Wheeling & dealing

In the latest shift on the local vehicle scene, Eisingers add Honda, move toward major relocation

The dirts been moved, the sites been prepared, and in a little more than a year, Eisinger Motors and Eisinger Honda will make the move to a new high-profile location at the corner of U.S. 93 and Reserve Drive.

The Eisingers relocation and recent acquisition of High Country Honda are the latest in a number of major changes in the Flathead Valleys vehicle-sales businesses.

Ben Eisinger, who worked at Eisinger Motors for 11 years, most recently as new-vehicle manager, has purchased High Country Honda on East Idaho Street from Terry Leiphart and will manage the business at that site until the relocation. Greg Eisinger, Bens father, will continue to own and operate Eisinger Motors at its existing location on West Idaho Street until the relocation.

Then the two businesses will merge at the new location in north Kalispell.

Were really excited to get up there, Ben Eisinger said. It will be a family reunion.

Kari Dodge-Chrysler-Hyundai is purchasing the Jeep dealership that previously was coupled with High Country Honda. Larry Symmes, general sales manager for Kari, said the deal should be finalized in the next couple of weeks, but there are no immediate plans to relocate Kari Dodge.

The acquisition of the Honda dealership gives the Eisinger family an all-star team, Ben Eisinger said.

With Honda, the quality speaks for itself. Theyre economical, fuel-efficient, he said. Adding Honda with Chevrolet and Cadillac [Eisinger Motors featured models], its a dream. Theres something for everybody.

The Eisinger relocation follows a national trend for bigger car lots situated more closely together.

Peoples time is so valuable, they dont have time to run here and there to shop for vehicles. They want one-stop shopping, Greg Eisinger said.

The new 11-acre site will give the Eisingers about 5 more acres than their current spot on West Idaho. Site preparation has been a huge and pretty costly undertaking, Ben Eisinger said. Schwarz Engineering is engineering the site and designing the buildings.

Roughly 65,000 cubic yards of fill dirt were brought in over the past six months. A drain pipe installed through the center of the property connects with a highway culvert.

It will be an attractive entrance to the north end of the city, engineer John Schwarz said.

Schwarz is working with the state Department of Transportation to design frontage roads to move incoming and outgoing traffic away from the busy intersection of U.S. 93 and Reserve.

Greg Eisinger said he doesnt believe traffic will a problem at the new site.

With the planning theyre trying to do, were confident theyll get it right, he said.

Construction on the buildings, one for the Honda dealership and one for the Chevrolet/Cadillac business, should begin in late winter or early spring. The Eisingers will employ between 60 and 70 workers at the new site.

Meanwhile, Leiphart, who sold High Country Honda & Jeep, said hes retiring and heading south for the winter.

Its kind of a nice feeling, said Leiphart, 63. We worked hard. Its been a constant battle, but Ive enjoyed it.

Leiphart spent his entire career in the car business, working in the big market areas of Atlanta and Miami before buying the business in the Flathead in 1988.

Its a different pace here, he said.

Leiphart said his success centered around treating people right.

You hire the right people, set goals, work on a plan, he said. You give people a price, you know what the competition is. You dont pressure people too much.

Leiphart said he had outgrown his facility, and instead of looking for property and relocating, the time was right to sell. After wrapping up the final bookkeeping, Leiphart will head to Georgia, where hes spent the last four winters.

He joins the ranks of Jim and Darlene Dowen, who also recently retired as longtime owners of Jim Dowen Nissan-Mazda-Subaru.

The Dowens sold to John Simpson of Seattle. Simpson previously owned dealerships in Bozeman and Spokane and currently runs two Volvo stores in Seattle. Longtime Dowen general manager G.J. Hensen is now a part owner and minority stockholder in the new enterprise, renamed John Simpson Nissan-Mazda-Subaru.

Another prominent Kalispell dealership, Glacier Toyota, moved to a new location on U.S. 93 South in June. It was previously located on U.S. 2 near Kmart. Dugan Anderson sold the Toyota dealership, formerly Big Mountain Toyota, to Bob DePratu, Bart DePratu and Jeff Brown in late 2002.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com