Nov 2, 2009 6:27 pm US/Central
Community Rallies To Save Cadillac Dealership
JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) ―
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Public outcry has saved Bill Jacobs Chevrolet-Cadillac in Joliet from extinction.
CBS
On the verge of losing its General Motors dealership, one community rallies together to save it. Back in April, 1,100 GM dealerships around the county got the news that they were going to lose their franchises. But, as CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports, one Joliet dealership is still selling Cadillacs because customers and community leaders launched an all-out battle against the car company - and won.
On Monday, the Bill Jacobs dealership celebrated their victory with a party for the community.
According to managers, GM made the decision to pull out of Joliet because the community was considered "predominantly" blue collar, and there wasn't enough interest in the "upscale" Cadillac.
Today's reversal means that
the community convinced GM it was wrong.
Brian Pajskar works with a certain amount of comfort these days. Just a few months ago he thought his days as a mechanic at Bill Jacobs GM dealership were numbered.
In April, Jacobs was ordered to discontinue its Cadillac franchise, which meant Brian, along with nearly 20 other mechanics and salesmen, would have lost their jobs.
"I got a 14-year-old daughter, I want to send her to college," said Pajskar. "It makes it tough thinking, 'Am I going to have a job? Am I not going to have a job?'"
Today, Brian is working because many of the company's customers complained to GM.
"I think the people of Joliet wanted a dealership in Joliet," said Pajskar.
More than 2,000 people expressed their desire, in writing, to keep the dealership open.
Service Manager Scott Sopka spearheaded the letter writing campaign.
"I didn't think it was fair. Our customer satisfaction rating was at 100 percent," Sopka said. "Our sales staff out-sold more cars than Cadillac originally wanted us to."
Those arguments were added to the ones offered by local and national politicians. They wrote about the million dollars a year in taxes the town of Joliet would lose without the franchise, and the fact that Jacobs was the only GM dealership in Will County.
GM listened. Long time customers are pleased.
"I was sad. I'm glad they were saved, seriously," said Julie Libs, who has bought more than a dozen cars from the car dealership. "I tell people to come here for cars, only because they're reliable. I've never had a problem, never."
The community in Joliet may have started something. Managers at Bill Jacobs say they're getting calls from dealers around the country asking what they did, and what customers said to convince GM to keep the Cadillac franchise open.
With the success in Joliet, you may see other communities waging the same fight.
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