Suzuki Chooses Marketing Director

In an appointment that completes its top level management reorganization, American Suzuki Motor Corp. said Thursday that former New York regional sales manager Gary Anderson has been named marketing director for its ailing automotive division.

By naming Anderson to the newly created marketing post, American Suzuki is banking on his sales experience to help turn its fortunes around. Sales have slumped dramatically in the past year, largely because of negative publicity about the Suzuki Samurai sports vehicle.

Last month, the Brea-based company was racked by the resignations of three of its top American executives and the reassignment of its president. American Suzuki, in Brea, is the U.S. distribution arm for Suzuki motorcycles, automobiles and sports vehicles and products such as outboard motors and snowmobiles.

The 41-year-old Anderson, a veteran of 15 years in auto retailing before joining American Suzuki in 1987, had been responsible for the wholesale and retail performance of the automotive division in the New York area. In his new position, Anderson will take over the national marketing and sales management chores of the officials who resigned last month.

The management shake-up last month followed a dramatic 13-month plunge in U.S. sales of Suzuki’s once-popular Samurai sports truck and an ongoing weakness in sales of the company’s other auto lines.

The Samurai was damaged by a Consumer Reports review in June, 1988, that claimed the Jeep-like vehicle was prone to rolling over. Suzuki dealers in the United States sold only 3,399 Samurais in the first eight months of the year, contrasted with 49,756 for the first eight months of 1988.

The sales slump has left Suzuki’s U.S. dealer network in disarray.

Commenting on those problems in a prepared statement Thursday, Anderson said Suzuki “recognizes its responsibility to boost dealer confidence and improve direct communication with its dealers and field personnel on its plans and strategies.”