About Us
OUR STORY
From its humble beginnings as a single mom-and-pop Pontiac dealership, the Gee Family of Companies has held itself to a single business model: Families taking care of families. Our founder, George Gee, grew up an orphan, and his wife Theresa was one of 12 children. They discovered early on the importance of family, and having others to rely on.
Early on in their careers, George sold dry cleaner’s chemicals while Theresa worked as a waitress while attending nursing school. It was in 1977 that George was presented the chance that would change all their lives, when Rich Richardson offered him a position as a leasing salesman at Spokane Ford. For six years George cut his teeth in the car industry, and in 1983, taking advantage of a loan from Mr. Richardson and Theresa’s support, opened George Gee Pontiac.
The addition of Ed Tabish in 1984 solidified the foundation of the company to come. Mr. Richardson’s unfortunate passing in 1990 saw the dealership fully run by George, Theresa and Ed. In 1994, after much success, they added a Kia franchise to the auto mall. In 1998, their son Ryan began working at the dealership, learning every aspect of the automotive industry at his parents’ knees. After five years of learning and growth, Ryan took the reins of the burgeoning Gee Automotive Company. Since then, Ryan has continued his parents’ mission by surrounding himself with the best people and taking care of them so they can take care of customers. This includes the onboarding of Jeff Jackson as president in 2010.
Twenty-odd years of solid growth has seen the Gee Automotive Company expand from the Spokane area to Seattle, Olympia, Portland, Boise, Orange County and Tucson. From a single dealership to over 40, our automotive arm now includes Acura, Alfa-Romeo, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ducati, Fiat, Ford, Genesis, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, INEOS, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Moke, Porsche, Nissan, RAM, Subaru, Toyota, and Volvo. The addition of Ducati MotoCorsa in 2016 diversified the automotive arm into the performance motorcycle business.
This growth in the automotive industry has also dovetailed with expansion in other areas. The acquisition of the Tonkin Group in Portland, Oregon included a wholesale automotive parts business. Gee also founded a retail financing company and automotive wholesale operation. Finally, in 2023, Gee partnered with Komatsu heavy machinery in Northern California to form Gee Heavy Equipment and HEMCO, two separate entities dedicated to the sale of heavy equipment and the corporate structures necessary to foster success in that industry.
Gee Companies Timeline
09.01.83
George Gee and his wife Theresa purchase their first dealership, George Gee Pontiac, in Spokane, Washington.
02.26.91
George Gee Pontiac adds a GMC franchise to its burgeoning auto mall.
02.26.94
A Kia franchise is added to the original dealership in Spokane.
02.26.97
Dan Barton Cadillac Isuzu in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho becomes the first Gee Automotive dealership outside of Washington. The acquisition includes the sale of the Isuzu franchise and incorporation of Kia.
05.15.00
George Gee Pontiac Buick GMC Kia moves to expansive new facilities in Liberty Lake, Washington.
12.14.12
Gee Automotive expands into western Washington, acquiring Eastside Subaru in Kirkland.
04.21.14
Continuing its expansion into western Washington, Gee Automotive acquires historic South Tacoma Honda.
04.28.15
Gee Automotive expands into the Portland, Oregon market with the acquisition of Gresham Subaru.
12.13.16
Gee Automotive expands its corporate footprint by acquiring the Tonkin Group in Portland, Oregon. The company’s headquarters are moved to Milwaukie, Oregon in response.
09.12.18
Further expansion in Gee’s hometown brings the first true luxury brand into the Gee family, as Mercedes-Benz of Spokane is acquired.
11.20.18
Adding two brand-new manufacturers to its collection, Gee’s presence in western Washington expands with the acquisition of Ford and Hyundai of Kirkland.
10.15.20
Elliot Bay Auto Brokers further expands Gee’s footprint in the Seattle automotive market, becoming the group’s first non-specific automotive dealership.
12.04.20
The Boise market becomes one of Gee Automotive’s largest collection of dealerships, as the Lyle Pearson Auto Mall – which includes Acura, INEOS Grenadier, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Sprinter and Volvo – joins the family.
01.17.22
Gee Automotive’s Portland metro area dealerships grow by three, as the Tonkin Hillsboro stores – Chevrolet, Ford and Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram – become the latest group of dealers under the Gee umbrella.
05.22.22
Proudly moving into a new state, Gee Automotive acquires Tucson Subaru, constantly rated the number one Subaru dealer in the United States.
12.20.23
Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury brand, moves into Portland as the newest member of Gee Automotive.
04.15.24
Moving into its fifth state, Gee Automotive acquires Honda World Westminster in Orange County, California.
08.26.24
Olympia Subaru and Kia become the latest addition to Gee Automotive, expanding the collection of Puget Sound dealerships to seven.
Throughout this exponential growth, the Gee Family of Companies has remained an evergreen company. Our foundational pillars, outlined below, provide the framework for a corporation looking to remain a caretaker for its customers, associates, communities, and investors for years to come:
- Teamwork: Our mutual success is a direct result of the quality and commitment of our team. We are greater working together.
- Trust: We rely on one another and look out for the best interest of our team members, customers, business partners, and communities.
- Excellence: We are results-oriented and are constantly striving to be the best in our industry.
- Family: The concept of family is central to our identity, and we strive to create a supportive, family environment for all our team members.
- Integrity: We always do the right thing.
- Learning: We are always looking for ways to improve our customer service, our business, and ourselves. We support those that show the initiative to want to learn and advance in our company and industry.
For over 40 years, the Gee Family of Companies has served its communities, providing our customers with the service and equipment they need to live their lives, and our associates with meaningful careers. We are always looking for new members to join our constantly growing family, so if you believe in taking care of people, please reach out and contact us today.