Washington State Dealership Sells
Longtime Idaho dealer picks up Mazda-Lincoln store due in part to affinity for community.
Left to right are Lauren Benedict of Knudtsen Chevrolet, Tim Wild of Tim Lamb Group, Rick Rielly of Foothills Lincoln Mazda, Eve Knudtsen of Knudtsen Chevrolet, and Ray Kish of Foothills Lincoln Mazda.
IMAGE: Tim Lamb Group
A Washington state Lincoln and Mazda dealership recently traded hands and got a name change.
The Spokane store sold to Eve Knudtsen of Knudtsen Chevrolet in Post Falls, Idaho, in a deal brokered by Tim Lamb Group.
Foothills Lincoln Mazda, which opened in 1981, was renamed Knudtsen Foothills Mazda and Knudtsen Foothills Lincoln.
Ray Kish established the dealership, and years later a general manager, Rick Rielly, bought a majority stake in it. As the business partners prepared to retire, they sought a buyer that shared their values of family and community, the Tim Lamb Group said. The store has supported dozens of charitable causes over its history.
“For the last 10 years we have had multiple offers from dealers looking to purchase our stores, and none of them felt right,” Kish said in a press release.
Knudtsen’s dealership was opened by the owner’s father in 1939, just a little over 25 miles from where the Washington stores now are. The new owner indicates she plans to keep on its existing employees.
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today
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