Nestled at the base of the San Cayetano Mountains, near the Los Padres National Forest in the bedroom community of Fillmore, is a unique automotive dealership that is home to the bell and the bears.

Schaier's Auto Center, with a motto of "Bear to be Different," gives away a cute and cuddly stuffed bear with every car it sells. This is not just any stuffed bear, but a large and fluffy bear that puts other, much smaller stuffed bears to shame. Along with the stuffed bear, the proud new owner of a new or used car gets to ring the brass bell on the wall of the showroom as all 24 employees cheer the transaction.

Schaier's is extremely proud of the faith its customers put in the dealership and it believes wholeheartedly in the Chrysler product. The bell signifies to the employees that a customer has purchased a car and has become a part of the Schaier family. It is dedicated to making a customer happy and it wants to keep that customer in the family for as long as they own their car. In addition, it prides itself on repeat business.

"The bear is our way of promoting a family atmosphere," explained Terry Schaier, the son of owner Art Schaier. "We are dedicated to customer satisfaction."

The bear idea was started by the elder Schaier many years ago at another dealership in Long Beach.

The bear idea has caught on in the quaint Fillmore community. Besides the stuffed bear, on any given day you might catch a full-sized costumed bear waving to customers traveling along Highway 126. Although several real live wild bears have been known to wander down into Fillmore from the Los Padres National Forest, the bear in the costume has one main interest. His goal is to attract customers and make children happy. He does a great job. You can see the excitement on the faces of children as their parents drive by the dealership and they catch a glimpse of the adorable, life-sized bear.

"The kids just love it," according to Bob Knaperek, better known by his stage name of Bob K., who, along with Troy Rader, perform the General Manager duties for the dealership. "We are extremely proud of this dealership. This all started with a vision from owner Art Schaier to provide a great product and incorporate no-hassle and no-stress buying into a sales transaction."

On Sunday, once a month, customers are treated to a live broadcast from KLAM-FM (103.7). This provides a partylike atmosphere and allows customers to relax while shopping for a car in a comfortable, laid-back atmosphere. The soothing music produced by the DJ can calm even the most savage bear.

Schaier's is very involved in the community and appreciates the reward of giving back to the City of Fillmore. It is a proud sponsor of the Fillmore High School football team and contribute regularly to the program. It has become a major part of the community.

Schaier's offers many rebate programs from $1,000 all the way up to $7,500 on select models. It also offers zero-percent financing on most 2008 model cars and trucks.

Schaier's has a factory trained staff of mechanics in its service department that offers state-of-the-art equipment.

Although small in size, the advantage is tremendous. The service department can remember the names of most customers and recognize them by the cars they drive. It is open on Saturdays for the convenience of its customers who work during the week.

Besides the bear and the bell, other mottos have been tried. "Drive a little — save a lot" is a motto that has been used along with "Get your kicks on Route 126." However, the time-tested motto that's destined to stick is "Bear to be Different."

Schaier's Auto Center is at 955 W. Ventura Street in Fillmore, on the corner of Highway 126 and Ventura Street. It can be reached at 524-2277 or through its Web site at http://www.schaiersauto.com/.