Kuhio officially buys Midpac Auto Center

LIHU‘E — The deal is sealed.

Midpac Auto Center was officially acquired April 1 by the family-owned business, Kuhio Auto Group.

“I’m more than just satisfied” with the new ownership, said Midpac General Sales Manager Tony Daub Friday. “The transition is nothing but positive.”

Though the purchase was not finalized until last week, the process began in October and management changed hands as early as January, said Midpac Auto Center Vice President and General Manager Ryan Mackey.

He is the son of Dan Mackey who heads Kuhio Auto Group, which includes Kuhio Motors, Nissan of Kaua‘i and Kaua‘i Hyundai.

When the Mackeys first approached Midpac Auto Center’s former owner James Hanley to inquire about purchasing the business, Hanley said his “thought process” at the time was, “I can get back some of what my father had put into business during these challenging times.”

But his ultimate goal was to ensure the employees “had someone who would take care of them in the long run,” said Hanley, whose father’s company owned the business for 12 years.

“Nothing’s going to change,” Ryan Mackey said. All 50 Midpac Auto Center employees will remain and customers “don’t have to worry about the relationships they built” throughout the years.

The only differences people will notice are “improved services,” facility upgrades and more new and used cars to choose from, he said.

“We want people to be proud to be buying a car from us,” Ryan Mackey said while explaining the multiple renovation projects the business will undergo beginning sometime next month, including a paved sales lot.

Someone who is undoubtedly proud is Mackey’s father, who bought his first dealership on Kaua‘i in 1972 — Volkswagen Kaua‘i — and “always wanted me to be a car dealer,” Ryan Mackey said.

“This is one of his dreams come true,” he said of his father.

For his “first time running a business,” Ryan Mackey said he is “very excited.”

“Ford and Mazda have a really strong future,” he said. “We truly believe that with the new products coming out, we’re getting a good deal.”

Considering new-car sales have been “steady” for the past 15 months, Ryan Mackey said he thinks the “tough times are behind us” and “it’s going to get better from here.”

Business has increased “substantially” since January, Daub said. And “we’ve had sufficient capital to work with,” despite still “being in the throes of a recession.”

But compared to five years ago, new car sales “are definitely down” as much as 50 percent, Ryan Mackey said. “People are holding on to their cars.”

The ratio of used-car sales to new is about two to one, Daub said.

Whether someone is seeking a new or used vehicle, it doesn’t just get them from point A to point B, “it reflects their personality,” Ryan Mackey said.

“To be a part of someone’s, pretty much, biggest purchase in their life … it’s a special thing,” he said.