Auto outlet seeks to fill void in Maricopa

Even before officially opening – even before receiving an occupancy permit from the city – Maricopa Auto Outlet had would-be customers driving in to check things out.

"Our goal is to find our customer the least expensive car that best fits their needs,"  said owner Roman Bylkov.

A buy-sell-or-trade business, Maricopa Auto Outlet has had shoppers for the first handful of cars Bylkov put on display and others ready to drop off their vehicles.

Moving to Maricopa from Alaska, Bylkov and his wife Haley started the process of opening a car lot in May. They saw there was an automotive void waiting to be filled, but there were still challenges.

“Searching for land out here was tough,” Haley Bylkov said.

Eventually, they found the 12,000-square-foot lot at 19828 N. John Wayne Parkway. A variety of non-permitted businesses had made use of the site when it was just a dirt lot, including car sales. Bylkov said now people don’t have to park their vehicles in at a shopping center or on the street with a for-sale sign in hopes of finding a buyer.

“It’s a decent location,” said Ken Fitch of Maricopa, a partner in the venture with 25 years’ experience in franchise dealerships. “Around 30,000 cars drive by every day. It has good frontage, and it’s right in the middle of the Heritage area.”

Bylkov has been in the business 10 years, though he is only 26. Born in Russia, he went to college in Alaska, earning a degree in global logistics and supply chain management, and sent vehicles to Russia. The war in Ukraine, he said, impacted the value of the ruble, which impacted his business.

Haley has a lot of family in Maricopa, and the couple saw the opportunity to make a change.

“Arizona is so spread out. People drive so much,” Bylkov said. “They need cars, whether it be farmers looking for a great deal on a truck, commuters looking for a vehicle with great gas mileage, or large families looking for a safe van or SUV.”