Dealers escape cuts
Local dealerships are not part of
national cutbacks
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Monday, May 18, 2009 12:21 AM PDT
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| Larry Meyer | Argus Observer
Bardemar Perez (left), Caldwell, listens as Jessie Weber, Hanigan Chrysler Jeep and Dodge salesman, shows various features of a car. Perez was in town looking for a car for his wife. While the dealership is not one up for closure, it is moving to the west side of Ontario. |
ONTARIO -Local Chrysler and General Motors dealerships will not be among the franchises slashed in a nationwide cutback effort by the two auto giants.
GM announced Friday it would cut 20 percent of its dealers, while Chrysler said Thursday it will eliminate a quarter of its dealerships.
Two well-known local GM and Chrysler dealerships — Hanigan Chrysler Dodge in Ontario and Steve’s Hometown Motors in Weiser — are not on the cut list.
At least not yet.
Steve Dominguez, owner of Steve’s Hometown Motors, said he was told by Chrysler’s national dealership placement director that his dealership’s performance far exceeded the company’s requirements.
“We have excellent customer satisfaction,” Dominguez said.
Also, his dealership is in an area needing the availability of service and warranty work, Dominguez said.
Hometown Motors is also the Ford Dealer in Weiser, and Dominguez also owns the Toyota dealership in Ontario and a used car dealership in Fruitland.
However, Hanigan Chrysler Dodge is shutting down its current location along East Lane, across from Wal-Mart, and plans in the next couple of weeks to move to the former Hanigan Motors GM dealership site on Southwest Fourth Avenue, across from Gentry Ford, in Ontario, owner Mike Hanigan said.
“I know for sure on Chrysler I was not one of the 876 dealers cut,” Hanigan said Friday.
Chrysler dealers were notified of their status with the company via United Parcel Service letter and listed the dealers specified for closure in federal bankruptcy court.
Jessie Weber, a sales professional at Hanigan Chrysler Jeep Dodge, said he was happy to be able to stay in business and people there had not been really concerned.
“We figured it would be OK for us,” he said.
About 1,100 dealers were notified by Federal Express letter their contracts with the company will end next year. By Friday afternoon, Hanigan had not received a letter so he felt pretty safe, he said, although he was staying near his office through the afternoon.
GM was not going public with its list of dealer closures.
“I don’t expect a letter,” Hanigan said. “We’re in a great location. We serve a great community.”
Hanigan noted, his family’s long history of selling Chevrolet’s.
Hanigan Chevrolet has been in business since 1925.
“We’re just planning to be in business a long time,” he said.
Hanigan said he is anxious to get started building his new dealership complex, which will be situated next to the freeway south of Fruitland. He said the economy has slowed that project down.
“My goal is to pay for the new buildings before I retire,” he said.
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One is enough wrote on May 19, 2009 5:42 AM: