Ken Garff Automotive Group has made its first acquisition of 2026.

The Salt Lake City-based dealer group said Monday it has purchased Volkswagen SouthTowne from Susan Watkins, who bought the store in 1989 with her late husband Tom Watkins.

The dealership, located in South Jordan, Utah, will be renamed Ken Garff Volkswagen Southtowne.

The deal was brokered by David Ibarra of Live Ready Dealer Exchange Brokering.

The retailer’s most recent prior acquisition was in July, when it bought Lexus of Murray and Lexus of Lindon from Asbury Automotive Group.

“Volkswagen SouthTowne has an outstanding reputation in the Salt Lake Valley for its elite performance, employee culture and prime location,” Ken Garff CEO Brett Hopkins said in a news release.

“When the opportunity to acquire the dealership arose, we immediately recognized the strong alignment between our organizations’ values and culture,” Hopkins said.

“We are excited to build upon the foundation Tom and Susan Watkins created, while continuing our commitment to exceptional customer service, employee development and doing business the R.I.G.H.T. way.”

Watkins, whose father Ray Stout managed the Ken Garff Oldsmobile store years ago, said: “As we considered the future of Volkswagen SouthTowne, it was important to find an organization that would care for our employees and customers.

“As another family-owned organization, Ken Garff demonstrated a commitment to preserving the culture of the business while creating opportunities for our team.”