Mull Motors to Close at the end of April

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by 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?

Thanks for the kind words - I really appreciate it.

I'm not going to give up on the forum, I just need to step away on occasion.

Concerning your comment about the number of guests who read the forum, that's the one thing that keeps me going when I get frustrated. Thanks to Google this site get a lot of exposure and I'm often amazed when I check an IP Address and learn who's been reading the forum. (The OEMS, media, banks, government, etc.)

I remain convinced the dealers need a voice and the forum is a tool that can provide it.

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by Txflyer

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.

That's exactly where I'm at.

I'm not a negative person and overall I have a positive outlook on most situations. I enjoyed this forum the most when it was fun to visit and read the different posts. Hell, I used to look forward to the Landry/Press Conference Calls so we could compare notes and comment on Press' unmatched enthusiasm when he first joined Chrysler.

That said, it was impossible for me to be light-hearted and positive given the way Chrysler treated the OLDCO dealers and sadly Marchionne has just made the situation worse.

I've often wondered where the forum would be if I had decided to target KIA dealers instead of Chrysler?

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by 79LilRedExpress

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.

Great post - I think a lot of our members can relate to what you've said.

Concerning the negativity, that's a real issue. No one wants to visit a forum that's 100% negative - it's like having a salesperson that manages to "crap-out" the rest of the sales staff.

Concerning more new threads on the forum, I wish we had more threads that were started by someone other than myself. History has proven that many of the most valuable threads on the forum are the ones started by one of our members.

I wonder, is the issue that some of our members don't know how to start a new thread or do they fear that their comments will be shot-down?

[XDCX]

I've attached a PDF file with a clipping from the local newspaper that covered the closing of Mull Motors.

Based on the report it's clear there have been a number of businesses that have recently closed within the community. Sadly, many of those jobs and tax dollars are lost forever.

Here's the PDF file:
.

[ohiobuckeyes]

Update - As of this evening we have had some great success with retailing our Used Vehicles. When we started this process we had around 30 in stock today we have only 17 left. Our New Vehicles we are down to 5 2011 Dodge products. These vehicle should leave next week which would take us to Used Only until "The End."

The days don't get any easier, but we all are still in great spirit's and are enjoying our time left together. Some day's I don't have the energy to get up in the morning and make the drive to work, but yet each day we are all there everyday. And profession dress when out the window on 2/7/11.

As for me I have a few good leads with companies that work with automotive dealers. Some of these are outside of the local area. Hopefully I can save my unemployment to another time.

[steve_biegler]

Originally Posted by ohiobuckeyes

Update - As of this evening we have had some great success with retailing our Used Vehicles. When we started this process we had around 30 in stock today we have only 17 left. Our New Vehicles we are down to 5 2011 Dodge products. These vehicle should leave next week which would take us to Used Only until "The End."

The days don't get any easier, but we all are still in great spirit's and are enjoying our time left together. Some day's I don't have the energy to get up in the morning and make the drive to work, but yet each day we are all there everyday. And profession dress when out the window on 2/7/11.

As for me I have a few good leads with companies that work with automotive dealers. Some of these are outside of the local area. Hopefully I can save my unemployment to another time.

Good Luck...Keep your chin up. You have many friends on the forum pulling for you!

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by ohiobuckeyes

Update - As of this evening we have had some great success with retailing our Used Vehicles. When we started this process we had around 30 in stock today we have only 17 left. Our New Vehicles we are down to 5 2011 Dodge products. These vehicle should leave next week which would take us to Used Only until "The End."

The days don't get any easier, but we all are still in great spirit's and are enjoying our time left together. Some day's I don't have the energy to get up in the morning and make the drive to work, but yet each day we are all there everyday. And profession dress when out the window on 2/7/11.

As for me I have a few good leads with companies that work with automotive dealers. Some of these are outside of the local area. Hopefully I can save my unemployment to another time.

Thanks for the update.

I'm sure it's hard waking up each morning knowing that your day's work is going to be dis-assembling something you've spent so much time and energy building.

It is fortunate you have a good Dealer Principal who had the foresight to wind the business down in an orderly fashion. Sadly, most dealer closing are not this well orchestrated and result in a lot of pain for the dealership's employees, customers and vendors.

Concerning your future, I'm sure you'll do well and you can learn a lot from this experience. The car business is changing fast - essentially it's a situation where you either adapt or die.

Originally Posted by steve_biegler

Good Luck...Keep your chin up. You have many friends on the forum pulling for you!

Well stated.

Add me to the list of the people who are wishing the best for ohiobuckeyes.

[ohiobuckeyes]

As of March 19, 2011 we have 7 used vehicles left on the lot. My access to dealer connect has been cut. I have learned that you need to dealer trade all your new vehicles, since Chrysler is taking it's good old time moving them to a new home.

Next week we start on the parts return and cleaning up the place. Our service and bodyshop is rather busy, but who would of thought it would be busy.

The days got longer Sunday but some how the work day goes very quick, going to have to get the camera out from some photos for the scrap book.

But we all continue on the path of unknown. I think many people may think we are crazy for all staying until the end, but I know that I will never find a group of co-workers that are truly friends. Also I know at my next job my new co-works are going to get tired of hearing Mull Motors stories and might think I'm a snob for not have lunch with them or socializing but it's just not going to be the same.

[XDCX]

ohio - Thanks for the update.

I think it's great that so many of your co-workers stayed on-board to help wind-down the dealership's operations. As before, I think it speaks highly of the people you work with and the way your Dealer Principal treated them.

Concerning your last day for DealerConnect, I think that's something a lot of our members can relate to. As I mentioned in another thread, Chrysler's dealer count is now under 2,300 dealers - that's less than half of what it was 15 years ago. There are thousands of people who now look at the Pentastar through their rearview mirror.

Best of luck going forward - I hope your loyalty to your current dealer is somehow rewarded in your search for a new career.

[ohiobuckeyes]

I know you call can keep a secret. Just got off the phone with Chrysler and it's a go. Ma & Pa Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram is going to be opening soon at the old Mull Motors on May 1, 2011 be there. Can not wait for my 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 (green with envy) to get here its the first car ordered. Hope everyone had a great April Fools Day.

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by ohiobuckeyes

I know you call can keep a secret. Just got off the phone with Chrysler and it's a go. Ma & Pa Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram is going to be opening soon at the old Mull Motors on May 1, 2011 be there. Can not wait for my 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 (green with envy) to get here its the first car ordered. Hope everyone had a great April Fools Day.

Too bad this had to be an April 1st announcement.

For the most part I escaped April Fools Day unscathed but there were some pretty good spoofs about upcoming cell phones that made me laugh. Some people are pretty gullible.

[ohiobuckeyes]

Well we have 3 weeks left, and only working Monday-Friday now. I was out at a friends dealership today helping out doing some odd and ends along with some tech issues which I had a blast.

Our vehicles we have left are mostly Mini-Vans and a Buick (5). Chrysler came this week to take our New Cars Finally this past week.

And we finished our Termination return for Parts 6 cages full with crates. And working with our fellow "Chrysler" dealers on purchasing what is left in the our Parts Inventory.

This past week we let 2 more employees go from the bodyshop and detail departments. As of Monday we have 6 employees left, we are all hoping to make the April 29th D-Day together.

One thing that is driving me nuts is the amount of people in person that are asking "are you going to another dealer" or "what are you going to do", I answer with my normal "I'm going to retire and move to Florida" with a Big Smile on my face. But I guess it's apart of the job these days.

The one thing I'm going to miss about being inside of the dealership is the seal I get on parts, service contracts, gap insurance, etc. It's going to suck to pay Retail.

[ohiobuckeyes]

Well we are down to the LAST CAR on the lot.

We will wind down our Service and Collision Center on Friday April 22, 2011. Next week we hope to go some general cleaning of our departments then We lock the doors together (I hope) on April 29th. We have 6 employees left 3 in the back 3 in the front.

To be continued.....

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by ohiobuckeyes

Well we are down to the LAST CAR on the lot.

We will wind down our Service and Collision Center on Friday April 22, 2011. Next week we hope to go some general cleaning of our departments then We lock the doors together (I hope) on April 29th. We have 6 employees left 3 in the back 3 in the front.

To be continued.....

Thanks for the update - I know it must be hard to wind-down your dealer's operations and have the customers asking about your future plans.

As before, I hope your loyalty to your dealer is recognized by your next employer and you have a chance to find another place of employment where your co-workers seem like your family and friends.

[ohiobuckeyes]

Originally Posted by XDCX

As before, I hope your loyalty to your dealer is recognized by your next employer and you have a chance to find another place of employment where your co-workers seem like your family and friends.

Thanks XMAN! I hope that my next employer will recognized my hard work and dedication to my job and former employer.