RFJ Auto Partners Inc., a fast-growing new dealership group backed by private equity, acquired two of the highest-volume stores in the U.S. this week when it bought Dave Smith Auto Group. The deal marks RFJ's expansion to the Northwest. The Dave Smith stores, in Kellogg, Idaho, will be a base for further growth in that region, said Rick Ford, RFJ's president. The owners of Dave Smith, led by Ken Smith, now become partners in RFJ and will help the Plano, Texas, dealership group replicate the Dave Smith approach at other RFJ stores going forward. "We're going to really expand the Dave Smith brand throughout the Northwest corridor," Ford told Automotive News. "It's our intention for RFJ to adopt a lot of the operating processes the Dave Smith brand has been so good at developing"/Amy Wilson, Automotive News. More here.

Question: Do you predict any changes in the way Dave Smith Auto operates?