GM Dealers Support Wagoner......

[fbodfather]

and......if I must say so......some very large volume highly respected dealers at that.........

from an article in Automotive News:

Despite GM's hardships, the board's endorsement has emboldened Wagoner's supporters.

Just before the board's special Sunday meeting, two prominent dealers each wrote a letter to the board members in support of Wagoner.

The two dealers – John Bergstrom, chairman of Bergstrom Automotive in Neenah, Wis., and Carl Sewell, chairman of Sewell Automotive Cos. in Dallas – are longtime friends of Wagoner's.

Bergstrom, who owns 13 GM stores in Wisconsin, says several board members thanked him for the gesture. On April 4, The Wall Street Journal reported that the two dealers had written letters to the board.

Sewell and Bergstrom subsequently received a flood of phone calls from supportive dealers. That's when they decided to buy full-page ads in the Journal and in Automotive News.

Thirty-six dealers signed the letter contained in the ads, including AutoNation Inc. COO Mike Maroone, UnitedAuto Group Inc. CEO Roger Penske and Sonic Automotive Inc. President Jeff Rachor.

"Today our CEO Rick Wagoner is leading the best management at GM since Alfred Sloan," Bergstrom's ad says. "He needs and deserves support for the enormous job that he is doing."

The 36 dealers spent about $194,000 out of their own pockets to publish the ad in Friday's Journal. A full-page ad in Automotive News costs up to $18,555.

Perhaps it's time to support Mr. Wagoner.........(not that I'd EVER mention any particular person............)

[Newbiewar]

lol...

no love for a certain man...

and i guess plenty of love for another...

Really I'm not one to point the finger but we all know there are lengthy debates about what problems are on GM's doorstep. no one man will be the hero, but an entire management team. and lutz may be doing his best, but he cant make the moon stop orbiting earth... every man only has the powers vested in him to accomplish his goals...

so if someone wants to point the finger... they have 4 pointing back at themselves...

constructive suggestions would be much more appreciated then any blame game...

[Guest buickman]

Wonder what these big fish dealers were promised in return for their signatures. You can bet it was something to their advantage. I have talked to hundreds of deaers who think Wagoner should be tossed. Two Buick dealers today alone told me they were dumping their franchises, one for Kia, and the other just sick of the crap dished out by GM. Look at Qua Buick, once the nation's 10th largest, closed their doors. If you believe there is support for Wagoner, your being duped!

If Steve Harris thinks he's got game, wait til he sees what is up my sleeve. Coming Very Soon....

Buickman

Edited April 11, 2006 by buickman

[wildcat]

If it's the same one, I remember Qua Buick from my childhood. It was a highlight for me when my family would drive by the dealership in Shaker Heights, Ohio, when we would visit up that way. Qua's ads used to say, "Qua stands for quality!"

< sigh >

[Guest buickman]

That's them, Qua Buick... Closed. The effects of "Red Ink Rick" are being felt across the United States. Someone has to stop this man and his league of looters from expanding their trail of permanent destruction throughout America's middle class communities and local economies.

Buickman

[fbodfather]

Wonder what these big fish dealers were promised in return for their signatures. You can bet it was something to their advantage. I have talked to hundreds of deaers who think Wagoner should be tossed. Two Buick dealers today alone told me they were dumping their franchises, one for Kia, and the other just sick of the crap dished out by GM. Look at Qua Buick, once the nation's 10th largest, closed their doors. If you believe there is support for Wagoner, your being duped!

If Steve Harris thinks he's got game, wait til he sees what is up my sleeve. Coming Very Soon....

Buickman

so you're saying that GM either paid off these dealers or promised them something in return for their endorsement?

Please..........

Here's more:

"In an 'Open Letter to America' published Friday in The Wall Street Journal, GM dealers said that "Wagoner is leading the best management team at GM since Alfred Sloan," who was the company's first CEO from 1923 through 1946 and served as chairman of the board for two decades through the mid-1950s.

"It is a difficult job that requires balancing the needs of customers, employees, retirees, shareholders and dealership employees," the dealers said in the letter, which was signed by members of GM's National Dealer Council, as well as the top executives of three of the largest automotive retail chains in the country.

"Given the hand that exists, it appears that Rick Wagoner and GM are taking very bold steps that are making a difference," the dealers said in the letter. They referred to Wagoner as a man of integrity and an "excellent leader, father, husband and human being."

The co-chairman of GM's National Dealer Council said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires that dealers were tired of seeing speculation about Wagoner's job security in the press.

"I would say what prompted this was all the misinformation," said Paul Rubin, who owns a GM dealership in Minnesota. "We just wanted to stand behind our guy....I think we could've gotten 7,700 signatures (for the ad) if we went dealer to dealer."

so........lemme get this straight...........

---the dealer council..........and the top three execs of the three largest retail chains in the country......who, by the way.......have more than just GM francises.........are

either:

1. being paid off to say this

or

2. don't know as much about this business as most think they do?

.............

...........

...........

I'm speechless............

Edited April 11, 2006 by fbodfather

[Camino LS6]

so you're saying that GM either paid off these dealers or promised them something in return for their endorsement?

Please..........

Here's more:

"In an 'Open Letter to America' published Friday in The Wall Street Journal, GM dealers said that "Wagoner is leading the best management team at GM since Alfred Sloan," who was the company's first CEO from 1923 through 1946 and served as chairman of the board for two decades through the mid-1950s. 

"It is a difficult job that requires balancing the needs of customers, employees, retirees, shareholders and dealership employees," the dealers said in the letter, which was signed by members of GM's National Dealer Council, as well as the top executives of three of the largest automotive retail chains in the country. 

"Given the hand that exists, it appears that Rick Wagoner and GM are taking very bold steps that are making a difference," the dealers said in the letter. They referred to Wagoner as a man of integrity and an "excellent leader, father, husband and human being." 

The co-chairman of GM's National Dealer Council said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires that dealers were tired of seeing speculation about Wagoner's job security in the press. 

"I would say what prompted this was all the misinformation," said Paul Rubin, who owns a GM dealership in Minnesota. "We just wanted to stand behind our guy....I think we could've gotten 7,700 signatures (for the ad) if we went dealer to dealer." 

so........lemme get this straight...........

---the dealer council..........and the top three execs of the three largest retail chains in the country......who, by the way.......have more than just GM francises.........are

either:

1.  being paid off to say this

or

2.  don't know as much about this business as most think they do?

.............

...........

...........

I'm speechless.

Get a clue.

Thank you for posting on this topic my friend, we needed just this kind of input. Hope to see you in Carlisle this year.

[Guest buickman]

The big fish eat the small fish. Wait til Dell buys Asbury. I claimed GMAC to be spun, called crazy. I said GMS would lead to $10 Billion loss, again called nuts. I claimed "Red Ink Rick" wants to move offshore, own distribution and sell on the net. How wrong have I been so far? That is why he refused to try any part of Return to Greatness. He and his BIG FISH supporter, Mr John Bryan of Goldman Sachs and British Petroleum, amongst membership in a few other unnamed organizations, are finishing a diabolical plan which I will interfer with. Take it from me, my friend, I am ...

Buickman

Edited April 11, 2006 by buickman

[Guest Josh]

so you're saying that GM either paid off these dealers or promised them something in return for their endorsement?

Please..........

Here's more:

"In an 'Open Letter to America' published Friday in The Wall Street Journal, GM dealers said that "Wagoner is leading the best management team at GM since Alfred Sloan," who was the company's first CEO from 1923 through 1946 and served as chairman of the board for two decades through the mid-1950s. 

"It is a difficult job that requires balancing the needs of customers, employees, retirees, shareholders and dealership employees," the dealers said in the letter, which was signed by members of GM's National Dealer Council, as well as the top executives of three of the largest automotive retail chains in the country. 

"Given the hand that exists, it appears that Rick Wagoner and GM are taking very bold steps that are making a difference," the dealers said in the letter. They referred to Wagoner as a man of integrity and an "excellent leader, father, husband and human being." 

The co-chairman of GM's National Dealer Council said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires that dealers were tired of seeing speculation about Wagoner's job security in the press. 

"I would say what prompted this was all the misinformation," said Paul Rubin, who owns a GM dealership in Minnesota. "We just wanted to stand behind our guy....I think we could've gotten 7,700 signatures (for the ad) if we went dealer to dealer." 

so........lemme get this straight...........

---the dealer council..........and the top three execs of the three largest retail chains in the country......who, by the way.......have more than just GM francises.........are

either:

1.  being paid off to say this

or

2.  don't know as much about this business as most think they do?

.............

...........

...........

I'm speechless............

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What does Causley say about this? He's seen his dealership turned inside out trying to keep up with the times.

I fully expect to see a "Causley" name no that Dealers endorsement. Except for what I know, they don't endorse him. The only one that might is Patrick and that's because he has no balls.

[Guest buickman]

I keep my dealer sources confidential. Suffice it to say they are plentiful, informative, and in full support. In due time we will stop "The motor of the world".

Who is John Galt?

$

Edited April 11, 2006 by buickman

[Newbiewar]

What does Causley say about this?  He's seen his dealership turned inside out trying to keep up with the times.

I fully expect to see a "Causley" name no that Dealers endorsement. Except for what I know, they don't endorse him. The only one that might is Patrick and that's because he has no balls.

i wonder if anyone from my dealership signed any thing...

we are near the top for volume... and if we had certified used we'd dominate the used car market...

combined we sell about 10k cars a year...

we are a big fish and looking to grow... but we want our customers to feel confident with GM's management just as much as my job depends on it... cause like i wrote in the fast lane...

"a good friend of mine had a cousin that was on the developement team for the interior of the previous generation sonata, and decided he had no future with that company and moved to honda. but both of them believed after hyundai introduced their 10 year warranty on such lack luster cars by 2010 hyundai would be bankrupt... now the company is growing astronmically, and it seems that their products are quality enough to afford the 10 year warranty and not break the bank... long story short... if you purchased a hyundai, 10 years later your warranty would still be there because the company was secure... do consumers feel that in 3 years 36k miles GM will still be alive?"

[Chicagoland]

Those Buick dealers closed beacuse it is not 1979, with all GM divisions running the same cars with different badges. All competing for the same customers. There is no need for full line Buick dealers anymore, with P-B-G one sales channel.

Face reality, they cannot afford to have 5 full line makes as before the mid 1980's. And anything with a 'Buick' name is not going to get import customers to trade in, no matter how big the rebates are, or how many facts 'Buickman' can rattle off.

GM's bast names to get import buyers are Chevy, Saturn and Cadillac.

Edited April 11, 2006 by Chicagoland

[fbodfather]

Josh....I know of the Causley Family. I went to college with two of them.

I know several other fine dealers in southeast Michigan. The point is this: Southeast Michigan is 'neverneverland' in the overall scope of the American Market. So if that particular family didn't sign that they're in support of Wagoner, I'm not real concerned.

Don't believe me about the S.E. Mich. market? Lemme take you on a tour of Greater New York.......or Los Angeles .......or San Francisco.......or South Florida.

Those dealers know what the market is really like.....'cause they don't have manufacturer employees all around them. Those are the dealers I'm most apt to listen to and pay attention to and give credence to. I'm not belittling dealers in South East Michigan........just pointing out that the business is completely different in so many different respects.

[wildcat]

I can accept that Buick doesn't need to be a full-line make anymore. I only hope that however many vehicles Buicks winds up with... 3, 4, 5 ???... that they are the best Buicks ever built, that offer no compromises, that reflect what Buicks used to be and should be now. American, affordable luxury. The Enclave could be one of them, perhaps the Statesman, too (though I wish they'd call it Invicta and jazz up the styling more than the computer-generated images are indicating).

[Mr.Krinkle]

this is turning into a bad episode of the old tv show batman with adam west.

guess whos playing the riddler.

not to turn this political but this was foist upon him, most likely the same way the next president of the USA will have the war on terror and the war in iraq to deal with.

wags comes off in interviews with a genuineness about his goals, and methods.

for christ sake he plans on cutting 8 billion BILLION billion dollars in a year.

talk about a tough road.

i for one wish him luck and have confidence hes making the right plays.

[Guest buickman]

Untrue. Waagoner has been at the top fro 12 years. He's not part of the problem, he IS the problem!

Buickman

[hyperv6]

Goodyear tire had hit problems much like GM in many ways. They had many problems and a distribution network that needed fixing in the worse way.

The key thing the New CEO did was get cost under control and get new market leading product into the dealers.

Today they sill have a little ways to go but no one is talking about Goodyear getting sold or closed down like they were.

The one key for the turn around was getting the dealers support they had lacked. This was very important. This two is important at GM.

Rick has to change a lot of mind and ways in and around GM and looks to have earned the trust of the people he needs to do it. Losing rick at this point might be something that would slow things down to the point that GM may not recover from.

If unfamiliar read up on the Goodyear change from Gibara to Keegan. There is a lot to learn there. Gibara was a Roger Smith all the way. Keep in mind Goddyear turned around in a shorter time but they are a lot smaller and had less problems than GM is facing.

[turbo200]

Untrue. Waagoner has been at the top fro 12 years. He's not part of the problem, he IS the problem!

Buickman

unless you plan on rewriting history Zarella was at the top until 2000, or 2001 when Wagoner took over as chairman of worldwide operations. He soon after brought in Lutz, responsible for the best, most relevant and desirable product GM will see in decades, possibly ever. If you don't see this it's because you are out of the loop and not paying attention through all the nonsense you keep spewing.

[Brandon Lutz]

unless you plan on rewriting history Zarella was at the top until 2000, or 2001 when Wagoner took over as chairman of worldwide operations. He soon after brought in Lutz, responsible for the best, most relevant and desirable product GM will see in decades, possibly ever. If you don't see this it's because you are out of the loop and not paying attention through all the nonsense you keep spewing.