James Auto Center parks in a new spot

Ceremony celebrates dealer's expansion, move

Valet parking, shrimp-stuffed mushrooms and gentlemen in tuxedos marked the grand opening of James Auto Center in Moses Lake Wednesday evening.

Guests to the ceremony drove to the front entrance of the dealership, which began the move from its original location, in three buildings along Pioneer Way, back at the beginning at March, and were greeted with red carpet and willing valets.

Inside, goers pressed noses to glass in order to guess how much money was in one of the waiting automobiles — several $100 bills could be seen taped to the windows amongst the ones, fives and twenties — and admired some of the other vehicles on display while dining on mini quiches, meatballs and the aforementioned mushrooms.

Jim Hill, owner of the dealership, said that business has been great since the move and expansion.

"Exposure close to the Interstate 90 freeway has just been awesome," he said. "I hope (the community) likes it. The main reason for the specialty tonight is just to thank all of the people that helped us get started, from the city, the county and of course all the builders and contractors, to give a little bit of thank you to get this project done. They've really done a great job, everybody."

Hill said that the business is in the process of getting permits to raise another building for full-service detailing.

"I hope naturally it will bring a lot of tax dollars to the city of Moses Lake and also the county," he said. "We hope to bring more people off the freeway to all the different availabilities of restaurants and motels right. I think it will be a great asset, and then eventually more and more people will buy here on North Frontage Road and build."

"Toyota always supports their dealers, when it comes to not only helping them design and plan new facilities, but also when we get to the pinnacle, which is the grand opening," said Dave Depew, general manager of the Portland region of Toyota, who was on hand to present Hill and the dealership with a katana sword.

"(It) is from the Japanese warriors from the 1200s and 1300s, and they were very famous because of the strength of the steel that they're made of in the blade," Depew said. "That shows the strength of the Toyota franchise, and the strength of Jim's commitment to Toyota by building a new facility."

Depew said that Hill had been handicapped in his previous buildings.

"To bring both franchises as well as their service operation together here not only will make them more efficient, but should make them more profitable, and give customers a real reason to show up and buy it," he said.