Fesler open, ‘ready to do business’ (Fairfield Ledger 5/20/09)
FESLER OPEN, ‘READY TO DO BUSINESS’
May 20, 2009
The Fairfield Ledger
By LACEY JACOBS
Ledger staff writer
At least 10 Iowa car dealers received calls or FedEx letters from General Motors Friday, Fesler Auto Mall received none. It was a good sign for the dealership, which will continue to carry GM’s line of Chevrolet vehicles.
“We’re open. We’re ready to do business,” said Monte Humble, co-owner of Fesler Auto Mall.
Fesler was spared from being among the 1,100 dealers nationwide notified that GM has targeted their franchises for elimination as the automaker races to restructure before a government-imposed deadline of May 31.
GM’s dealer cuts are part of the company’s plan announced last month to cut more than 2,600 dealers by 2010. The remaining cuts will come from closed Saturn and Hummer dealers, along with 400 dealers that the company expects will close voluntarily. Another 500 would be consolidated into other dealerships.
“The odds were 60:40, that’s pretty close to 50:50, so yeah, we were nervous,” co-owner Jim Pedrick said.
But Fesler had multiple factors working in its favor - geographic location as the only GM dealer in a 25-mile radius and the only new car dealer in Fairfield; a modern facility; and good performance on sales goals and GM’s customer satisfaction index.
Although more cuts are expected from GM, Fesler sales manager Brian Starnes said this was “the big cut for people that didn’t know whether or not they were affected.”
“It meant a lot for us to keep the Chevrolet franchise,” Humble said.
“Chevrolet is our longest standing brand,” said Pedrick.
Gerry Fesler purchased the Chevrolet/Oldsmobile dealership in 1986 and later added lines from Ford/Mercury/Lincoln, which are unaffected by the changes under way at GM.
“While GM is in their reorganization, the strength of the Ford/Lincoln/Mercury brand, as a car company, they are coming on strong and starting to receive some great press and continuing to gain market share every month,” Starnes said. “The product is great - the incentives are great.”
Pedrick added, “People should not hesitate from buying a Chevrolet. The federal government has said they will stand behind the warranty of GM vehicles. … These are good vehicles – there’s no reason not to buy a Chevrolet.”
Starnes noted that even if GM, at some point, has to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it wouldn’t be the end of the brand. Successful sections of the company will be able to continue through reorganization, Pedrick explained.
Fesler isn’t going anywhere either.
“We’re a hometown dealership,” Humble said, and to him, that means more than just selling cars.
In addition to the families that depend on the business, the community as a whole benefits from its presence.
“We generate lots of tax dollars,” Humble said.
“We’re huge supporters of local initiatives - schools, academics and athletics,” Starnes added.
In tough economic times, Humble emphasized the importance of supporting the local economy.
“We’re all trying to survive. … Buying local keeps a lot of things going,” he said. “No reason to drive to Iowa City or anywhere else. We’re right here locally to serve the needs of the automobile business.”
“There’s never been a better time to do business with Fesler Auto,” Starnes added. “It’s a buyer’s market.”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.
Reprinted with permission from The Fairfield Ledger.