AMERICAN FORK — Garff Enterprises has acquired the dealership previously known as Tri-City Ford in American Fork.
Tri-City Ford, located in the Utah Valley Auto Mall at 597 E. 1000 South, previously was owned by Ford Motor Co. It will be known as Ken Garff Ford in American Fork.
The dealership will employ 53 people and occupy 7.7 acres, carrying an inventory of 230 vehicles valued at a total of $5 million.
The new general manager will be Dave Traudt, a 37-year veteran of the business, who most recently was general manager of Ken Garff Mitsubishi Southtowne. Robert H. Garff, chief executive of Garff Enterprises, said many of the other staff members from Tri-City Ford will be retained.
The Garff acquisition comes as Ford divests itself of U.S. dealerships. Ford started buying Wasatch Front dealerships in 1997 and consolidated 14 franchises at 12 locations in 1998, calling it the Utah Auto Collection.