Liberty Lake-based Gee Automotive Group says it has expanded to Western Washington through the purchase last week of the assets of the Huling Bros. Auto Center dealership in West Seattle.


The acquisition, in which Gee Automotive and Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Wolff Co. jointly bought Huling Bros., will add 200 employees to Gee Automotive, which currently employs a total of 150 workers at its dealerships in Eastern Washington and North Idaho, says CEO Ryan Gee. It also will double the companys annual revenues, although he declines to disclose revenue figures.


Weve been looking over here for quite awhile, says Gee, who was reached at the West Seattle dealership. This is a big market with a lot of growth opportunity, and the breadth of franchises they carry and the relative size of their operations were attractive to us.


Huling Bros., which had been owned by the Huling family since 1946, sells Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, GMC, Jeep, and Pontiac vehicles in seven different locations in West Seattle, Gee says. The sale didnt include the dealerships buildings or land, which Huling Bros. will lease to Gee Automotive, he says.


A representative from Huling Bros. couldnt be reached for comment.


Gee declines to disclose the terms of the purchase agreement. Gee Automotive plans to change the West Seattle dealerships name within a year, but hasnt chosen a new name yet, he says.


Gee Automotive isnt looking at expanding elsewhere right now, he says. The company sells Buick, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Porsche, Cadillac, Isuzu, Kia, and Nissan vehicles through its dealerships in Liberty Lake, Coeur dAlene, and Pasco, Wash.