-wheelers. 

Having been with Laird Noller Auto Group for seven years, Dillon noticed that many automotive centers often aren’t communicative with customers on service wait times.  

“I call it stiff arming because I’m into football,” he said. “Just being told we’ll get to you when we get to you. That’s not customer service. That’s not what we’re about.” 

The business offers guaranteed visitation within 48 hours of requested service.  

Hunt said Noller Automotive also prides itself in selling quality pre-owned vehicles with a three-month, 3,000-mile warranty. The high-volume dealer uses market price within a 1,000-mile range. 

Hunt said the goal is to serve not just the Kalispell area but also become a destination dealer.  

“We’ve already sold vehicles from customers as far as Oregon,” he said. “With our pricing model, it just allows us to sell higher volume and attain a big clientele.” 

Hunt said that roughly 50 people are currently employed at the center, coming from both the Flathead and other parts of the country.  

The first of its kind in the Noller Automotive family, the business offers a veteran’s discount of $1,000 off online car prices and 10% off service. Hunt, who served in the Navy, got the idea after visiting Black Rifle Coffee Company’s Kalispell location, which offers veteran and first responder discounts.  

“I want to make sure that people are rewarded from that,” he said.   

Being family-owned and operated, Hunt said it allows him to provide a more intimate customer experience that would prove difficult in a larger corporation. “I’m given that full freedom and flexibility to always take care of the customer.”  

The center began serving customers roughly three weeks ago, and Hunt said that in the first two weeks, around 40 cars were sold. 

While still in its infancy, Noller Automotive has already gotten involved in the community, sponsoring the Flathead Valley Parade of Homes and the Ducks Unlimited banquet fundraiser earlier in the month. Hunt also said the business is one of the main sponsors of Bigfork schools.    

When he moved to Kalispell, Hunt was reminded of the small town he grew up in in Texas which he found refreshing after moving from Kansas City.  “Everybody knows everybody.” 

"The community is amazing,” he said. “We needed to get back to living in that community that looks out for one another, I feel like this is that community.” 

Jokingly, Hunt said that there is a level of accountability that comes with running an automotive service in a tight-knit community where word gets around.  

“We had a guy buy a truck from us the other day, and I ran into him at a coffee shop,” he said. “If we were a dealer that was not doing things the right way and not giving people a good experience, I don’t want to walk across someone in a coffee shop.”  

The center’s grand opening will be held on Oct. 4.  

Noller Automotive Supercenter is located at 1001 Basecamp Dr., Kalispell. Call 406-609-4600 or visit www.nollerautosupercenter.com.  

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at junderhill@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4407. 

    Technician Shawn Henry works under the hood of a Chevrolet Suburban at Noller Automotive Supercenter on Tuesday, Sept. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Dillon Hunt, general manager of Noller Automotive Supercenter at 1001 Basecamp Drive, on Tuesday, Sept. 10. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider