Ken Garff Automotive buys 7 Hawaii Kia dealerships

Ken Garff Automotive Group on July 31 acquired seven Aloha Kia dealerships on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Hawaii. Seller Bill van den Hurk plans to retire from the automotive business, a spokeswoman for Ken Garff said.

"I'm so proud of what we've built at these seven dealerships over the past 27 years, and in particular the positive influence we've been able to provide in our communities," van den Hurk said in a statment.

Russell Wong, the longtime COO for Aloha Kia, will stay on as regional vice president for the dealerships, the spokeswoman confirmed to Automotive News. Leadership teams at the dealerships also will stay in place, as will the Aloha Kia naming convention.

"We are excited to expand into Hawaii and continue to grow our relationship with Kia," Ken Garff CEO Brett Hopkins said in a statement.

The deal reflects rising interest in the Kia brand.

July's transaction is the first of 2023 for the large private retailer. In December, Ken Garff added two Arizona dealerships from Earnhardt Auto Centers. Ken Garff exited Michigan last year with sales to Fox Motors, and it divested a Honda store to Brandon Steven Motor Group.

The group owns more than 50 dealerships in nine states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Texas, Utah, Nevada and Wyoming.

Ken Garff Automotive of Salt Lake City, Utah, ranks No. 9 on Automotive News' list of the top 150 dealership groups in the U.S., retailing 54,371 new vehicles in 2022.