C&V, Barry's remain Chrysler
GRANT COUNTY — Moses Lake’s C&V Auto Sales & Service and Ephrata’s Barry Chevrolet are not on the list of 789 Chrysler dealerships the company is closing nationwide.
On Thursday, Chrysler asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to decline some U.S. dealer agreements. The requests’ outcome depends on the court’s decision.
The industry’s downturn forced the company “to reduce production levels to better match the needs of the market,” stated Jim Press, Chrysler’s vice president and chairman.
Fifteen Chrysler dealers in Washington and six in Oregon are on a list for closure, but not Moses Lake’s C&V Auto Sales and Service nor Barry Chevrolet.
In Ephrata, owner/manager Denver Morford said his business received a letter from Chrysler stating Barry Chevrolet “can remain our dealer as we move forward with establishing a new company.”
“While the national media is talking about how dealers are closing, we’re open,” he commented.
He’s received many phone calls and questions about the state of his business.
“(People) are very relieved we are in business,” he said. “We’ve been here for 30 years and we’ll be here for another 30 years.”
He spoke of factors such as the facility’s appearance, training levels of staff, satisfaction scores of sales and service and profitability as being factors in the decision.
His dealership performed well when evaluated by the company monthly and sells the most Chrysler products than any dealer in Central Washington.
In Moses Lake, C&V Auto Owner Rich Childress said he thinks his business is the typical dealer to be retained because they sell Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep products under one roof.
They’ve been in business since 1958.
“I would think some of the dealerships, smaller than myself, might have been on the chopping block, but they’re apparently not,” Childress said.
In Yakima, Hahn Motor Company and Lee Peterson Motors Inc. are standalone stores that were on the list, and are larger than Barry Chevrolet and C&V, Childress said.
He claimed Chrysler has a philosophy to have dealerships constructed with Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge under one roof to save manufacturing costs.
“I think that’s where they’re moving,” Childress said.
A Longview store of Moses Lake dealer Bud Clary’s was on the list.
The location won’t see a large effect and will become a standalone location for Subarus, said Jim Scott, general manager of the Longview store.
No employees will lose their jobs.
It is currently a standalone Jeep store.
Other Central Washington dealers on the list include Pete’s Garage in Ritzville, Cascade Autocenter in Wenatchee and Leskovar Jeep-Eagle in Kennewick.