Moses Lake dealership improves

MOSES LAKE - The new Ford of Moses Lake and Honda of Moses Lake dealership has only been operating for a few months, but general manager Vonn Jones said business is booming at the auto center.

The Bud Clary auto group bought the Discovery Ford and Honda dealership in July. Since then, Jones said inventory is moving in and out of the dealership at a good pace.

Cars and trucks stay at the dealership for about 30 days, which is an excellent pace in the automotive industry, he said.

Jones said the Ford and Honda dealerships currently sell a lot of hybrid cars, and cars that have good fuel economy. Their second-best sellers are trucks, he said.

Jones previously worked for 26 years at Appleway Automotive in Spokane, and said he had already retired when the Clary family asked him to join their team.

Jones said he made the move to Moses Lake because he believed in the Bud Clary group's philosphy of taking care of their customers, their employees and their community.

The Bud Clary auto group operates a Chevrolet, Toyota, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram dealership on Frontage Rd. The company also owns dealerships in Yakima and Longview, said Jones.

The family-based auto company has been operating in Washington for about 59 years, he said.

Jones said that the dealership is looking at ways to give back to the community, as a way to thank them for their support. They are currently sponsoring a program at Longview elementary, and Jones said the auto group will be reaching out to other schools in the area.

Jones said he sees a lot of potential in the Moses Lake economy, as auto sales have continued to rise over the past few months.

"This area has everything to offer, it's a family-based community," said Jones. "And it's only going to get better."

Jones said that when the Bud Clary group acquired the Ford and Honda dealerships, they made some important improvements.

The service center was expanded for example, he said, in order to provide customers with a more comfortable experience while waiting for their vehicles.

The dealership also re-vamped its employee training program, said Jones.

"We wanted to train employees to take care of the customer, and to give them an experience they can't get anywhere else," said Jones.

He said both sales consultants and technicians go through intensive training, because a good service experience is just important as a good sales experience.

Jones said the Ford and Honda dealerships collectively employ about 50 people. Employees are all from the Moses Lake area, he said.

"We hired local community people, and haven't had to go outside of this area," said Jones. "We have good quality people in our backyard."

Jones said he is always working on improving customer service at the dealership, in order to attract more business. Having a quality dealership in town will hopefully prevent people from going out of town to buy cars.

"There's no reason for people to take their money out of town," he said. "People think that a bigger dealership can offer bigger deals, but that's not always the case."

Jones said sales consultants at the Ford and Honda dealerships can beat out competitor's deals.

Buying local also helps other business in Moses Lake, said Jones, since the dealership often buys parts, glass and paint from local stores.

Jones also said the dealership is already gearing up for holiday sales.

"It's the best time to buy a car, since manufacturers are pushing the 2012 models since the 2013 models are coming in," he said.

Interest rates are at their best around the holidays, said Jones, and dealers are going to pay top dollar for trades as well.

"You can buy a lot more car, for less, during that time," he said.

The Ford and Honda showrooms are located at 1140 S. Pioneer way. Both dealerships are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The dealership's service center is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.