Our History

James Campbell started his automobile career at Howard Ford in Seattle's University District while he was still in high school. During the 1930s he worked his way up from his first job as a wash boy to General Manager until the start of World War II. Following the war, he went back to work for the Blume family at University Chevrolet eventually partnering with Bill Blume to buy Hopper Chevrolet in downtown Edmonds.

Arne Nelson and Bob Campbell, James's son, met while they were both employed at Hopper Chevrolet in the 1950s. They relocated in 1963 to the corner of NE 205th and Aurora in Edmonds. The store changed to Bill Blume Volkswagen where Arne and Bob continued working; eventually buying the dealership in 1974 and changing the name to Campbell Nelson Volkswagen in 1984.

The third generation of Campbell’s, Kurt and Craig, started working full-time at the dealership in 1991. Enjoying the business, Kurt and Craig began buying stock in Campbell Nelson Volkswagen until they become majority shareholders. In 2003 Campbell Nelson acquired a Nissan dealership in Lynnwood and by 2005 the dealership was relocated to its new building next to the Volkswagen store in Edmonds, Washington.

Craig’s son Kendon Campbell came into the business in 2018 after graduating from University of Montana, marking generation number four. After holding various positions for automotive manufacturers, and within the retail organization in Washington, Kendon had aims of doing life and business in Montana. When the Kia store came available in 2022, they jumped on the opportunity, bringing a family focused business style to the new Campbell Kia of Missoula.