Dealership specializing in after-market customizations opens in Idaho Falls
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IDAHO FALLS — Jesse Ferney never dreamed he’d own a car dealership.
He started in the auto business at age 19 when he got a job at St. Anthony Motors. Last month, the 37-year-old Rexburg native opened Treasure Auto Group in the building formerly occupied by Ron Sayer at 760 Northgate Mile in Idaho Falls.
The business specializes in custom after market auto services, providing lifts for trucks and SUVs. Ferney tells EastIdahoNews.com they sold three vehicles in the first three days of business.
“That was all from social media. That was before I had any advertising. The vehicles we have are the more popular ones, which is why (they did well),” Ferney says.
Ferney says one thing that sets them apart from competitors is that the lift is included in the loan for much less than it would cost to buy a lift kit and install it yourself. The dealership also offers a lifetime warranty on each vehicle at no cost to the customer.
Ron Sayer, which has operated at this location for more than 30 years, recently moved to a new building off Sunnyside Road near Smith Chevrolet. Ferney says the old Ron Sayer building was appealing to him because of its established history as a dealership. It’s also a high-traffic area with a lot of development in the works.
“Between what we’ve done to this building with the remodel and a few other buildings we’ve purchased through our real estate agents, Northgate Mile is going to look really good by the end of the year,” says Ferney. “It will look different than it has my whole life.”
The dealership got its start under the name Ellsworth BMW, before becoming Ron Sayer BMW. It’s been Ron Sayer Jeep Dodge Chrysler for as long as Ferney can remember.
Ferney currently lives in Draper, Utah and visits the Idaho Falls business two days a week. He’s loved working in sales ever since he was a kid, but always had ambitions to go to law school.
The auto industry has “treated him well,” he says, and he’s never left. The interaction with customers is what he loves most.
“The auto business, as much of a stigma as it has for some people, is very fulfilling when you’re honest. The franchises that stay around a long time are usually the honest dealers and it’s fulfilling because you’re providing a service that people love,” he says. “People love their cars and it’s the most emotional (purchase people make). When they have a good experience, it’s the best job (in the world).”
The dealership’s name hints at what the plans are for the future. Though there’s only one location, it’s called Treasure Auto Group because the plan is to have “a consortium of a few different dealerships throughout southeast Idaho.”
“The sky’s open there, but for the flagship store, the purpose is to provide custom autos. The new car places have their place, but one of the difficulties in buying a new car is that getting one could take a year to a year and a half,” says Ferney. “We specialize in buying one, two, three-year-old trucks. I have five vehicles with less than 1,000 miles on them. They’re essentially new.”
Treasure Auto Group is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.