The bottom line is… new owners.
Grant L. Petersen Jr. has sold Bronco Motors and its six local dealerships to Kendall Auto Group, which is based in Meridian.
Bronco Motors opened its first location in Downtown Boise in 1971. Petersen’s father, Grant Sr., started with a used car lot which still operates today. In 1993, the company expanded with a Hyundai dealership on Fairview Ave. and opened several stores at the Idaho Center Auto Mall in Nampa.
Known for its long-time “bottom line is trust” jingles and heavy radio advertising, Bronco Motors is one of Idaho’s largest independent dealers. The deal was completed Monday, and Kendall now operates the Bronco stores. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“When your entire adult life is wrapped up in an enterprise that you’re passionate about, selling it and turning it over to new operators is daunting, to say the least,” Petersen Jr. said. “It helps to know that you are selling to the right people, the right organization, that shares your values as well as understands and loves the marketplace.”
“We are thrilled to add Hyundai, Nissan, and Infiniti to our offering in Southern Idaho,” Kendall Auto Group President Michael Skillern said. “Expanding our ability to serve our Idaho customers with additional brands and carry on the legacy of Bronco Motors’ reputation in town will allow us to deliver an unrivaled customer experience to even more folks in the Treasure Valley. We are thrilled that Grant and his family see the value and synergy we create adding their team of professionals to ours.”
Bronco says it employs 150 people. Kendall says it expects most employees to stay through the transition and beyond.
The Fairview dealership was sporting a new Kendall sign on Monday.
Kendall now operates 55 stores. In the Treasure Valley, it owns Kendall Ford of Meridian, Kendall GM of Nampa, Kendall Kia of Nampa and several specialty stores, including a value lot, used car store, and a Ford Commercial and RV Service Center.
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Kendall, which was founded in Oregon, later moved its headquarters to the Treasure Valley. It has grown in the area through acquisition, first acquiring Meridian Ford in 2012, and later buying the Edmark GM Superstore in Nampa. It has added ground-up locations including the Ford commercial center.
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