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GM dealers support Wagoner.......

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Old Apr 10, 2006 | 10:04 PM
  #1  
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GM dealers support Wagoner.......

From an article in Automotive News........


Despite GM's hardships, the board's endorsement has emboldened Wagoner's supporters.

Just before the board's special Sunday meeting, two prominent dealers each wrote a letter to the board members in support of Wagoner.

The two dealers – John Bergstrom, chairman of Bergstrom Automotive in Neenah, Wis., and Carl Sewell, chairman of Sewell Automotive Cos. in Dallas – are longtime friends of Wagoner's.

Bergstrom, who owns 13 GM stores in Wisconsin, says several board members thanked him for the gesture. On April 4, The Wall Street Journal reported that the two dealers had written letters to the board.

Sewell and Bergstrom subsequently received a flood of phone calls from supportive dealers. That's when they decided to buy full-page ads in the Journal and in Automotive News.

Thirty-six dealers signed the letter contained in the ads, including AutoNation Inc. COO Mike Maroone, UnitedAuto Group Inc. CEO Roger Penske and Sonic Automotive Inc. President Jeff Rachor.

"Today our CEO Rick Wagoner is leading the best management at GM since Alfred Sloan," Bergstrom's ad says. "He needs and deserves support for the enormous job that he is doing."

The 36 dealers spent about $194,000 out of their own pockets to publish the ad in Friday's Journal. A full-page ad in Automotive News costs up to $18,555.





OK......so perhaps a certain "BM" should pay attention. I find it offensive and disturbing that one person can write and make proclamations....but the most offensive thusfar is the call for Delphi to strike.
Old Apr 10, 2006 | 11:11 PM
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Re: GM dealers support Wagoner.......

Originally Posted by Fbodfather
From an article in Automotive News........

OK......so perhaps a certain "BM" should pay attention.
Since A. News is required reading for most dealership mgmt, I am sure he wont miss it. Too bad someone couldnt frame a copy of the ad for him.
Old Apr 11, 2006 | 01:00 AM
  #3  
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Re: GM dealers support Wagoner.......

Speaking of ads, is there a copy on the net somewhere? I'd actually like to see/have that.
Old Apr 11, 2006 | 05:35 AM
  #4  
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Re: GM dealers support Wagoner.......

OK......so perhaps a certain "BM" should pay attention. I find it offensive and disturbing that one person can write and make proclamations....but the most offensive thusfar is the call for Delphi to strike.
Amen to that. Let Rick do his job.
Old Apr 11, 2006 | 06:22 AM
  #5  
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Re: GM dealers support Wagoner.......

BM burns me up. Funny he never made it that far on this board... But to call for Delphi to strike is just an act of SELFISH Egotistical Lunacy.
Old Apr 11, 2006 | 12:34 PM
  #6  
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Re: GM dealers support Wagoner.......

Woah, I haven't read any of BM's ramblings since he was banned from this board, but did he actually call for Delphi to strike??

He either A) wants to see GM go under after his supposed "snub" or B) has no idea what catostrophic events would come about should Delphi strike. If it's (A) he's just pathetic, if it's (B), well, then the man has proven he has no business implementing anything at a large corporation.
Old Apr 11, 2006 | 05:24 PM
  #7  
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Re: GM dealers support Wagoner.......

Originally Posted by Z28Wilson
...If it's (A) he's just pathetic, if it's (B), well, then the man has proven he has no business implementing anything at a large corporation.
Actually it's (C) All of the above.
Old Apr 12, 2006 | 06:50 PM
  #8  
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Re: GM dealers support Wagoner.......

A slightly different perspective on the support for Wagoner from www.autoextremist.com

When GM's Rick Wagoner received a "vote of confidence" from the board last week, it came to light that The Rick asked the board for it, or he would resign, according to a report in this week's Automotive News. Two of GM's top dealers, John Bergstrom, Chairman of Bergstrom Automotive Group in Wisconsin, and Carl Sewell, Chairman of Sewell Automotive Cos. in Dallas, who are longtime friends of Wagoner, sent letters to the board in support of their friend. They took the gesture one step further by paying for a full-page ad in last Friday's The Wall Street Journal in support of Wagoner, saying, "Today our CEO Rick Wagoner is leading the best management at GM since Alfred Sloan. He needs and deserves support for the enormous job that he is doing." The ad was signed by 36 heavyweight dealer groups around the country. There's just one small problem with that ad - the majority of those dealers are all heavily invested in import franchises, and in some cases their dealer groups are so dramatically skewed to pushing imports that upwards of 90 percent of their revenue is coming from the sales of imported cars. So their grand gesture was nice and all, but the reality of their businesses is that they started hedging their bets long ago and embraced import franchises by the boatload to cover their asses. A smart business decision, to be sure, but let's just say that it casts their show of gushing support for Rick Wagoner in a much different light. Was it a heartfelt gesture of support? Or were they covering their asses again just in case The Rick survives and pulls off GM's turnaround? As Dr. Bud says, "The more you know, the more you just never know."
Old Apr 12, 2006 | 07:02 PM
  #9  
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Re: GM dealers support Wagoner.......

Originally Posted by R377
A slightly different perspective on the support for Wagoner from www.autoextremist.com
The only GM car I'd personally buy is the imported-from-Australia GTO, but I'm still rooting for Wagoner.

Pretty stupid to discount support dealers who get a large amount of money from import franchises. They are selling what people want, and rooting for Wagoner to come through with exciting cars for them to sell.

Since dealers like everyone else have to make a living and want to be successful in what they do, where's the problem???
Old Apr 12, 2006 | 11:07 PM
  #10  
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Re: GM dealers support Wagoner.......

not so fast.......some of those dealers do have import francises........but several more do not.......further, how can anyone say anything about the revenue stream unless the dealer is allowing them to examine the books.

(I can't imagine that Mr. DeLorenzo was invited to look at their statements.....so once again, I discount his observations.....)
Old Apr 13, 2006 | 12:29 AM
  #11  
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Re: GM dealers support Wagoner.......

BM called for a strike? Does this guy have any followers? I assumed he was being ignored.
Old Apr 13, 2006 | 07:39 AM
  #12  
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Re: GM dealers support Wagoner.......

Originally Posted by number77
BM called for a strike? Does this guy have any followers? I assumed he was being ignored.
Unfortunately he has a few who have bought his delusional propaganda. BM is nothing more than an ego maniac with an axe to grind. He believes marketing gimmicks can turn everything around and not product.

He whines about that Rick is going to drive GM into bankruptcy, and that he must be ousted to keep this from happening. However he turns right around and encourages the UAW and Delphi to strike. Which would be devastating at this time and surely plunge GM into Chapter 11...

It's stuff like that, which shows that he is a nutcase and should not be listened to. He is pissed because no one bought his "Plan" and now his ego is bruised and he is embarrassed. Now his tactics are reverted back to that of a second grader. All he can do is call people names and show little spine.

He should stick to selling cars in Detroit and sew his mouth shut.
Old Apr 13, 2006 | 07:59 AM
  #13  
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Re: GM dealers support Wagoner.......

Originally Posted by guionM
The only GM car I'd personally buy is the imported-from-Australia GTO, but I'm still rooting for Wagoner.
No on the 3.6 6-speed CTS?

And you know that you will have to fight not to buy the next Camaro.
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