From blacksmith tools to Buick sedans, and from dirt roads to electric vehicles, the history of Weld County Garage GMC is deeply tied to the progress of Greeley, Colorado. Founded before the Kress Building rose downtown and before Lincoln Park saw its first summer concert, our dealership has been part of the city’s growth every step of the way.
As you search vehicles or shop inventory with us today, you’re driving into a century-old legacy, rooted in community, built on trust, and powered by innovation.
Let’s take a look at the milestones that brought us here.
D.R. McArthur opened Weld County Garage at 8th Avenue and 10th Street in downtown Greeley, just steps from where the Moxi Theater now draws weekend crowds. Originally a blacksmith and buggy repair shop, it served a growing farming town, becoming the Weld County seat.
The same year General Motors was founded, Weld County Garage joined the auto industry as the Weld County Automobile Company, becoming the first Buick distributor west of the Mississippi. Local records even show that in the early years, the dealership once accepted live chickens as trade-ins, a testament to its hometown roots and commitment to helping customers drive, no matter their budget.
Weld County Garage adopted the newly minted GMC Trucks, born from the merger of Reliance Motor Truck Co. and Rapid Motor Vehicle Co. At the time, Greeley's population had just topped 10,000, and demand for commercial trucks was rising to serve local agriculture and industry.
The dealership returned to its original name – Weld County Garage, Inc. – a name that would become synonymous with trust, family, and reliability in downtown Greeley.
We added Pontiac streetcars to the lineup just as the Greeley Tribune was expanding its reach and Island Grove Park was becoming a community gathering space. More vehicles, more options, same small-town service.
By the time the UCCC (Union Colony Civic Center) site was still a vision, Weld County Garage was selling Buick vehicles and household appliances from its showroom near what is now the Greeley Ice Haus. We also launched our collision repair division, which later became part of ABRA, now one of the largest repair and auto body providers in Colorado.
Lee Yoder and two business partners purchased Weld County Garage from the McArthur family's third generation. Lee brought a clear philosophy to the business:
“If you're arguing over a $10 taillight lens, you've lost sight of what matters. A customer is worth $350,000 over a lifetime.”
This customer-first mindset set the tone for a new era.
Greeley saw the opening of Bittersweet Park and the expansion of UNC's student housing, while we responded to growing demand for truck and fleet services by launching Truck City Service at 1st Avenue in 1988. It quickly became a trusted hub for commercial vehicle maintenance.
We moved to our current 12-acre home at 2699 47th Avenue, building a 60,000-square-foot dealership just west of the Greeley Mall. This expanded location made room for more inventory, better tools, and a new chapter in our GMC story.
Weld County Garage partnered with ABRA Auto Body & Glass, bringing national collision repair standards to Weld County. ABRA later expanded to Fort Collins with the purchase of Coopers Auto Body in 2021.
Following Pontiac's discontinuation, we refocused on our GMC and Buick roots. Even during GM's global restructuring, Weld County Garage kept its doors open and team strong, just like we had during the Great Depression and the two World Wars.
Warren Yoder became owner, continuing the Yoder family leadership. He empowered employees by giving them $500 in discretionary mistake money, encouraging a culture of trust, service, and fast problem-solving:
“We hire good people. Let's trust them to do right by our customers.”
Weld County Garage officially became part of the Yoder Family of Companies, alongside Truck City, ABRA, and DriveWise.
We rebranded our buy-here-pay-here business into DriveWise and Driven Financial Services, offering smarter financing options to customers from Evans to West Greeley.
We also launched Kayman Direct, a national marketing and customer communication service that now supports over 70 dealerships across the country, helping stores grow their outreach and connect with buyers coast to coast.
We launched TC Customs to meet growing demand for custom truck beds and fabrication. From downtown Greeley to the High Plains, customers now turn to us for tailor-made work trucks and custom-built solutions.
Weld County Garage completed another transformation, opening new state-of-the-art facilities to serve a new generation of Colorado drivers. Just blocks from Aims Community College and minutes from District 6 schools, we continue to serve the community we've always called home.
We've been here longer than most Greeley landmarks. From the days of the Oasis Hotel to the rise of the Greeley Stampede, we've stayed grounded in service and driven by relationships.
We're proud to say that community icons like W.D. Farr bought more than 30 vehicles from Weld County Garage over the years, a perfect example of the loyalty we've worked to earn.
Today, we're not just a GMC dealership, we're a trusted name. Whether you're searching vehicles online, servicing your truck at Truck City, or walking into our 47th Avenue showroom, you're stepping into something bigger than a transaction. You're part of our Greeley story.
As a founding member of the Yoder Family of Companies, Weld County Garage is backed by a coalition of businesses rooted in Northern Colorado values. Together with partners like DriveWise, Truck City, and ABRA, we provide a complete automotive experience, grounded in transparency, powered by faith, and focused on people.
You're not just searching for a truck or scheduling service. You're looking for a dealership that's been here, through it all, with the history, the people, and the promise to keep showing up.
That's the Weld County Garage difference.
From 8th and 10th to 47th Avenue, we've been here for Greeley since 1901. And we're just getting started.
*Disclaimer: This content was drafted with AI assistance for initial drafting, reviewed by a subject-matter expert for accuracy, and edited by our team of writers and editors.