(2008-2009) FREMONT PONTIAC-GMC CLOSES;
SIGNER REQUESTS PONTIAC-GMC, GM DENIES.
In anticipation of the eventual closing of Fremont Pontiac-GMC, 0n September 19, 2008, I sent an e-mail to my Zone Manager, Jason Jakovich, informing him of my desire to acquire the franchises if and when the closure occurred. GM’s attorney responded to my attorney with an absurd statement that I should not communicate with GM about such issues, and declined to respond to my communication. On December 12, 2008, I sent Mr. Jakovich another e-mail proposing a win-win-win plan I had discussed with Mr. Okenquist in which I would acquire his Pontiac and GMC franchises, and he could rent or sell his facility to house Chevrolet. The e-mail included an e-mail I had received from the Newark City Manager confirming the City’s support for a large freeway sign. Again, GM’s attorney responded on behalf of GM, and stated that GM would address the issue if there were a buy-sell, and cautioned that in that event, GM would then consider if I am qualified to be a dealer. The totally unnecessary inclusion of this statement in the letter could not be more offensive considering my 28 years as a dealer, and having survived while countless other dealers had failed even with viable franchise structures, which mine was not. The statement is yet another example of the arrogance of the corporation that itself filed bankruptcy.
As anticipated, in January 2009, Ken Okenquist closed Fremont P-G and Dublin Buick-Pontiac-GMC, the last two of the four dealerships he previously operated and recently closed. Following this latest GM Newark plan failure, I subsequently asked GM yet another time to award me Pontiac and GMC for Newark to complete the Buick-Pontiac-GMC channel and hopefully make my business viable. Consistent with past actions, this time citing pending litigation, GM refused once again (its 4th time in 17 years), despite the fact that 9 out of its 17 Bay Area Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealerships (Pontiac-GMC only in Newark) had closed in a 9-month period. Mine was the only Buick dealership in the Bay Area, and one of very few in the United States, without Pontiac-GMC. At this point in time, GM’s engineering of Buick’s demise was nearly complete as described here: Misc: GM Channel Plan & Engineered Demise of Buick.
A sales chart that compares my dealership’s sales with those of Fremont Pontiac-GMC shows the necessity of having the GMC franchise. (GM did not provide us with Pontiac-GMC sales reports before 2001.) So, GM’s refusal to allow me Pontiac-GMC results in a loss of sales in the market, as well as service convenience for local customers who had bought Pontiacs and GMC’s. Had GM allowed me to have Pontiac-GMC, it would have made my dealership viable and maintained some value in my facility. This was clearly not what General Motors wanted.
