Mull Motors to Close at the end of April

[ohiobuckeyes]

On Friday 02/04/2011 Mr. Mull walked in to our dealership at 2pm to announce to the employees that he will closing our dealership.

We are a rural Chrysler dealership located in SE Ohio in a county that has gone from a coal rich to bust in the matter of 25 years. Below is the presser that was released to the news media on Friday night.

"Regretfully, the owners of Mull Motors have made the decision to
close its doors on or before April 30, 2011. While we have enjoyed
serving the Cadiz community for several decades, competitive realities
preclude us from continuing.

Through April 2011, Mull Motors will continue to provide the same
quality sales and service the community has come to expect. Every
attempt to maintain an orderly transition with customers and suppliers
will be made until closing.

We appreciate and thank you for your past patronage."

[The StraightShooter]

I just wanna cry everytime I here something like this.

[Txflyer]

I hate to hear it. You have my most sincere condolences.

I know the kinds of thoughts that must have been going through Mr. Mull's head. My family has wrestled with them for the past year. It is a shame that he couldn't find a buyer but selling a rural Chrysler dealership is harder than winning the powerball lotto.

Do you have any idea what you are going to do after April?

[ohiobuckeyes]

Originally Posted by Txflyer

Do you have any idea what you are going to do after April?

My plans after April is to "retire" from the Car Business will be 27 in May so I can go out and reinvent myself. I have a college degree in public relations/marketing so I was thinking about going down that road. I have been in this business unofficially for around 10 years, plus I kinda have a bad taste in my mouth about "Small Rural Stores." Thanks for your support.

[Txflyer]

Originally Posted by ohiobuckeyes

My plans after April is to "retire" from the Car Business will be 27 in May so I can go out and reinvent myself.

Good idea. I'm now on my 3rd reinvention of myself after 13 years in Information Systems (Computers) and 14 years in the car business. The car business (at least owning a domestic new car franchise) left a bad taste in my mouth as well.

Possum told me a good while back that all the 789 Chrysler dealers who got canned got a bullet to the head. The rest of us (at least the small rural stores) got one to the gut, and it's just taking us longer to bleed out. Truer words have never been spoken.

[steve_biegler]

WOW Buck I don't know what to say. The amount of pain out there is amazing, especially among small rural dealers, their families, employees and their families, and small towns that they reside in. With all the pricing games and requirements involved to continue I think possum was exactly right, the game she ain't what she used to be.

Best of luck to you and everyone in your store.

[CL Pgh]

So sorry to hear! Best of luck to you for sure!!!

[79LilRedExpress]

Getting out of the "car business" isn't as easy as it sounds.

I thought that I would do that one or two roller-coaster rides ago.
(before I hawked everthing I owned and became a dealer)

It's not that easy in the outside world...

Everyone that applies for the job your looking at has more "real work" experience.

Or the pay that they offer you doesn't leave enough money at the end of the month to pay the paperboy.

Yes, this is a tough business, its hard work, stressful and alot of days thank-less.

But all in all at the end of the day, I love what I do and I don't regret the decision that I made staying in the car game until I could buy my own dealership.

I will always remember where I came from, and be thankful for where I have gotten to.

Good luck in what ever you do, Mr Buckeyes!

[gingersnap]

Buck, Good luck to you. We are in Rural PA and no all about it.

[XDCX]

Ohio - Sorry for my delay in responding to your post.

When I learned that your store would be closing it just added to my "funk" about all the difficult times many of our members have had to endure.

According to Automotive News and NADA the car business is roaring back to life and Marchionne boasts that dealer relations have never been better. And despite all that hyperbole, stores continue to close.

Concerning your Dealer Principal, it speaks highly of his character that he chose to close his dealership on his own terms as opposed to driving it into bankruptcy and leaving his customers and employees in the lurch.

Concerning your future, reinvention can be a good thing.

[possum]

It feels like our Dealership "family", and friends keeps dwindling down. I'm sorry, I know it's hard. I wish I could help everybody here, as much as they have helped me.

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by possum

It feels like our Dealership "family", and friends keeps dwindling down.

I feel the same way - that's why I've been taking some time off and not responding to every thread. I still think there's a need for the forum but I miss what we used to have - we've lost a lot of great members.

Originally Posted by possum

I'm sorry, I know it's hard. I wish I could help everybody here, as much as they have helped me.

That's probably the hardest part for me too. So much of the pain endured by the 789 was unnecessary and unwarranted. Now the same is true for many of the NEWCO dealers who are closing their dealerships or getting out of the business.

I wish I could write a check and help the dealerships that are struggling so they could survive the recession. Sadly, I don't have the resources to do that and it's clear the dealers can't count on their OEM for support.

[steve_biegler]

X-man,
You have done more that you know.....helped many of us keep our sanity...have a place to try to tell our stories....bitch when necessary an give heartfelt encouragement when necessary. We all know that what has happened and IS happening is wrong, there is just nothing we can do about it, but our voices need to be heard. I know most of us are preaching to the choir but there are many guests on your forum and all it takes is the right one to get an earful and who knows maybe there will be a 60 minutes article. Please hang tough most of us count on your "factory take" on things to give us another angle. As I have said before, you are NOT the average factory guy. I believe you see the emperors new clothes for what they are and are willing to say so!
A check would be nice, but what you do here can be just as good....sometimes better!

P.S. I buy a lottery ticket every Wednesday and Saturday......we can all dream, can't we?

[Txflyer]

Originally Posted by XDCX

I feel the same way - that's why I've been taking some time off and not responding to every thread. I still think there's a need for the forum but I miss what we used to have - we've lost a lot of great members.

That is the really sad part. A lot of good people have left the business (at least the new car side of it) never to return. I still check the forums almost daily, but lately have been trying to follow the "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything" mantra.

[79LilRedExpress]

Originally Posted by Txflyer

That is the really sad part. A lot of good people have left the business (at least the new car side of it) never to return. I still check the forums almost daily, but lately have been trying to follow the "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything" mantra.

I agree....
Alot of us use the Forum to vent, me included, which is good, but it can be negitive.

No one feels for the 789 more than I do. I know how easy it would have been for the factory to include me and have made it 790.

A lot of the time, my rants are a product of still being scared.

Scared of the unknown.

Will the economy pick up ? Are the dealership cuts over? What is the plan after the IPO and merger of Chrysler and Fiat?

That said... I have to go on and do the best that I can to repair the damage that has been done to my store over the last two and a half years.

January was not a good month due to weather, high expense and a below average used car month.

I have to work harder and smarter, and I know that.
But it has to start with me having a good attitude.

I will start a new thread in a day or two and try to say something positive and good in it.

I hope some of you will contribute to it so that maybe the good will can spread.

This is a good Forum with great people and I would hate to lose it.