Joeten Motors unveils showroom

Joeten Enterprises Co. managing director Norman T. Tenorio and board of directors are joined by Joeten Motors general manager Matthew Deets and the CNMI Legislature and local officials at the opening of Joeten Motors Co.’s third showroom on Beach Road. (Bea Cabrera)

Joeten Motors Co. opened Friday a new 8,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art showroom along Beach Road for car brands Ford and Honda. This is its third showroom out of the three car brands that Joeten Motors carries; the others are Kia and Nissan.

Norman T. Tenorio, managing director of Joeten Enterprises Inc., which owns Joeten Motors Co., credits his late parents for building a business that keeps evolving with the times.

“We know that our father and mother, Joeten and Daday, would have been so proud to see how far the company has come today,” said Tenorio in his speech at Friday’s event. “…My dad always said, ‘You have to change with the times in order to survive as a business.’ It is in that spirit that our company will continue to evolve and play and integral role in the development of our community.”

He describes Joeten Motors as a multi-dealership company that sells several car brands and models for every client and for every budget. He said Joeten Motors has been selling Ford and Honda brands for over 40 years.

“These brands represent the very best and most reliable cars in the world today, from award-winning cars and SUV’s like the Honda CRV [and] Accord, to America’s bestselling mid-size SUV’s like the Ford Explorer and the No. 1 selling Ford vehicle in America, the Ford-150,” he added.

According to Matthew Deets, Joeten Motors Co. general manager, the exterior of the new showroom meets Ford and Honda requirements.

“The finished product represents Ford and Honda’s unique brand identities. At the north side of the building, we highlighted the new Honda generation three-cylinder design, which rises over 30 feet and is meant to represent an engine cylinder. At the south side of the building the ‘One Ford’ exterior message is evident with the tower that shows the Ford icon,” he added.

The showroom hopes to set a new standard for the islands, learning from the damage that typhoons Soudelor and Yutu wrought. Deets said the building is made not only to be beautiful but resilient and energy-sufficient.

“The building is a fully concrete structure with safety glass and reinforced framing that have already been tested by [Super] Typhoon Yutu as it came through unscathed. Our net metering, solar, water catchment makes this building 100-percent energy efficient,” he added;

When sought for comments, Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Velma Palacios welcomes this new development.

“The opening of this showroom, despite the hardships after Super Typhoon Yutu, [is] a testament to the determination and perseverance of the Joeten family and the staff of all their establishments,” she said.

“Joeten family founder Jose C. Tenorio was instrumental in the formation of the Saipan Chamber [of Commerce], and we thank him and the rest of the Joeten family for all their contributions to the business community and the islands. Congratulations, Joeten Enterprises, on 70 years of hard work invested in the CNMI,” she added.

Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, who was also present at the showroom’s groundbreaking ceremony many months ago, said he is happy to finally see the building.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for Joeten Motors. The opening of this showroom carrying more car brands is a sign of a good economic improvement for the community because people are buying cars now and Joeten is filling up that need. Congratulations to the Joeten family,” he added.