NM Legislators Protest Closure of Las Vegas GMC Dealership

GMC's plan to jettison 1,100 of its dealerships nationwide as part of its financial reorganization plan has been met with anger and disbelief on the part of many of the affected dealers, as well as members of the communities where the dealerships currently operate. Las Vegas, New Mexico is one of the communities that's fighting back.

According to a press release from the New Mexico Senate, Senator Pete Campos (D-Guadalupe, Mora, San Miguel, Santa Fe & Torrance-8) was joined by Senator Phil A. Griego (D-Los Alamos, Mora, Sandoval, San Miguel, Santa Fe & Taos-39), Representative Richard D. Vigil (D-San Miguel & Torrance-70) and Representative Thomas A. Garcia (D-Colfax, Guadalupe, Mora, San Miguel & Taos-68) in an effort to prevent the closure of the Quality Motors GMC Dealership in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

“It’s not as if this was a failing or floundering business. It is and has been a vital part of the economy of the region. And it serves not only Las Vegas, but a huge sector of the northeast region of our state. It has operated successfully for over 56 years and at present has 18 employees. If it is closed, not only will it create a significant disruption in the lives of the employees and of all the customers this dealership serves, but it also will result in a significant loss of the investment – both in training and experience, but also in the facilities of Quality Motors, itself. Travelers on Interstate 25 seeking dealership support – a significant part of the dealership’s business – will be more than inconvenienced. They will, in fact, suffer financially in seeking dealership support,” said Senator Campos.

“As a successful long-time businessman, I know once you begin to lose customer support, it is often difficult, if not impossible to regain. This is especially true in this part of the State. If we were talking about a dealership in someplace like the greater Albuquerque area where you have overlapping dealerships, it would be, perhaps, another story. But in this part of New Mexico, customer loyalty goes hand-in-hand with customer confidence. And it depends on have a business that has been there for the long haul. I would hope that enlightened management for a national corporation like GMC would be able to see that,” said Senator Griego.

Representatives Vigil and Garcia expressed sentiments similar to those of the two State Senators. Their joint letter, dated May 28, 2009, is being directed to the GMC Dealer Business Planning Group. Copies of the letter have been sent to the members of the New Mexico Congressional Delegation. Click to read the letter (pdf).