Redlands rallies behind GM dealer
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Nearly two weeks ago, car dealer Bill Hatfield’s heart sank when he got a letter in the mail.
General Motors was notifying him, along more than 1,000 others, that it would not renew his franchise come October. He would have to close his 96-year-old dealership, Hatfield Buick GMC in Redlands, and try to open a used-car lot in its place.
But the letters that Hatfield has received since then -- nearly 400 from Redlands residents expressing their outrage at GM -- offer some hope. This afternoon, another 350 people visited the dealership to sign a petition asking GM to reconsider its decision to drop Hatfield.
‘It was a wonderful outpouring of support from the community ... really overwhelming,’ Hatfield said.
Two longtime customers organized the effort to save the dealership, even putting two full-page ads in the local paper. Hatfield said he plans to send copies of all the letters and the petition to GM, along with his own appeal, hoping the company reverses its decision.
Still, the rough economy cast a pall over the torrent of encouragement, he said.
‘Business is basically pretty slow, and all the unknowns out there sure don’t help,’ he said. ‘But the employees have just been wonderful and very loyal, and we’re all hoping that we can make this work.’
-- Tiffany Hsu
