Mark Weed expands used-car dealership in Evergreen

Mark Weed Auto Sales has moved to the other side of the street in Evergreen and tripled its highway frontage in the process.

The used-car dealership recently relocated to the former Balding’s Cars and Trucks site on U.S. 2 next to Plantland.

“I used to be able to get 11 vehicles on the highway frontage on the old lot; now I can get 33,” Mark Weed said. “And the front row is everything.”

Though the Balding lot is new to Weed, it had been the site of a car dealership for several decades. That historical connection as a car lot and the increased visibility are what drew Weed to the property.

Weed has been in the car business for 33 years. His grandfather, Leo LeDuc, owned LeDuc Motors in Kalispell in the early 1960s. When Weed’s uncle, Ken LeDuc, took over the dealership, Weed starting selling cars for his uncle at age 18 when it was known as Ken’s Motor Village in the mid-1970s.

After Ken LeDuc sold the dealership and it became a Honda franchise, Weed stayed on and sold Hondas.

Even when Weed moved away from the Flathead Valley for several years, he stayed in the car business and ran the Chevrolet and Ford dealerships in Havre for nine years. He moved back to the Flathead in the late 1990s, working as used-car manager at Kari Dodge and then as general manager of Golden Wheels RV Sales before opening Mark Weed Auto Sales in 2000.

It’s a quintessential family business. His wife, Michelle, does the bookkeeping and title work. Daughters Stephanie Mee and Brittani Weed both worked at the dealership in their teenage years and now their son, Steven, 16, works at the family business.

At one time, Weed had four outside-the-family employees, but had to let them go during the recession. He worked nine months without a day off, but the belt-tightening paid off.

“We had a little money in reserve and that went back into the business,” he said. “So far we’ve come out the other end. I just hired a sales and oil-change guy.”

Weed has built his niche around vehicles $15,000 and under, focusing on four-wheel drive pickups and sports-utility vehicles.

“If I have 50 vehicles in stock, 40 of them will be four-wheel drive pickups and SUVs,” he said.

Weed buys most of his inventory at dealer auctions; some he gets as trade-ins and others he buys off the street.

“I get lots of people who bring me things and see if I’ll buy,” he said. “About 80 percent of our sales are repeat business or referrals. I’ve got a good customer base.”

After more than three decades in the business, Weed has a network of contacts that help him find what customers want. A friend of his moved to Phoenix, where through him Weed is able to tap into 6,000 cars a week at auctions.

“I can almost special order,” he said. “I always have someone I can call. I have friends and people in every direction.”

A self-described “Chevy man,” Weed said he doesn’t rule out any brand when considering potential inventory. Imports such as Honda, Toyota and Nissan models are solid sellers, he said, adding that GM and Chevy trucks also are popular.

Being up-front and helpful goes a long way in getting and keeping customers, he said.

“I look at it that I’m the car doctor,” he said. “If I can advise them or point them in a direction I’ll do it. I invite people to take the cars to their own mechanic and have them checked out.

“I feel we have nothing to hide. The price is on every windshield,” he said.

July through November are Weed’s busiest months, but he’s noticed a new trend. With more and more people electronically filing their income taxes, they have refund money earlier in the year.

“January and February used to be terrible, but now they’re pretty busy,” he said. “The first thing they need to do [after getting their tax refund] is to replace a car.”

Because he specializes in affordable vehicles — most under $10,000 — Weed has seen firsthand the devastating circumstances some families have been through in the last three years.

“I’ve got some pretty good people who can’t get financing,” he said. “I hear the stories and they’re sad.”

The grip of the recession does seem to be loosening, though, Weed said. And he’s always ready to wheel and deal. Every vehicle does have a price tag, but he added: “I always save room for negotiating.”

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