Steve Klein
Steve Klein
Klein Honda
Everett, Washington
“The most rewarding part of my retail automotive career is the personal satisfaction of giving back to others out of our own bounty. I enjoy the daily interaction with my employees, watching them succeed and encouraging their advancement in the company. All this has contributed to the excellent reputation we have earned in our community.”
Klein is a 1973 graduate of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, where he received a degree in business administration. While he was the owner of a Honda motorcycle store and ski and bicycle shop, he was approached to add a Honda car franchise to his portfolio.
“That was 1976 and I was so successful, I built three Honda stores at three different locations each time I outgrew the building and property,” he said. Today, he is solely focused on Honda automobiles and his son, Rory, is the next generation to join the family dealership.
Klein served as president of the Puget Sound Automobile Dealers Association from 2012 to 2015 and was instrumental in merging the group into the Washington State Auto Dealers Association (WSADA). “With the merger, WSADA became the owner of the Seattle International Auto Show, increasing revenues and attendance, while reducing expenses,” he said.
For his contributions to the auto industry, quality dealership operations, and outstanding community service, Klein received the Robert P. Mallon Dealer of the Year Award from WSADA in 2015.
A longtime and generous supporter of numerous local organizations, Klein and his wife, Carol, are benefactors of the Providence Regional Medical Center Everett. Each year Klein and Carol support its Festival of Trees event and the purchase of a specialized incubator for the neonatal intensive care unit to eliminate the need to transfer premature babies to a Seattle hospital.
In addition, he has contributed to the Everett Performing Arts Center and its KIDSTAGE; Mukileto Schools Foundation; American Red Cross Northwest Region (major sponsor of Snohomish County Heroes Breakfast); Schack Art Center in Everett (sponsor of Schack-toberfest, which features a glass pumpkin patch and harvest art); Cocoon House in Everett (provides housing for homeless and at-risk individuals); Imagine Children’s Museum (Everett); Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County and the Everett Family YMCA, to name a few.
“I’ve found that if you donate your time and money to wonderful causes you believe in, you will increase your visibility in the community,” he said. “People will see you as more than a car dealer; they will see you as a deeply valued member of the community.”
Klein was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Vicki Giles Fabré, Executive Vice President of the Washington State Auto Dealers Association. He and his wife, Carol, have three children.
