02/14/2026
A BUSINESS BUILT THE AMERICAN WAY
Honoring a Dealer. Celebrating a Legacy. Welcoming the Next Generation.
There are few industries that reflect the American dream quite like the car business.
It is built on grit and long hours, on shaking hands and keeping your word, on earning trust one customer at a time. It is built by people willing to take risk, work harder than expected, and stand behind what they sell. When done right, it becomes more than a business. It becomes a legacy.
J.T. Curry built that kind of legacy.
In 2004, J.T. founded Motors NW with a simple belief: how you treat people matters as much as what you sell them. Over the next two decades, that belief shaped every part of the dealership. Motors NW became known for transparency, no-pressure consultative selling, and service that did not end when the paperwork was signed. More than 20 years later, nearly 13,000 vehicles sold and countless five-star reviews stand as proof of work done the right way.
Today, J.T. Curry is passing the keys.
After a thoughtful, two-year transition, Motors NW enters its next chapter under the ownership of Logan Smith and Zeke Nylander, two dealer principals who represent both the future of our industry and the values that have sustained it.
Logan Smith, a King County and Western Washington native, brings deep experience in automotive management and vehicle acquisition. Known for his disciplined approach to inventory, Logan selects vehicles with the same standards he would apply for himself or his family. His belief is straightforward: when the product is right and the price is fair, the process works. His approach is careful and uncompromising, from inspection and service to reconditioning and final detail. Logan steps into ownership committed to protecting the reputation Motors NW has earned and growing it with intention.
Zeke Nylander, a native of Okanogan County in Eastern Washington, has spent his entire adult life in the car business. A servant-minded leader and hands-on operator, Zeke is known for working every deal with the customer’s best interest at the center. His career includes training dealership teams across the United States and Canada and leading high-volume independent operations. He brings energy, accountability, and a deep understanding of how today’s customers shop. Zeke is excited to carry the torch forward, with plans to grow Motors NW’s presence in Tacoma, King County, and Eastern Washington.
Logan and Zeke first worked together eight years ago on the sales management staff of an independent Seattle dealership. They were in the thick of the work, long days, real pressure, learning the business by doing it. During that time, a simple idea took shape. If the right opportunity ever came along, they would build something together.
They did not chase it. They stayed focused, sharpened their skills, and waited for alignment that felt earned.
In early 2024, that moment arrived. Introduced to J.T. Curry through a mutual colleague, the connection was immediate and grounded in shared values about the business, the customer, and the responsibility that comes with ownership. What followed was not a quick transaction, but a deliberate two-year transition built on trust, preparation, and respect for what had already been created.
On January 26, 2026, J.T. Curry officially retired, passing the keys to a new generation of dealer principals who understood both the weight of the legacy and the opportunity ahead.
J.T.’s automotive career began in 1994, just blocks from where he now retires on South Tacoma Way. Along the way, he not only built a respected dealership, but also served the industry itself. He was elected to serve two terms as President of the Washington State Independent Auto Dealers Association, led the South Tacoma Auto and Retail Stores Local Improvement District, and served on advisory boards including the Washington Department of Licensing and the Washington State Senate Transportation Committee.
In early 2024, a new state-of-the-art Motors NW facility, build by Rush Commercial Construction and designed by J.T. himself, was completed. It stands as a physical reflection of the pride he took in the business and the standards he set. He often joked that the next owners would never know the discomfort of the original building, but they would inherit something far more valuable: a name that means something.
At the Washington State Independent Auto Dealers Association, we are proud to honor J.T. Curry for a career defined by integrity, leadership, and service. We are equally proud to welcome Logan Smith and Zeke Nylander as the next generation of dealer principals carrying this legacy forward.
This is how the car business is meant to work. One generation builds. The next steps in with respect. The keys are passed, and the American dream continues.
With gratitude and respect,
Washington State Independent Auto Dealers Association
