Valley Ford set for June 1 opening

Valley Ford is on track to open June 1, breathing life back into the former Kari Dodge facility in Evergreen that was vacated earlier this year.

Jim Peterson, who sold his interest in Kari Dodge 2 1/2 years ago but retained ownership of the building complex, is at the helm of the new Ford dealership.

He purchased the Ford franchise from the Rygg family that operated Rygg Ford in Kalispell for many years.

“We’re very thankful and appreciative to the Rygg family for giving us this opportunity to purchase this franchise,” Peterson said. “Sterling Rygg was one of the finest Ford dealers in the state for many years and Tom [Rygg’s son] was every bit the gentleman to deal with.”

Peterson’s partners in the new venture are Steve Pleau and Henry Hansel, both Ford dealers in Northern California.

“They contribute a wealth of knowledge and background in what makes a Ford dealership,” Peterson said. “It’s that relationship of the three of us that will separate us from the rest. It’s that laser focus on customer care.”

Valley Ford will employ about 30 to 35 people by the time the dealership is fully up and running, Peterson said, adding that service will be a focal point for the business.

“People want to know, are we here to take care of them?” he said. “We’ll have the highest trained people and the highest level of technology. We’re going to be prepared to take care of people very professionally and in a timely manner. We have the right core values.”

Tom Sands will head the service department and Mike Caudill is the parts department director. Both men have extensive experience in the automotive industry.

Valley Ford will have a full line-up of vehicles for sale when the doors open, but the initial stocking “will be a mere shadow of where we’ll be. By August we’ll have a fairly strong sampling,” Peterson promised.

Ford’s ability to combine power with economy in many of its top models, whether it’s the popular Ford Fusion or top-selling F150 pickup, has impressed Peterson.

“Ford is realizing such success nationally. They’ve managed to keep their vehicles affordable and extremely dependable,” he said. “And where we live, it’s all about dependability. They’re leading the way for the American manufacturer.”

The fact that Ford didn’t take federal bailout money when the auto industry buckled during the recession resonated with people, he added.

Peterson is no stranger to the Ford brand. He has been in the car business for 37 years and spent nearly 20 years selling Fords for Pleau, his new partner.

Peterson, his wife, Debbie (an integral part of the Valley Ford start-up), and their four children moved to the Flathead Valley in 1991. He spent the next eight years teaching automotive sales and finance management nationwide through an automotive training company he established.

He bought into the Kari Dodge dealership in 1999 and shared ownership with Bert Arnlund until Peterson sold his interest in early 2009. Earlier this year Arnlund sold the Dodge franchise to Don Kaltschmidt of the Don K Chevrolet/Subaru dealership in Whitefish.

The Petersons financed a little more than half the cost of a $4.2 million upgrade to the Kari Dodge facility in 2007. That expansion more than doubled the number of service bays and increased the size from 12,000 to 35,000 square feet. The building’s towering front walls — across U.S. 2 from the former Walmart store — stretch nearly the length of a football field and a half along the highway as it passes through Evergreen.

“Ford is absolutely the best thing to happen to this building,” Peterson said. “These buildings don’t do well dark, so it’s an absolute blessing to have Ford come in here.

“We want to flip the lights on this corridor and be a sign that positive things are happening,” he said.

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