Ephrata car dealer to stop selling Chevys

EPHRATA — General Motors informed a longtime Ephrata dealership it will no longer be a Chevrolet dealer as of October.

As a result, business owner Denver Morford said the dealership will be called Barry Chrysler Dodge Jeep, dropping Chevrolet from its name.

“The decision they made last year has not changed,” he said.

Morford called the decision “unfortunate,” but added he was glad to have closure on the matter.

“I’m actually very excited about it,” he commented.

The business will focus on one brand, on developing a better selection and more energy on being a “successful Chrysler dealer,” Morford explained.

“I’m really excited about some of the stuff that’s coming out,” he said. “The dealers have given them a standing ovation on how ecstatic they’ll be about what’s around the corner. I’m very enthused about what’s going to happen.”

Last year, roughly 2,000 dealers received what he called “wind-down” notices. Among them, 1,100 requested arbitration.

Morford’s business was one of those dealers.

GM offered reinstatement to about 600 dealers under new terms, which not all dealers accepted, he said.

“The remaining dealers were offered a chance to discuss the circumstances,” Morford commented.

The conversation was “very nice,” but “it came to light there was really nothing to be done,” he said. “They don’t want a dealership paired up with another franchise.”

GM wants to consolidate its dealer network, as it felt fewer dealers made them stronger, he said.

The Ephrata business will still have all of its service capabilities and can still service all makes and models. But it’s unknown if they’ll do warranty repairs after October, he said.

“I’ll have to update our customers once we get that,” Morford says.

Barry Chrysler Dodge Jeep is located at 548 Basin St. S.W.

For more information, call 509-754-2411.