Terminations of profitable dealerships:
horrible mistake and a flawed business strategy
Washington, June 19—In the wake of the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, auto dealers from around the country announced today that they have formed the Committee to Restore Dealer Rights to protect the rights of thousands of terminated auto dealerships and the customers and communities they serve.
Senator Charles Grassley
The committee will be co-chaired by Jack Fitzgerald, owner of Fitzgerald Auto Malls in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Florida, Alan Spitzer, president of Spitzer Auto Group in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, and Tammy Darvish, Washington Director of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and vice president of DARCARS in Maryland.
“Senator Grassley and more than 160 members in the House understand that GM and Chrysler are making a horrible mistake,” said Jack Fitzgerald. “With these arbitrary closures they are pursuing a highly flawed business strategy that is going to cripple the US auto industry’s ability to come back from bankruptcy.”
“With GM planning the termination of 1,300 dealerships, the American people deserve to know that many of these dealerships – and many of the 800 terminated by the pre-merger Chrysler – were not unprofitable or inefficient operations, but highly successful ones that had dared to question the corporate line in the past. We call on all dealers, those going forward included, to support the legislation before Congress because what is happening in the case of Chrysler and GM is a threat to all car dealers and all franchisees. These companies are alienating thousands of good dealers when they will need all the allies they can find to rise again,” said Alan Spitzer.
“The termination of successful, well-established dealers will doom GM and Chrysler’s recovery. A taxpayer bailout that fails Main Street and actually costs hundreds of thousands of jobs, is misguided, irresponsible – and in need of an immediate tune up,” said Tammy Darvish.
The committee announced the launch of its website www.hometownautodealers.org which will tell the stories of terminated dealers and advocate for dealer rights in Washington. The group is focused on immediate passage of the legislation now before Congress, which counts more than 160 bipartisan Congressional co-sponsors in both houses.
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The Committee to Restore Dealer Rights represents many of America’s hometown automobile dealerships recently – or soon to be – terminated by GM or the pre-merger Chrysler. It is co-chaired by Jack Fitzgerald, owner of Fitzgerald Auto Malls in three states, Alan Spitzer, owner of Spitzer Auto Group in Ohio, and Tammy Darvish, vice president of DARCARS in Maryland and Washington Director of the National Automobile Dealers Association. The Committee was formed in the wake of the Chrysler and GM bankruptcies to protect the rights of thousands of terminated auto dealerships and the customers and communities they serve. For more information please visit www.hometownautodealers.org
Media Contact: Craig Brownstein, (202) 326-1799
