EVERETT — The owner of Brien Ford in Everett has been named as the 2015-16 president of the Washington State Auto Dealers Association.
Rock Peterson will head the association that aims to promote legislation that supports dealerships and eliminates regulation that increases the cost of business in Washington.
The association consists of 293 dealerships across the state and has a 22-member board.
Peterson was born and raised in Everett where his parents owned a small butcher shop and market. Starting at age 11, Peterson along with his five siblings helped with the family business after school and on weekends, according to a press release from the association.
He attended Everett Community College and later Eastern Washington University where he was involved in the Army ROTC program with plans to join the military. However, a car accident and a resulting leg injury meant he couldn’t walk long distances so the Army was out.
After graduation, Peterson spent a few years selling real estate and copiers, then in 1974, he entered the car business, selling vehicles for former dealer George Platis at Bellevue Datsun.
He worked his way into management, and then learned that Brien Medler, owner of Brien Motors in Everett, wanted to retire slowly over the next five years and was looking for a buy-in partner.
Peterson borrowed the money for a down payment and was on his way to owning his own dealership.
Early on, there were tough years with a poor economy and a long mechanic’s strike in 1981, but Peterson completed the purchase in 1986.
Over the next several years, the business expanded to include Lincoln Mercury, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and a second Ford store. Peterson sold both of those stores in the past 10 years.
This year, Brien Ford will celebrate 45 years in business in the same location at 5200 Evergreen Way.
Peterson and his wife Maggie support several charitable organizations in the community. Peterson has served 21 years on the board of Boys &Girls Clubs of Snohomish County, and Maggie is on the boards of the Edmonds Center for the Arts and the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce.
Some of the other charitable organizations they support are Providence Hospital, Swedish Edmonds Hospital, YMCA, YWCA, Housing Hope, Red Cross, Clothes-4-Kids, and the Edmonds and Everett Community College Foundations.
Dealerships in the association serve more 70 cities around the state and employ more than 20,000 people with a combined payroll of more than $1.08 billion. The dealership’s sales represents 13.4 percent of the state’s retail sales.
Other recent association president’s from Snohomish County include Buzz Rodland, who served in 2013-14, and Tom Lane, who served in 2008-09.
Klein Honda owner Steve Klein was named the Robert P. Mallon Dealer of the Year in May at the association’s annual convention.
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