SANDPOINT — Before opening Reynolds Auto Sales in Sagle, Tina Reynolds started her career in the automotive industry at Evergreen Ford in 1995, which transitioned to Rokstad Ford in 1999.

Now, after owning and operating Reynolds Auto for 11 years, Reynolds has gone back to her roots in sales and marketing at Rokstad.

“It’s kind of like coming home,” Reynolds said, laughing that, upon her return, she has even come across her writing on some of the finance labels from all those years ago.

Reynolds worked at Rokstad until 2006 as the finance manager before she and her husband opened Reynolds Auto Sales, which closed for good in September 2018. Reynolds said the decision to close was her own, as her husband works in Spokane, so she had been running the business herself for more than three years. He would also take time on his days off to help out and go to auctions with her, she said.

While the couple “loved” the business and it gave them a lot of freedom while raising kids, Reynolds said they decided it was time to focus on themselves more. They “went out with a bang,” she said, as Reynolds Auto was voted Best of Bonner County, both as the best car dealership and Reynolds as the best salesperson in 2018.

“So it was kind of nice to go out on that note,” she said.

After the dealership closed, Reynolds took some time off through the fall and did some crafts and antiquing — some of her favorite hobbies. She has also been involved in the community over the years with organizations such as Community Assistance League and Kinderhaven. However, after taking a few months off, she felt compelled to continue serving her customers the way she had over the past 11 years.

“I have a lot of people who are very loyal customers and send us a lot of referrals,” Reynolds said. “That was a big part of our business was repeat customers and referrals.”

So she approached the owner of Rokstad, told him what she had to offer, and said they were excited about the opportunity to have her come back to work. She started in the sales and marketing position at the beginning January, and said one of the things she likes most about it is that they allow her to deal with her customers from start to finish, allowing for “ease” in the transaction.

Reynolds said she was also excited to come on board because of Rokstad’s “Warranty Forever” program, which provides lifetime powertrain coverage at no additional cost on qualifying new and pre-owned vehicles.

“I’ve always been very particular about the vehicles I would sell, and our customers know that,” Reynolds said. “So to be able to provide them with the added protection and piece of mind of this warranty is kind of a neat feature for me to be able to offer.”

Rokstad Ford is located at 476600 Highway 95 in Ponderay. For information, call 208-263-3127 or visit rokstadford.com.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.