IDAHO
The world's largest Dodge dealer is now in the home mortgage business, said Dave Smith Motors Owner Ken Smith, who said it will allow one-stop shopping for vehicles and mortgages. Dave Smith Motors, also the Northwest's largest GM dealer, sold almost 800 vehicles in June, and employment at the Kellogg dealership stands at 391, up one from June 2007. Smith's cousin, Matt Smith, will head up the new mortgage division.
Joaquin Cordero has opened 27th Street Automotive in downtown Boise. He is a former technician at Micron and has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. His father, Jose Cordero, is a former auto technology instructor at the polytechnic school in Codero's native Merida, Mexico. The elder Cordero assisted his son with the opening of the shop.
Keystone Automotive Operations Inc. has opened a distribution warehouse in Burley. The 13,000-square-foot facility will serve customers in Idaho, Utah, Montana, and Wyoming with aftermarket parts.
Two Northwest teams of high school seniors placed in the top 10 at the Ford/AAA Auto Skills national finals in late June in Dearborn, Mich. The team of Michael Abend and Russell Smith (Instructor Kerry Phelps) from Blackfoot High School in Blackfoot placed fourth, while the Vale (Oregon) High School team of Caitlin Short and Lance Erickson (Instructor Merle Saunders) placed eighth overall. The Vale team has won the national title and placed in the top 10 several times in recent years.
OREGON
Ashland auto dealer Alan DeBoer has received the President's Medal from Southern Oregon University based on his longstanding community involvement and leadership. DeBoer, owner of Town & Country Chevrolet in Ashland, is past president of the Oregon Automobile Dealers Association, the former mayor of Ashland (2000-2004), was appointed to the Governor's Vehicle Emission Workforce, and has bee involved in numerous community causes that earned him the Ashland Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year award.
Ed Bruser of West Linn, formerly with Ott's Friction Supply in Portland for 12 years, has been appointed the business development manager for the NAPA heavy-duty parts group based in Georgia. As a trainer and consultant, Bruser works with NAPA distribution centers and their parts outlets in Denver, Salt Lake City, Billings, Spokane, Portland, Seattle, and Anchorage to develop heavy-duty parts business plans and sales.
Roe Motors GM in Grants Pass has earned the Standards for Excellence platinum status for 2007 as a Cadillac dealer. The dealership has won the award seven times, this being the fourth consecutive year.
Dick Inukai of Dick's Auto Group in Hillsboro recently donated $18,700 from vehicle sales to the Boys & Girls Club that bears his name.
A rash of catalytic converter thefts in the greater Portland area from parking lots and driveways has police on alert. The Washington County Sheriff's Office is advising motorists to have local repair facilities do spot welds on their converters to prevent easy theft of the units.
Larry Lassen Toyota-Scion of Albany has received the President's Award from Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. for outstanding sales and service.
Also winning the Toyota President's Award is Hometown Toyota in Ontario, now a six-time recipient of the award.
The newest Lamborghini dealership in the United States in located in Wilsonville. Former race car driver Mike Warn is the president of Lamborghini Portland, which that shares space with Warn's Grand Prix Imports dealership that specializes in Spyker, Panoz, Bentley, Porsche, and Bentley models.
Don Rasmussen Co., which operates several Portland-area dealerships, recently contributed $80,000 to Shepherd's Door, a support and counseling organization for homeless women and children. Since 2001, Rasmussen has donated more than $700,000 to Shepherd's Door.
Fifteen technicians nationwide have received early prizes in Remy's "Conquer the Canyon" sweepstakes program by winning premium iPod Touch Players. The program, which continues through Sept. 30, will award a 2008 4WD GMC Canyon truck to a participating tech later this year. Two early Northwest winners included Shanon Greisen of Bradshaw's Service Center in Portland, and Bud Serr of Jim Serr Auto in Idaho Falls.
Five automotive students, two from Oregon and three from western Washington, have received $1,000 scholarships from the nonprofit NEAT (Northwest Education and Automotive Training) organization based in Portland. All five students are pursuing automotive mechanical and collision repair training at colleges in the two states. To date, NEAT has presented nearly $37,000 in scholarships to 56 students preparing for careers in the automotive service industry.
WASHINGTON
Waterhouse Motors in Tacoma closed July 18, Co-owner Ed Davis said. The firm had been in the engine remanufacturing business since 1929 and owned by the Davis family for decades. Davis said that while the firm's machine shop business remained steady, declining engine sales were the main factor for the closure. "We own everything, owe nothing, and will retain ownership of the building," Davis said, adding that the remaining shop equipment will be auctioned off on Aug. 21.
Corbett Platt of Gig Harbor is the new field sales manager for Denso heavy-duty products in the West. Formerly with Vetronix, Platt oversees 14 Western states as well as three regional managers in the Midwest, South, and Northeast regions. The Denso heavy-duty line includes electrical units, diesel products, industrial spark plugs, and the OES channel (products for HD truck manufacturers).
Bremerton Transmission will build a 10,000-square-foot auto repair center in Bremerton's Wright Creek Park. Construction is expected to begin this fall.
Five Star Ford Lincoln-Mercury in Aberdeen has received the 2007 President's Award from Ford Motor Co. Only 408 Ford dealers nationwide receive the company's highest honor.
Fire damaged Gold Rule Brakes in Spokane in late June, causing an estimated $20,000 in damages. Most of the fire was contained to one room on the east side of the building, though smoke and water damage was more extensive.
Family-owned Diehl Ford recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, and Ford Motor Co. president and CEO Alan Mulally spoke at the event. The Bellingham auto dealer was purchased by Hugh Diehl and Charlie Simpson in 1908, and Diehl purchased the Simpson interest in 1922. Since then the store has been operated by Diehl family members.
Milner Motors, based in Vancouver, is developing the Milner ElectriCar and Milner AirCar, the latter being a car that also is flyable. The firm has been operating since 2005 and recently held a public display of the two models under development.
At a recent gala at Park Place Ltd. to celebrate the Northwest unveiling of the Aston Martin DBS, the $300,000 car was purchased by a Vancouver, B.C., realtor. Two additional Aston Martin DBS models are coming to the exotic auto dealer in Bellevue but are already sold to New Yorkers.
Roadmaster Inc. of Portland will move to its long-awaited new $11 million headquarters in Vancouver this fall but will only transfer about 150 jobs instead of the 300 originally planned when the move was announced a few years ago. Owner Jerry Edwards said soaring fuel prices have hit the RV industry hard and sales of Roadmaster's RV parts are down dramatically. The new 98,000-square-foot facility will manufacture and distribute parts made by the longtime company.
Jeff Hall has sold Hall Chevrolet-Buick in Prosser to John Paul and Katy Moore, owners of C. Speck Motors in Sunnyside and Pasco. Hall had operated the GM dealership since 1990.
The Green Car Co. is relocating from Kirkland to Bellevue, said Susan Fahnestock, company founder and co-owner, due to space demands. The dealership, specializing in electric and bio-diesel cars, needs to consolidate its showroom and repair facilities into one space and could not locate that in Kirkland she said.
Nicholas Brugato, a recent graduate of Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, has received the Washington State Auto Dealers Association's "Car of the Future" scholarship. The $1,500 award will be used by Brugato as he pursues an Associate of Applied Science degree in Automotive Collision Technology at South Seattle Community College.
Pacific Power Performance, a full-service truck and SUV repair and performance parts outlet, has opened in Ridgefield. The manager is Pete Melhuish.
A Vancouver area Vietnam veteran on social security whose house had burned and truck was broken down was given a helping hand by local area automotive businesses. Thanks to NAPA Auto Parts in Hazell Dell, C's Automotive Machine, Clarke's Discount, and other area automotive firms, Timothy Gouge had the head and head gasket on his 1990 pickup repaired at no charge. A local Chevron station even donated $30 in gas to the effort.
The Professional Automotive Training Center (PATC) at Shoreline Community College, hailed by President Bill Clinton as a model training facility during a 1992 visit, is getting another boost. The award-winning facility is expanding with a 26,000-square-foot-facility. The $5.5 million expansion has received private donations totaling $2.3 million with another $2 million state contribution. PATC offers training programs for GM, Chrysler, Honda, and Toyota. The expanded facility will offer additional manufacturer training.
NAPA Auto Parts, the official auto parts store of the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association, presented Vancouver resident Robert Logsdon a NAPA Trick Truck award at the 17th Heartland Nationals held in Des Moines, Iowa, in July. Logsdon found his 1947 Chevy truck in the middle of a field in eastern Washington in 2004 and restored the truck completely.