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Chrysler LLC wants to close 18 Wisconsin dealerships as part of a nationwide move to eliminate 789 dealerships.
Five of the targeted dealerships are in the Milwaukee area and three are in Madison. The rest are spread throughout the state.
The two of Don Miller’s three Madison area Chrysler facilities are slated to close. They are Chrysler Jeep on Wayne Terrace and Dodge East on East Washington Avenue, WISC-TV reported. The third Madison dealership is Russ Darrow’s.
The dealers can appeal the decision announced by Chrysler in a bankruptcy filing Monday in New York. The company said sales are too slow to justify keeping all the dealers open.
I must say I’m shocked to see Don Miller close, what is going to be left for Chrysler? Lots of jobs lost too!
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I am surprised also. Maybe the space will be used for used car sales. Tomorrow I believe GM has an announcement.
A new development ~
No Chrysler dealerships will close in Madison, even though two are on the automaker’s list of nearly 800 dealerships nationwide slated for shutdown.
Instead, Don Miller’s Dodge dealership will merge with Don Miller’s Chrysler Jeep dealership, and Russ Darrow will add the Dodge brand to its existing Chrysler Jeep store.
One of the dealerships will be on the East Side and one on the West Side, but specifics on location are not yet determined, said David Miller, of the Don Miller franchise.
Russ Darrow, in a conference call from Washington, D.C., where he met with Sens. Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl, confirmed the plan. “It’s not bad news,” Darrow said. “Madison is going to be safe with two Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealerships.”
He said customers will not be affected and no jobs will be lost, and Darrow said he is confident the “new” Chrysler will approve the arrangement.
I didn’t see Don Miller Pontiac mentioned specifically – do you know how they will be affected? What will become of the annual show(s) at this dealership?
That’s the dealership off Odana Road, correct? I think time will tell what’s going to happen with these dealerships, their employees and any activities that take place.
Yeah that’s the one – right behind WKOW and Copps on Odana. It seems with the discontinuation of Pontiac they’d be forced to rebrand – but what other GM brand could they adopt with GM shutting down dealerships? It will be interesting to see how it works out
GM drops there list friday…alledegly.
I’m off work, but fellow employees have strict orders to call me and notify either way. I’m pretty confident that we will remain a Chevrolet franchise, but you never know until the guillotine drops.
moparkid25 wrote:
Quote:GM drops there list friday…alledegly.I’m off work, but fellow employees have strict orders to call me and notify either way. I’m pretty confident that we will remain a Chevrolet franchise, but you never know until the guillotine drops.
I can’t see your dealership closing or changing. Positive location, good layout, proper body shop and service departments. As long as your sales have been at par or above I’d say you are good to go.
There are a few other Chevy Dealers in the area that won’t surprise me if they close.
I am pretty familiar with the dealerships on Odana.
The Don Miller dealership on Odana lost the Pontiac line, but still has Dodge. They also have a Mazda dealership right next door, so they seem to be secure. And, they are just across the street from the new Smart Toyota dealership. I am guessing that Don Miller Dodge dealership will become the Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth dealership for the west side of Madison? I have spent alot of time on this lot admiring and studying the new Dodge Challengers and the Dodge Chargers.
I don’t know what will become of the Russ Darrow dealership on Odana. IMO, this dealership has been dying a slow death for the past 18 months or so. Russ Darrow Group has other dealerships in other locations, so it’s anyones guess about this location for the future.
This Russ Darrow location was/is right next door to a JD BYRIDER lot, so that may have contributed to their demise.Heard on Friday 7 Chevrole dealerships in WI got notice on Friday including Johnson Sales and Trechek in Portage. Not good!
I stopped at work today to pick up my check. It seems as if Trecek’s may have been a specualtion from someone at another dealer who knows a tech that works with me.
Some other dealers have been notified in the southern WI area, but have not made it public like Johnson Sales did. And then there’s the Dealers who aren’t even telling if they got a letter, which isn’t fair to there employee’s. One thing to keep in mind is that many of these place’s will not be locking the doors and putting up for sale signs. Just because they may lose there GM franchise agreement by 2010 doesn’t mean they won’t stay open selling used cars, having a full service department, body shop, or even an auto parts store. There is also a good chance many place’s that lose a GM franchise will be contacted by other auto manufacturer’s to see if they would like to take on there brand.
The actions imposed on the auto manufacturer’s is those of a socialist, pro-union administration.
moparkid25 wrote:
Quote:The actions imposed on the auto manufacturer’s is those of a socialist, pro-union administration.I’m no fan of BHO but in reality, this was coming long before he took office. He just managed to push it over the edge.
Changes at Don Miller dealerships. 35 out of 155 jobs to be lost.
After reading some articles lately I wonder if GM and Chrysler have the right to close the dealers. They are receiving taxpayer funds, and they are putting taxpayers out of work.
I would like to see the top management of the companies fired and bring some experienced car people in, if there are any.
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