Is Tri-Cities Courting Yakima Business?

Is Tri-Cities Courting Yakima Business?

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Story Published: Oct 30, 2009 at 4:52 PM PST

By Sade Malloy

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YAKIMA -- They've been in business in Yakima for more than 8 decades, but could the Hahn Motor Company be moving to the Tri-Cities? Sales are strong and now BMW wants them to move to an area with more disposable cash. Action News discovered that all this success for the dealership started with a huge loss.

Even though they're advertising the Chrysler brand it's been four months since the franchise pulled out of the Hahn Motor Company. Doug Hahn will tell you himself he never wanted them to leave but it's been a blessing in disguise.

"You have to have so many dollars in inventory to be a franchise and we found the term rate on the Chrysler wasn't quite at what we would have loved it to be," says Doug Hahn, Hahn Motor Company.

So the Hahn Motor Company is putting that frozen capitol into its Mercedes-Benz and BMW contracts and it's paying off. Instead of losing money with the Chrysler pull out car sales are at the same place they were last year with a 5% increase in their beemer sales. They've dealt with the Chrysler franchise changes so well that BMW is pushing them to move to the Tri-Cities.

"Will we expand into the Tri-Cities absolutely because they're growth down there with their demographics and what they have is something as a business you need to explore," says Doug Hahn, Hahn Motor Company.

Dave McFadden with New Vision says there has only been 1 business in the 13 years he's worked in Yakima pick up and move down I-82.

"The Wal-Mart distribution center could have gone into Grandview or the Tri-Cities. It went into Grandview," says Dave McFadden, New Vision.

Friendly competition has always been business as usual between Yakima and the Tri-Cities. But an empty showroom and the loss of a huge tax base is not something a city on our budget can afford.

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