Woodland Chevy dealer targeted by GM

Woodland-based Lewis River Motor Co. found out Friday that it was among 1,100  dealerships General Motors Corp. plans to terminate by late 2010.

The closures are part of a cost-cutting plan for the struggling Detroit-based GM, which announced it had too many dealerships with too few sales and said it would notify targeted dealers by mail and phone calls on Friday. GM plans to reduce its dealer network from 5,969 stores to approximately 3,600 by the end of 2010.

"We did get a letter from GM saying they would not renew our contract in October 2010," said Eric Schei, 56, the Chevrolet dealership’s general manager. Schei stressed that his longtime dealership would continue to sell new Chevrolets for at least another year.

It would also continue to sell used cars and operate its service and collision center, Schei said.

"We’re not just rolling over. We’re going to continue on and we’re going to take care of our customers and sell cars," said Schei of the business his family has owned since the 1950s.

Schei’s father, Ansgar Schei, has worked for the dealership since 1950 and continues his involvement.

At least two other Vancouver auto dealers spent the day waiting for news.

"I’ve been calling our reps and they are being secretive about it," said Brad Preble, vice president of Carr Auto Group, which sells GMC, Buick, Cadillac and Pontiac brands at its Vancouver facility off Fourth Plain Boulevard near Andresen Road.

Apparently, dealers were told they would receive word by letter if they were among the targeted closures, said Preble, who had not received word by 3 p.m. Friday.

"If you didn’t get one, that means you’re not on that list," said Preble who had not heard about the Vancouver dealership or Carr’s Beaverton, Ore.-based Chevrolet franchise, Carr Chevy World.

Neither had Curt Warner of Curt Warner Chevrolet.

"I have not heard anything and they’ve been pretty tight lipped about it," said Warner, a former star running back with the Seattle Seahawks who has operated his Vancouver dealership since 1999.

Unlike with Chrysler, which listed dealerships it would close in its bankruptcy filing Thursday, no closing list was issued by GM.