New dealership sets up shop in Soldotna
Published 10:30 pm Thursday, August 17, 2023
You’ve probably seen the construction at some point — close to the “Y” in Soldotna, in between the Walgreens and the Fred Meyer. The soon-to-be completed project will be the home of a Kendall Auto Alaska dealership and service center, which plans to open its doors in Soldotna this fall.
The $17 million building will be Kendall’s new dealer and service hub on the Kenai Peninsula. Project Manager Vincent English, of Coho Contractors, LLC and Kendall Service Manager Josh Lee said the new facility will be able to serve more vehicles at a time, as well as bigger vehicles often used for commercial purposes.
In all, Lee said the new facility will employ between 35 and 40 people, including about 14 technicians. English said it’s intended to be Kendall’s “flagship” location, and that the 15-month build has employed about 50 people. The project faced some setbacks due to supply chain issues, such as for some electrical equipment.
The service space has 23 stalls and dealership offices for Jeep, Ford, Dodge and Chrysler. Although the service center is uniquely able to do such maintenance work as manufacturer recalls for those brands, vehicles of all types will be able to schedule such routine services as oil changes and tire changeovers.
Lee said he’s been working for Kendall Auto since the company first arrived on the Kenai Peninsula. He said the biggest difference with the new location will be the organization and the space. New lifts will also be able to accommodate larger vehicles, such as Ford 450s, which Lee said motorists may ordinarily be required to travel to Anchorage for.
“Having everything consolidated like this, our service department and the sales department is able to run so much more efficiently,” Lee said.
The building is set to open this fall.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/peninsulaclarion.
