Tesla Motors, the electric car company with a one-year waiting list of 1,100 buyers, opened a dealership in Menlo Park on July 15. 

Kohlweiss Auto Parts of Redwood City recently acquired certain assets of the Reed Distributing Co. (RDC).   Kohlweiss purchased the Reed Distributing name and the right to do business as Reed Distributing.  No leases or inventory were acquired.  Chuck Robinson, president of Reed, will work for Kohlweiss.

Niello BMW of Elk Grove held its grand opening on June 26.  The evening, titled "Come Get a Taste," featured a wine tasting, a menu sampling, and the unveiling of three of BMW's newest vehicles.  A special highlight of the event was a presentation of $1,000 by Niello BMW to the Elk Grove Teen Center.

Bay Area Kenworth, a heavy- and medium-duty truck dealership with headquarters in Oakland, recently added locations in Gilroy, Redding, and Eureka to increase business in Northern California. 

 
Santa Rosa Nissan recently began construction work to become the first green Nissan dealership to apply for a gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.  The 12-month project will include installation of a 98-kilowatt solar array that will generate 75 percent of the dealership's energy.  The interior of the dealership will feature natural light, an efficient heating and air conditioning system aided by large ceiling fans, and tiles and carpeting made of recycled material.

Bonanza Ford-Lincoln-Mercury in Sonoma is being sold to Chuck Holder, owner of Holder Ford-Lincoln-Mercury in Lakeport.  Holder said he will reopen the dealership as Holder Ford-Lincoln-Mercury of Sonoma.

Hobbie Auto Center in Orland received the Toyota Motor Sales President's award for the fifth time.

Frank Montelongo, owner of San Francisco Auto Body in Stockton, was chosen as businessman of the year by the San Joaquin Chamber of Commerce on July 11 at an awards ceremony at the Sheraton Stockton hotel.

Under a new law, all new cars being sold in California will be required to display a window sticker that indicates how the vehicle's greenhouse gas emissions compare with other vehicles of the same model year.  The law is the first on it kind in the nation and takes effect Jan. 1.

Elk Grove Ford closed its doors on June 30, succumbing to the weak economy, according to parent company Keil Enterprises.

Shannon Tallchief of Petaluma, convicted of embezzling $440,000 from Marin Acura, was sentenced to nine months in county jail and five years' probation on June 26.

Steve Sharp, executive vice president of enterprise brand management for WORLDPAC in Newark, was recently named secretary to the California/Nevada/Arizona Automotive Wholesalers' Association (CAWA) board. 

 
The Fourth District Court of Appeals ruled in favor of flexible policies regarding on-the-job meal and rest breaks on July 22, siding with employers.  In the decision, the court stated that employers are not responsible for ensuring that their workers take their meal and rest breaks.  Employers are obligated only to make those breaks available.  The decision will allow flexibility for both employers and employees, who may want to determine when they take work breaks, supporters of the decision said. The California Labor Federation has indicated that an appeal is likely.