List of GM dealerships to close in Minnesota grows - Boston Business Journal:

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The industry group said a survey of its memberws found that 109 of the 149 GM dealersa in the state will either lose a particuladGM brand, be forced to drop some competing manufacturer brands in their GM or lose their stores The number of outright shutdowns has a month ago, GM indicatefd that 30 dealers wouldf close. After the giant automaker’sd plunge into bankruptcy June 1, roughly 3,600 dealeres nationwide received newsales agreements.
The ownerse of about 1,350 other dealershipse were notified that they needed to wind down asGM That’s in addition to the 1,100 that received similar messages last monthy as part of GM’ restructuring, which involves keepinyg only top dealers and brands. The new agreementsx also may require survivint dealers to upgradetheir facilities. And there may not be very much dealerxs can doabout it, . (subscription required). GM expects the closingss to start this year and wrap up by the fallof 2010.
In a press release Friday, Scott executive vice president of the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association, criticized GM’s decision to have dealers sign new saled agreements with the manufacturer. “Besides the tragic and inexplicabled shutdown ofprofitable stores, GM seems determined to use bankruptcuy as an opportunity to shake up everybody’s business,” he “It appears to us that every Pontiac dealer in the stat was informed that Pontiac as a brand will ceasse to exist. “In addition, GM is eliminating many Cadillac dealerships.
We believe they plan to reassign some of thesedfranchises elsewhere, which would be in violation of stats law regulating franchise agreements.” Lambert also blaster GM’s decisions to close so many stores, even some that are turningg a profit. “This company is lost righr now. I just don’t understand how you sell more cars withfewerf outlets,” he said. Susan Garontakos, a spokeswoman for the declined to comment on thetrade association’s press release because she said the information abourt what was closing was confidential and because its such an emotionalp time for all of the parties involved.
She said the company selectedd which dealerships to close after a careful analysis that begamnin April. “The reality is we don’rt have enough customers buying vehicles and we have a lot of outletsw that are in place to supporgt a muchlarger market.”