If Centre Wellington officials have their way, General Motors is going to be hearing a great number of complaints from township residents.
General Motors last week stated it would not renew its dealership agreements with two local new car dealers, Gary Cooper and Ken Weeks, when they run out next year.
Economic Development Officer Dave Rushton had a resolution for council to consider at its committee of the whole meeting on Monday afternoon.
Rushton’s report stated, “Both gentlemen have operated in our municipality for several years and many of our residents and business owners, including the township of Centre Wellington have GM vehicles. The decision now leaves us with no GM representation in the township, or the county for that matter. The only dealer left in the region is Barry Cullen in Guelph.”
Rushton’s report stated, “We would like GM to leave us with one dealer and failing this, to allow one or both of our two existing dealers to be GM service centres for a period of at least five years to honour the warranties on the vehicles that they have sold in the community.” Rushton said to support that request, he proposed a letter writing campaign from every GM owner in the township to send to the vice-president of sales, service and marketing of GM Canada. Those letters will be collected in Fergus at the Centre Wellington Sportsplex, the chamber of commerce office, and Ken Weeks’ dealership, as well as the civic centre in Elora and Gary Cooper’s dealership.
Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj called the GM announcement “sad News.” She is to forward the letters collected to General Motors.
“We’re a growing centre,” Rushton told council. “Not to have a GM [dealer] in the community is a loss.”
Rushton, who said his family has four GM cars, added, “I don’t think Guelph is where I want to go to get serviced.”
Further, he said, many residents who bought General Motors cars have multi-year warranties to maintain and service those cars under the GM warranty. “In the worst case, let them [the two dealers] do the service.”
Councillor Walt Visser had some harsh comments for the troubled car maker. “General Motors is an idiot to remove dealers. If they remove the dealers, they don’t sell cars.”
Rushton said, “Some of the logic escapes us.”
The form letters will be available at the two car dealers, the Sportsplex and on the township’s website for downloading.
