A dealership that has been a fixture in Sault Ste. Marie since the late 1960s will soon have a new home.
Highland Ford was recently purchased by Maitland Ford Lincoln.
The deal went through on Jan. 1. 
Located at 68 Great Northern Rd., Highland Ford has been open since 1968.
Its most recent owner, Darren Smyl, purchased the dealership in 2011.
Maitland Lewis, who is now retired, started in business in the 1950s. They have been at 1124 Great Northern Rd. since 1976. It became a Ford Mercury Lincoln franchise in 1984.
“There will be sadness as there is with any closure,” said Judith Lewis-Kovala, a partner with Maitland Ford Lincoln and the daughter of Lewis.
“It’s not really closing . . . it’s just joining together the staff and customers,” Lewis-Kovala said.
“We're basically going to become one bigger family.”
Highland Ford is transitioning over to Maitland, a process that should be finished in the next few months.
“Between now and the end of April we will be moving the Highland Ford staff and inventory to the Maitland Ford Lincoln site,” Lewis-Kovala said.
“This is very exciting. We are ecstatic about the opportunities that are ahead of us.”
The sale will allow the dealership to better serve the community while being more efficient, Lewis-Kovala said.
“We'll be able to provide a better, higher level of service. We've got lots of plans for growth.”
It will also strengthen the Ford brand in the Sault.
“We'll be able to have more products in one location. People will come to one place.
“And we'll have better buying power with parts, just because of our volume put together.
Lewis-Kovala said it was her brother Brent’s dream to have the dealerships under one roof.
“He worked his whole life in Maitland Ford Lincoln and he would be happy to see this happen.”
Bringing the two dealerships together will strengthen the Ford brand in the Sault.
“It'll be stronger for us to continue forward and provide a sound business in the community and serve the community,” Lewis-Kovala said.
There are some other important people that Lewis-Kovala wanted to mention.
Mike Stollery is a silent partner in Maitland Ford Lincoln and Marc McKinnon is a partner along with the dealership's general manager.
“We are very confident in the staff and in the fact that our very strong leadership team can help pull this off," she said.
The Highland Ford office space is listed for $6.499 million through EXIT Realty True North. 
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