IDAHO
The NAPA Auto Parts store in Burley is expanding its store by 2,800 square feet. The store is owned by Debra and Brian Barlow.
David Courier has opened Rooster's Auto Care in Boise, a full-service repair shop named after his dog, Rooster. Courier is a 30-year veteran in automotive service and moved to Boise from Portland in 2004 to be the service manager at Lithia Ford.
OREGON
The Ford dealership in Molalla is again under the management of the Capitol Auto Group, which had attempted to sell the franchise. The new general manager of the firm is John Hoffman, whose father operated the Chevrolet dealership in Molalla for many years.
Dan Nicholson, president of Central Oregon Motors in Redmond, has been named the best independent auto dealer in the state in 2008 by the Oregon Independent Auto Dealers Association.
After 70 years in the fuel business, Gary's Service Station in Cannon Beach has pumped its last gas, said Owner Gary Moon, who has operated the business since 1968. He will sell the property and move the auto repair business that was housed at the station to his five-acre home property.
Lithia Motors Inc. has reported third-quarter earnings of $11.2 million, an increase of 7 percent over 2006. The Medford-based dealership group operates dozens of franchises in western states and has recently expanded into the East.
Brad Newport and Les Barnes have opened Sweet Home Auto Body on Highway 20 in Sweet Home. The 5,000-square-foot shop is equipped with new equipment to provide complete collision repair and painting services.
A recent fire at Hanigan Motors in Ontario caused severe damage to the service department and damaged two vehicles. Until repairs are completed, Hanigan customers are being serviced at the firm's other dealership in nearby Payette, Idaho.
Another fire at Sweet Home Radiator and Muffler Shop destroyed the longtime business, as reported here last month. Owner Ron Forsythe said he has decided not to rebuild the repair firm and will sell the property.
The Honda dealership formerly owned by the Thomason Auto Group in Gladstone is now Jay Lee Honda. Plans have been approved by the city to expand the operation by building a 62,000-square-foot building on the five-acre site. The dealership will remain open during construction.
More than 200 people attended a recent open house to celebrate the relocation of Wheeler Toyota in Grants Pass. The new 32,000-square-foot facility on Redwood Highway houses Oregon's oldest Toyota dealership.
Mike and Sherrie Buckridge, owners of Sun Automotive in Eugene, with a second location in Springfield, have been named the winners of the 2007 CARQUEST Excellence Award. The award recognizes top independent auto repair businesses in North America that exemplify professionalism necessary to build public understanding and respect for people working in the auto service and repair industry. "Sun Automotive exemplifies the commitment of providing quality customer support and satisfaction," said Mile DeSorbo, CARQUEST director of traditional markets. "Their commitment to training is second to none." Both the Buckridges are graduates of the Automotive Management Institute (AMI) management training program and have received their Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designations.
WASHINGTON
Accurate Auto Service recently opened in Snohomish under the ownership of Paul and Lola Deanne. The full-service shop, with ASE-certified technicians, is a NAPA Auto Care Center.
Rocky Shaw has opened Rocky's Auto Clinic in Odessa in the former Chevron station in the town. Shaw operated a Rocky's Auto Clinic in Ephrata from 1979 to 1997.
Auburn Valley Mitsubishi was recently honored for its 25th year in business at a local awards ceremony. The Auburn dealership is one of 10 dealers across the United States that has owned and operated a Mitsubishi franchise since 1982. Auburn Valley was the first dealership in America to sell Mitsubishi-badged vehicles. The award was presented to Owner Wolfgang Roempke by Hiroshi Harunari, president and CEO of Mitsubishi.
Burlington auto dealer Pam Nelson has been named the "Professional and Business Woman of the Year" by the Skagit Woman's Alliance. Nelson, who hails from an auto dealer family in the Puget Sound area, is the sole owner of Foothills Ford.
David Yonaka is the new owner of Cashmere Auto & Truck Repair Service having purchased the business from Randy Rantz. Yonaka, 26, has been a technician at the Cashmere firm and is a graduate of the Wenatchee Valley College's automotive technology program.
Vancouver Toyota will soon begin a $12.5 million expansion of its dealership. A two-story showroom and a new service facility are part of the expansion program, said franchise Owner Marvin McCord.
Seattle-based Six Robblees Inc. recently purchased Western Fleet Supply and its Everett Brake Supply division from bankruptcy court. The Seattle and Tacoma Western Fleet warehouses were closed and the Everett Brake Supply operation was moved a new nearby facility. Paul Fetzer, a longtime Six Robblees employee, is the new manager of the operation. "This acquisition gives us the opportunity to better serve the heavy-duty market in Snohomish County northward to the (Canadian) border," said Tom Ogren, president of the family-owned Six Robblees. The 97-year-old firm operates 18 branches in the Northwest, California, and Alaska that distributes heavy-duty and utility trailer parts, as well as tire shop products and equipment.
Toyota celebrated a milestone in October when it sold its 2 millionth Toyota Certified Used Vehicle (TCUV) in the U.S. to Brian Kabat of Bellevue, his fourth TCUV. While Toyota officials said Kabat was apprehensive about the cost of the 2004 Sienna van's luxury appointments, it turned out to be a great purchase from Toyota of Bellevue. In celebration of the landmark sale, TCUV reimbursed Kabat $36,648 for the total purchase price of the vehicle and a $500 American Express gas card. In addition, TCUV also donated a similar amount to Bellevue's Youth Eastside Services agency and contributed $5,000 to Bellevue's Newport High School Band. Toyota said that no other manufacturer of a single line make has reached the sales milestone.