Headline - Integrity Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge to Close Down

[XDCX]

The local ABC TV Station in Las Vegas is reporting that Integrity Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge will begin closing down in phases.

Integrity CJD was built at the beginning of the housing boom in Las Vegas and was showcased as one of Chrysler's Project Alpha Facilities - a high volume operation will all three brands under one roof.

Here's a link to the news report: http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10351939

[jdemonto]

Originally Posted by XDCX

The local ABC TV Station in Las Vegas is reporting that Integrity Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge will begin closing down in phases.

Integrity CJD was built at the beginning of the housing boom in Las Vegas and was showcased as one of Chrysler's Project Alpha Facilities - a high volume operation will all three brands under one roof.

Here's a link to the news report: http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10351939

WOW, thats a shocker!

[SHACOS]

Does anyone know how many CJD dealers there are in Vegas?

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by SHACOS

Does anyone know how many CJD dealers there are in Vegas?

That's a great question, even the Dodge.com website doesn't know.

I checked for Dodge dealers within 50 miles of Las Vegas on the Dodge website and only three dealers showed up, one of which was Integrity - the others were Chapman's and United.

I know that information has to be incomplete because it didn't include Towbin Dodge - Chopper should be calling his Chrysler Rep....

Given that AutoNation closed their Desert CJD store in Vegas a couple of months ago, my guess is Chrysler will end up with three consolidated CJD points in Vegas by the time they've finished their plans.

[SHACOS]

This might be a model for other metro areas of similar size. For example, I know Denver has more than three CJD dealers.

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by SHACOS

This might be a model for other metro areas of similar size. For example, I know Denver has more than three CJD dealers.

While reducing the CJD dealer count to three in Vegas may have been Chrysler's master plan, I doubt they wanted to lose Integrity CJD.

I remember hearing that Chrysler's Senior Executives authorized overtime payment to construction workers so the facility would be finished before a Chrysler National Dealer Meeting that was scheduled in Vegas. Dealers who were thinking about building a new facility were escorted out to Integrity - it was Chrysler's showcase.

In fact, it's such a nice facility I can hardly imagine it will sit vacant?

[XDCX]

Here's another news report on the closure that provides some more details - http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009...to-dealership/

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by XDCX

In fact, it's such a nice facility I can hardly imagine it will sit vacant?

Well, so much for that theory.....

I've been on a road trip for the past week and passed through Las Vegas and decided to check out Integrity CJD.

The dealership is still vacant and there's a Demand Notice taped to the showroom door indicating that $2.75 Million in rent is due. The Demand Noticed stated that rent hasn't been paid for seven months - that means the store had a monthly rent factor of almost $400K.

Hell, it would be hard to cover that rent factor if it was a Toyota store, let alone a Chrysler store in a depressed market.

Here's a picture I took with my cell-phone:

For those who love irony, the yellow sign in the front of the picture reads "America's Hottest Products."

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by XDCX

In fact, it's such a nice facility I can hardly imagine it will sit vacant?

Originally Posted by XDCX

Well, so much for that theory.....

Well, after sitting vacant for over 2 and a half years I'm pleased to report the old Integrity CJDR is operational again - this time as a Ford Dealership.

I was chatting with one of the salesmen who told me Gaudin Ford had only been in their new facility for 72 hours when I took the picture - they left a 30 year old facility in a run-down section of town.

To Gaudin's credit, they did a great job of "de-arching" the old CJDR store and converting it to a Ford store. I couldn't find any lineage to the location's past association with Chrysler - even the Jeep and Ram logos that had been cast into the concrete on the display lot were removed.

[XDCX]

While I was chatting with the Gaudin salesman he mentioned to me that the dealer who built Integrity CJDR for Chrysler, Tom Saitta, got his start working as a salesman.

Although Tom sold-off Integrity CJDR before it went bankrupt I'm pretty sure he still owned the real estate as part of a family trust.

Although I didn't know Tom very well I had met him on a few occasions and he's definitely one of the coolest dealer principals I ever met. It wasn't uncommon to see Tom working a deal at the sales desk or talking to a customer. Even as a multi-millionaire he seemed very comfortable walking around his stores and chatting with customers and employees.

I've also heard Tom's a pretty talented musician and he currently owns a restaurant and has an equity interest in a CJDR dealership in Pahrump, Nevada.