Herald News, May 16th 2009;
 

Shorewood Chrysler dealer remaining open

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May 16, 2009

By CINDY WOJDYLA CAIN ccain@scn1.com

SHOREWOOD -- Jim Kinney, general manager and partner of Tyson Motors, got a letter Thursday that made his day.

The letter was from Chrysler and it confirmed Tyson's dealer agreement and verified that the business would remain open.

» Click to enlarge image Ryan Kerr shops for a new pickup truck at the Bob Ridings Chrysler Dealership in Jacksonville, Ill. About 44 dealers in Illinois and 21 in Indiana are on Chrysler's list of dealers that will lose their franchise to sell new Chrysler vehicles.

(AP)

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Chrysler filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization April 30 and began reorganizing to make the business viable. The plan includes closing dealerships, but Tyson won't have to close its doors.

"It was a great feeling yesterday to know we were one of the ones that get to stay," Kinney said Friday. "It's sad to see some of the dealers go because they were good people."

Meanwhile, agreements with 789 other dealerships around the country were voided as the company downsizes in bankruptcy court.

Successful dealership

Tyson Motors -- a Jeep, Chrysler Dodge dealer -- was ranked No. 1 in Illinois for total sales last year. So Kinney was pretty confident Chrysler wouldn't close the dealership.

But it was still nice to get a letter anyway, which was read to the dealership's 60-plus employees and posted at the business.

"They told us (in the letter) that it was based on the facility, based on sales and based on how well we took care of customers," Kinney said.

The dealership, at Interstate 55 and Route 59 in Shorewood, sold 1,399 vehicles last year, making it first in the state for total sales among Chrysler dealers and second in the Midwest. Kinney said Tyson has been selling cars all along and will have to add employees soon to keep up with demand.

"We've been busy; it's great."

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