IDAHO
NAPA Auto Parts held a ribbon-cutting ceremony recently on its expanded location in Burley. Owned by Brian and Debra Barlow, the store has been a NAPA 5-Star Excellence Winner for the past two years.
Rogers Motors in Lewiston is expanding its Toyota and Scion dealerships, adding 10,000 square feet. Owner Rick Rogers is also opening Snake River Auto RV and Marine in Lewiston, a boat and used RV and vehicle business.
Rick's Mitsubishi in Pocatello has become Phil Meador Mitsubishi. Former Owner Rick Collins has purchased a dealership in Sioux Falls, Iowa, and sold the franchise to Phil Meador, who operates two other dealerships in Pocatello.
OREGON
Russ and Ann Humbertson, owners of Russ Beaverton Toyota, have been selected to receive the 2008 Providence Child Center Foundation Heart of Gold award for their longtime community involvement.
Auto dealers in the Bend area expect vehicle sales for 2008 to be as good as 2007 or better, according to a report in the Bend Bulletin. Sales of hybrids are expected to boost sales this year.
The Portland Auto Show is over, and it's hot-rod season in Portland. Two popular annual shows will be presented in the Portland area this month. The Portland Rod & Custom Show will be held at the Portland Expo Center on Feb. 15-17, and the Portland Roadster Show will be staged at the Oregon Convention Center on Feb. 29-March 2.
Performance Warehouse (PW) has announced that its annual Jobber Show will be presented April 27 at the Portland Expo Center. The event draws thousands of parts professionals from throughout the Northwest and California. Family-owned PW operates distribution centers in Hillsboro and Medford, as well in Tacoma and Sacramento.
"It's exciting to see a bill we worked on in the legislature become law (effective Jan. 1), basically reiterating a consumer's right to select the motor vehicle repair shop of their choice," said Barbara Crest, executive director of the Northwest Automotive Trades Association (NATA) in Portland. "And that Oregon law prohibits an insurer from requiring a consumer to get repairs of their vehicles at a particular shop," she said. Crest said NATA has "Did you know it's the law" counter cards available for shops in Oregon.
WASHINGTON
Tom Gilstrap has opened Elite Automotive on Fourth Plain Boulevard in Vancouver, a Lexus and Toyota specialty repair shop. Ryan Spring, a Lexus factory master technician, is the shop foreman at the new facility.
Auto dealers in Renton are on the move with expanded or new facilities. Younker Nissan, a longtime fixture in the city, will open a new facility near its 40-year-old site between the East Valley Highway and State Route 167 at a cost of about $8.5 million. Renton Honda has completed its $9 million renovation with an expansion from 43,000 square feet to more than 100,000 square feet that includes a vastly expanded service department. Bob Bridge Toyota has doubled the size of its store on Rainier Avenue South to 75,000 square feet at a cost of $11 million. And Sound Ford recently spent millions to move into new facilities along Interstate 405 just across from its former location.
The National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) has added 12 new members to its list of companies that have achieved Member Verification Program (MVP) status, including L&M Truck Sales in Spokane. To qualify for MVP status, NTEA member distributor and manufacturer members must meet stringent criteria that include providing quality products to the market, complying with regulatory requirements, providing adequate liability insurance coverage, and employing ASE-certified technicians and/or welders.
American Tire Corp. of Chino, Calif., has announced that it will spend $500 million to build a factory to make over-the-raod tires in Washington state in 2008. The proposed plant, with a site location yet to be determined, will initially build 18,000 OTR tires annually with full capacity of 50,000 units by 2010.
Empire Ford in Spokane recently closed under a consolidation deal with Ford Motor Co. that Owner Nate Greene considered for more than a year. Greene had owned the longtime downtown dealership for the past 21 years. Two Ford dealers remain in the greater Spokane market.
Construction is under way for an $11 million building in Vancouver's Avenue Business Park to house Roadmaster Inc., a Portland manufacturer of RV parts and accessories. Roadmaster will move its 300-employee operation later this year.
Five Star Toyota in Aberdeen was recently ranked first in customer sales satisfaction among more than 1,200 Toyota dealers nationwide.
In memoriam: Ray L. Saling, 87, died in Spokane on Dec. 31. Saling operated Ray's Truck Service in Spokane from 1939 until his retirement in 1980, turning the business over to his son, Jerry, who retired from the company last year. The firm is currently operated by Brian Saling, Jerry Saling's son, and Brian Saling's wife Laurie. Ray Saling served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was a member of the VFW Post No. 1435 for more than 30 years. A lifetime Rotary member, Saling was also a founding member of the Independent Garage Owners (IGO) trade association in Washington (later ASC and now Automotive Service Association of Washington) and was active in both the local Spokane chapter and state affairs of the association for three decades. A memorial service was held Jan. 4 in Spokane.
In memoriam: Ronald Kenny, 72, died Jan. 6 in Seattle, and a memorial service was held Jan. 27 at the West Seattle Masonic Lodge. He worked for many years as a regional manager for Everco Industries in the Northwest, and worked for several automotive firms in the Seattle area, for many as an industry consultant. Kenny was member of the Shriners fraternal order for many years and participated in a variety of activities involving fundraising for Shriners hospitals and medical treatment for children.