Chrysler moves to eliminate 789 of its 3,200 dealers
DETROIT -- Doug Wilson, a Dodge dealer in Jackson, Miss., was stunned Thursday when he opened the mail.
After 21 years in business — 15 of them as the state's best Dodge dealer — a letter came via UPS telling him he'd be out of business by June 9. Meanwhile, in the building next door, his brother Alan also got a letter, but his was good news: Alan Wilson's Chrysler/Jeep store would stay open.
"I'm shocked," said Doug Wilson, admitting the situation could cause some family friction. "After 21 years in business, I just get a letter in a UPS envelope that tells me I have less than 30 days to liquidate all of my Dodge inventories."
Chrysler, which owns all three brands, announced Thursday it's dropping 789 dealers by June 9. Dealers in every state except Alaska are on the list. The automaker, which filed for bankruptcy this month, is using the Chapter 11 reorganization to shed a quarter of its 3,200 dealers after struggling for years to gradually shrink the network.
Steve Landry, executive vice president of North American sales for Chrysler, says the automaker has been trimming its dealer ranks since 2000. But the process has been slow because strong state franchise laws protect dealers from being cut off, even if the automaker's sales are falling. Bankruptcy law gives the automaker more freedom to end dealer franchise agreements.
On a conference call to discuss the closings, Landry stopped short of calling bankruptcy an opportunity. "It's a situation where we can fix some things inside the company, and a situation where we can fix some things in our dealer network, as well," he said.
There will be a bankruptcy court hearing June 3 for dealers who appeal. But Scott Silverman, an attorney with Boston-based McCarter & English, says he fears the cutoffs will "be crammed through" and dealers will not have time to make their cases.
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