ALASKA
Greg and Robert Durdik have sold their four local NAPA Auto Parts stores in Fairbanks to Genuine Parts Co. and are planning to move to northern Michigan. The NAPA stores began as Brown & Sons Auto Parts in 1978.
IDAHO
The NAPA Auto Parts store in Moscow is under new ownership. Norman Terhaar purchased the store from Dean Boyce. Terhaar has been in the auto parts business since 1982 and managed the NAPA outlet in Lewiston for the past nine years.
Harsh winter weather in the Panhandle has caused dramatically increased business at collision repair shops in the region. Several shops in the greater Coeur d' Alene area are reporting long backups for repairs.
OREGON
Assured Performance Cooperative, the world's largest network of independently owned collision repair shops, has announced its 2008 board of directors to represent the 3,500 qualified shops in the United States. Ron Reichen of Precision Body & Paint in Beaverton has been elected to the board representing the Northwest Region of the cooperative.
Jim Houser and Liz Dally, co-owners of Portland's Hawthorne Auto Clinic, recently received the Small Business of the Year award from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The award was presented to the pair at the BBB Business of the Year Torch Awards ceremony. Hawthorne had the highest combined score in the categories of Customer Service, Community Involvement, and Innovative Business Practices.
The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has announced that the Oregon Collision Repair Specialists (OCRS) is the newest affiliate association of the nationwide group. "Body shops face many complex challenges right now…and OCRS will strive to address repairer issues at the local, state, and national levels," said Ed Dahm, OCRS executive director. "I take it as a tremendous vote of confidence that Ed Dahm, a contributing SCRS board member for years, saw fit to recommend us as part of his group's strategic plan," said Farzam Afshar, SCRS board chairman. OCRS was formed in December 2007. SCRS is comprised of 34 affiliate associations and has 6,000 collision repair businesses as part of its group.
Portland Transmission Warehouse (PTW) will celebrate its 70th anniversary at an open house on the afternoon of April 5 after sponsoring a morning transmission clinic at nearby Bradshaw's Service Center in Portland. The longtime wholesale parts distributor will also present its 26th annual Spring Classic Auto Exhibit & Gathering on May 10, one of the Portland area's most popular collector car shows.
The Hood River Auto Group has consolidated its operations into one location in Hood River. Hood River Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge has moved to the recently closed Ford dealership location it had operated and will focus on Chrysler product sales and service.
The NAPA Auto Parts store in Sandy has a new location on U.S. 26 after decades of operating on Proctor Boulevard. Managed by Mel Gandee, who previously operated the NAPA store in Molalla, the new location features 1,500 more square feet than the former site.
Ken Thomas has opened Benz Plus LLC, a repair facility in Medford that specializes in serving Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The technician at the shop is Rick Landis, a factory-trained Master Mercedes-Benz tech with 22 years of experience.
Radke Auto Parts in Portland celebrated its 75th anniversary on Jan. 19. Founder Julius Radke started the business as a service station, and he reported first-day sales of 13 cents. Today, the firm is owned by Merlin Radke, the son of the founder.
After 47 years in the new-car business, Tom Delon has sold his dealerships in Salem to Seattle-Tacoma area auto dealer Mike O'Brien. The deal includes Delon's BMW, Honda, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, and Volvo franchises. O'Brien operates Lexus, Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover, Acura, and Toyota dealerships in Washington.
Grants Pass Transmission & Auto Repair has moved to new quarters on Dowell Road. The business is owned by the Neal family.
The Portland Auto Show in late January was another success for area dealers. Lots of hybrids, concepts, and new releases fresh from the Detroit auto show were displayed.
WASHINGTON
A unique auto service center that will offer affordable or free vehicle repairs to low-income and homeless families in Tacoma will be expanding it operations early next year. The facility is a one-of-a-kind addition to Pierce County's social services program and is coordinated by Wendell Wilson, the program manager of Network-Tacoma Community Garage. Wilson secured a $139,000 Pierce County Community Block Grant to build the new facility at 1635 Center St. Wilson started the community garage program some years ago but operated out of a small space, with retired technician and shop owner Roger LaCelle performing much of the service work along with his son and another volunteer technician. Groundbreaking for the new repair center is expected in May or June.
Park Place Motors of Bellevue recently announced a pledge of $250,000 for the LeMay Car Museum in Tacoma. The gift was made by David Bingham, CEO of Park Place, in support of the "Drive for America's Car Museum" campaign to build a museum to house the Harold E. LeMay collection, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest privately held car collection in the world. At its peak, the collection exceeded 3,000 vehicles. The planned museum will feature a permanent collection of 1,200 cars and a variety of automotive memorabilia.
The Alan Webb Mazda-Dodge dealerships will move from its cramped 78th Street location in Hazel Dell to a 5-acre site near Vancouver Ford on State Highway 500. The two dealerships sell about 1,600 vehicles a year. Alan Webb also owns Nissan and Saturn franchises in Vancouver and a Saturn dealership in Gresham, Ore.
A new Triumph motorcycle dealership has opened in Spokane Valley under the ownership of Bob Ellis. Empire Cycle will occupy about 10,000 square feet of the former used-car building of Dishman Dodge.
Seattle Magazine recently awarded Automotive Brake & Service in the International District with the Cleanest Back-Alley Garage award. The shop has been owned by brothers Art and Gordon Habu for the past 33 years. Art Habu said he paints the floor every year and keeps the shop immaculate at all times.
ARC Manufacturing, a firm that manufactures welding units for the collision repair industry, has expanded into larger quarters and will hire additional employees at its new 12,400-square-foot Spokane site at 314 E. Jackson St. The 13-year-old firm had been operating in a 5,000-square-foot facility.
Drivelines NW Inc. is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2008. The Everett-based firm was founded by David Lee, whose son, David "D.J." Lee, operates the business today with locations in Seattle, Fife, and Everett. A new Seattle location on South Brandon Street was opened in January.
In memoriam: Vincent "Bud" Heckenkamp, 80, of Kirkland died Jan. 15. Services were Jan. 19 at St. Brendan's Catholic Church in Bothell. A submariner in World War II, Heckenkamp spent his professional life in the automotive industry and for more than 30 years was the Holley rep in the Northwest. He was known for his extensive knowledge of carburetors and engine systems, as well as being a practical joker with friends and business associates. His sharp wit and humorous pranks were well known to those in the automotive trade.
In memoriam: William A. "Bill" Regalia II, 85, died in Redmond Jan. 12. After two years at the University of Washington, he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard and was sent to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, where he helped to raise ships sunk during the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack. He later patrolled the waters off Oregon until the end of the war. In 1950, Regalia and his brother Don purchased Regalia Auto Parts in Seattle (later with branches in Bellevue area) from his father. He remained at the NAPA stores until his retirement. He was active in industry affairs and was one of the founders of the Washington Automotive Wholesalers Association (WAWA) in 1960 and served as its chairman from 1966-1967. He was also active in Rotary Club. As an avid sailor and golfer, he was also a member of the Seattle Yacht Club and Overlake Golf Club. The family asks that memorial gifts be sent to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
In memoriam: Terry E. Bentley, 58, of Sweet Home died Jan. 11. He worked as a technician at various locations before opening his own repair business, Terry Bentley Auto Repair, some 30 years ago. He was also the transportation superintendent for the Sweet Home School District for many years. An avid drag racer from 1966 to 1972, he switched to dirt-track racing and participated in that venue for more than 35 years. His shop continues to be operated by John Swanson, the manager for the past 10 years.
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