Family-owned Hillcrest Volkswagen to close at the end of the month

The only foreign car dealership in the Alle-Kiski Valley, Hillcrest Volkswagen in Lower Burrell will close at the end of the month.

Owner Bob Bordonaro said Hillcrest made a mutual decision to sell back the franchise to Volkswagen.

“After 40-plus years, we made a decision that it was time to wind down,” Bordonaro said.

Hillcrest is located at 3451 Leechburg Road.

Bordonaro said the decision to close was an emotional move for his whole family.

The names Bordonaro and Hillcrest Volkswagen have been synonymous since 1962, when Bordonaro’s father, Bob Bordonaro Sr., began working as a salesperson at the dealership as an 18-year-old.

The elder Bordonaro worked his way up through the ranks and purchased Hillcrest in March 1980, his son said. Even though the car industry hit a rough period in 1981, Bordonaro Sr. persevered, his son recalled.

Bob, 62, of New Kensington, joined the staff in 1985.

“We were able to grow the business together,” Bordonaro said. “He was the greatest businessperson I have ever known.”

In 2012, Bordonaro’s brother-in-law, Wayne Caprino, joined Hillcrest and is now the sales manager. Six years ago, Bordonaro’s brother, Randy, followed in the family footsteps and is now Hillcrest’s sales manager.

“We’ve had some great experiences with our customers over the past 45 years, and our employees,” Bordonaro said. “We’ve built some great relationships, which is the hardest part of what we’re doing here now. We have a close-knit customer base.

“It’s bittersweet.”

Hillcrest’s 20 employees have been offered jobs at other local Volkswagen dealerships, Bordonaro said.

Mayor Chris Fabry said Hillcrest “has always been more than a business, they are a genuine supporter of our city.”

“I’m happy for Bob as he begins his well-earned retirement, but it’s truly a sad day for Lower Burrell,” Fabry said. “Their generosity toward our police department in particular won’t be easily replaced. I wish him and his team nothing but the best.”

In 2012, the Bordonaro family donated the “anti-drug bug” beetle to the Lower Burrell Police Department’s DARE program. Hillcrest has also hosted an annual Christmas luncheon with city officials and first responders.

Bordonaro said Hillcrest gave back to the community because the community supported the business over the years.

“We wanted to support the city by making sure the city had what it needed,” Bordonaro said. “It was important for us to give back.”

Bordonaro thanked employees, customers and his family for supporting the dealership.

“It’s been much appreciated,” he said.