BEND, OR -- Seven years after suffering big financial losses during the depths of the recession, Central Oregon car sales continue to rebound. Robberson Ford President Jeff Robberson says he saw new car sales slashed in half in 2007 and 2008. He says new technology is now helping attract new customers.  Robberson tells KBND News Internet sales now make up about 30% of total auto sales, but that a physical dealership will never be obsolete. "When Internet sales first came out, that was what everything was going to be. What we found was that most people at some point in the transaction either want to drive the car, or look at interior options; they don’t know if they want a Focus or a Fusion. Then they come in, they’ve dealt with the Internet person, they’ve been communicating with them [online], it’s like someone they know, it’s a very comfortable process. But, I don’t see it going totally to an Internet process."

Robberson also hopes a recently completed $5 million renovation will encourage even more growth. "We actually have just been in here and fully operational for about a month, and so far it’s up over last year. But, we’re looking forward to a 10-20% increase by having a new facility." He says the biggest sales jumps have been with smaller SUVs, as drivers look to balance fuel efficiency with the capability of a truck. Robberson’s renovation more than doubled the size of the new car dealership on NE 3rd in Bend.