SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Ed Morse Automotive Group first announced its purchase of seven Lawley Automotive Group dealerships in Sierra Vista in February. Six months later, the deal was finalized, and the group officially has its first set of showrooms in Arizona.

Teddy Morse, president and CEO of Ed Morse Automotive Group, told KGUN they announced the purchase earlier than usual because they had to file license applications with the state and people could see the companies that were being applied for.

“I love Arizona,” he said. “The general rule is you always stick to the deal. If it’s the right brands, in the right market, we go for it.”

Morse believes the brands Sean Lawley had here in Sierra Vista performed well in rural communities, as evidenced by the success he had.

“I know it matters to individual dealers what brands they buy, but I just want to take care of the consumer,” Morse said.

One way he’s doing that is by retaining all 250 Lawley Automotive Group employees. Morse says only positive things have come from announcing the sale and acquisition early, as it allowed him to meet with staff in person before the deal closed.

“It made me breathe a lot easier because I knew we were making the right decisions,” he said. “You can’t do anything without the right people, and they have the right people.”

Morse has no plans to change existing policies or procedures, but he wants customers to feel they have a say in how they shop or use services.

“What you often see in other car dealerships is that they want to sell what they want to sell, not necessarily what the customer needs or wants,” he said. “Listening to the customer: what they need the vehicle for, what’s important to them. That’s what I want our people to do.”

The transition had its share of hiccups, with technology not syncing between the two companies, which impacted meetings and customer experiences. Morse says that’s not uncommon after sales and acquisitions.

“I’m sorry this happened,” he said. “No excuses, it will be fixed.”

The president and CEO has plans to fix more than just the technology glitches. He said the changes people will really see will be in the facilities. Morse said some of the lots need fixing potholes and the buildings need updating. He told KGUN that a long-term project he plans to tackle is separating the Ford and Kia showrooms because the competing manufacturers don’t like to share land.

Morse told KGUN that it’s easy to say what he will do and why the community should support him, but he has to prove it.

“I could come here and say all the right things, but I can’t wait to show the people of Sierra Vista and Cochise County that I mean it,” he said.

Here is a complete list of former Lawley Automotive brands now operating under the Ed Morse brand:

• Ed Morse Ford, formerly Lawley’s Team Ford — 100 N. Highway 90, Sierra Vista
• Ed Morse Kia, Formerly Lawley Kia – 100 N Highway 90, Sierra Vista
• Ed Morse Nissan, Formerly Lawley Nissan — 2960 E. Fry Blvd, Sierra Vista
• Ed Morse Chevrolet GMC, formerly Lawley Chevrolet GMC – 2900 E. Fry Blvd SE, Sierra Vista
• Ed Morse Hyundai, Formerly Lawley Hyundai — 2800 E. Fry Blvd, Sierra Vista
• Ed Morse Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM, formerly Lawley Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram – 1901 S. Highway 92, Sierra Vista
• Ed Morse Honda, Formerly Lawley Honda – 3200 E. Fry Blvd, Sierra Vista