Chrysler dealer asks Boardman trustees to save his dealership

What in the world can the Trustees do to save a car dealership...why, they] Trustees have enough problems of their own to solve!!

Maybe the trustees can pay all of the employee's salaries from here on out or maybe Frederick can find other brands to sell or become a used car lot. Bottom line is he needs to figure out a course of action, not look for someone else to make it all better!!!

i bought a truck from fredrick dodge,it was the biggest piece of junk i ever owned,and they refused to fix many problems i had,it got to the point they told me never to come back... KARMA...MR. FREDRICK...i hope you lose everything,you dont deserve to be in business.........

I feel bad for Frederick....too bad it wasn't Sweeney or Sauer!!

Yeah, car dealers in general have been thriving for years, all the while living with the proven reputation of being snakes and liars. I guess Karma is right STDKVITO! I still feel bad for the workers behind the scene that were just making a living and not ripping people off, you know, mechanics and such.

Maybe the trustees can go in the back room and ask the Sales Manager if it's OK to make a deal....

If the township puts any money into this dealership, I'm moving to Canfield. They are skirting with financial disaster themselves, and this looneybird Frederick wants a handout?

I don't believe the Frederick's are asking for monetary handouts from the trustees - they are simply asking for support in their quest to SAVE their business. This is how our democratic system works. You people are forgetting the tax dollars generated by the Frederick family and how it benefits everyone in this township. I stand behind the Frederick's grassroots effort. I have great empathy for the 54 people losing their jobs. Shame on you all for not feeling the same way.

Support to save their business. SUPPORT. I support them staying open and employing 54 people, sure. However, whenever anyone puts a call into me asking for support, it is monetary support 99 percent of the time. If they want my support by asking me to keep thinking they should stay open, Im all for it. But the minute our local , cash strapped, financially backwards local government gives a handout to someone to keep them open for another two months, It seems like a waste of time. If the skills the people have that work there aren't enough to get them another job, they can go to the one stop and get trained for something else. I don't think I should be ashamed of making sense. I simply think that these people need to know when staying open is a waste of money and time they could be moving toward the future and getting on with their lives after the ship has sank.

Here is my suggestion to Mr. Bob Frederick and any other business owner.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself! We are all hurting because of our screwed up government and Unions. So your dealership is closing. Take the fracking money you've earned from your dealership and move in a new, different direction!

Here is an idea! Open an 'Automotive Service World'. You made most of your money servicing cars didn't you? You don't need the sales part of the business. You didn't make much money selling the cars anyway. Service is where you made your money. There are enough Chryslers falling apart out there already that need fixing.

The US used to be a society of hard working, innovative people. When the going got rough, we got tough. Now? We've turned into a society of helpless, socialist beggars. "Please, please help me! Bail me out!"

Well, Mr. Frederick didn't share his good time proffits with anyone when he was riding high. Why should anyone share in his losses now?

I lost my computer administration job last year. I didn't ask for handouts, food cards, bail outs, or any of Uncle Sam's cheese. I got a fracking shovel and a hammer and started doing work anywhere I could find it.

Believe it or not, there is actually a LOT of work out there that people are willing to pay you to do. Now I have a successful maintenance company.

Maybe Mr. Frederick has sat behind a desk too long. Or maybe he is too old to do any work. If age is the case, how about getting someone else to do the labor, and Mr. Frederick manage the business?

Are you getting angry yet? You should be!

All of you need to read the full story before you start to make your judgements. They are not asking for handouts or bailouts as some of you seem to think. If the "ship is sinking" why would they be putting $1 million in remodeling to stay in business??? Before making your judgements get the whole story.

Ok well what EXACTLY are they asking for?

I would say he is looking for a fair chance at his side of the story. I am heavily involved in the automotive hobby in the area. The problem with his closure, is that he didn't fall into chrysler's criteria. He is in the top 25% sales in the US. He is #1 in new dodge challenger sales in the WORLD. He doesn't just sell these local, but from coast to coast. About the only criteria he meets, is that another local dealership (which I won't name) would like to see them gone, and they have strong ties with the powers that be. Doesn't it seem strange that 2 small dealerships in the same proximity to said dealership survived the cut. Check out the stats at salem or columbiana CDJ and judge for yourself after reviewing Frederick's stats. In my opinion, he is being railroaded out of his dealership. Once again, do a little research before passing judgement. What he is asking for is an investigation into has a #1 volume dealer can be outed in an economic time like this.

I'm hip to what gthomas is saying but the market didn't just dry up over the past week, his argument would probably be taken more seriously had he developed it over the last few months instead of waiting until the ax fell to look for support. If he had been advancing his case before last week’s announcement please forgive me, I wasn’t aware.

So if I am understanding you correctly, he wants the township to contact Chrysler and plead his case for him? The reason he is being shut down is some type of a Salem/Columbiana Chrysler conspiracy to get him out of the car business? What a story. I feel for the workers at his location, but it seems as though if Chrysler wants him out , he's out. What nags at me though is the numbers that say he is a top performer. It certainly is a puzzle, but I still don't understand what the township can do at this point to change the mind of a shaky car manufacturer that will no doubt stick by its shaky decisionmaking that put them in this position in the first place.

By the way, his sales were at 120% last month. Does that sound like a dealer who is dragging his feet? I have friends that work at all 4 of the dealerships I mentioned, and I don't want to see one of them out of work. If this decision was made justly, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Lastly, what reasoning would chrysler have to rid the dealership "hub" (boardman) of it's only dealer. When an individual who is not brand loyal goes shopping for a new car, they usually take a ride down "new car alley". Boardman is where the majority of dealerships is located. With no chrysler dealer there, there is no promotion of their product. Too many things just don't add up on this one.

just stop crying ,you have scammed us for years. i bought a car from that place and it was a piece of junk. everybody wants to be saved. believe me someone else will take your place, that is the american way.

It seems that Chrysler is only closing down the worst dealers... those who can't sell enough cars or who have horrible service complaint records. Maybe Frederick should try improving his business instead of seeking community support. Showing support for, and continuing to buy from, weak businesses is what got this valley into the shape it's in

gthomas, the one criteria you did not mention was what commoncents just stated. Customer complaints result in a drastic reduction in repeat customers. The same situation is occurring in other areas. If you do not score high in customer service you are out. "New Car Alley" will probably end up with a dealer Chrysler fells comfortable with, probably one of the Salem/Columbiana dealerships.

Lets face it, Dodge products in general have a horrible reliability record. Not one Dodge model ranks well in any of CR's (Consumer Reports) product reviews. Chrysler products in general do not rank well in CR's reviews. They have some nice looking cars, but they're crap under the hood! I hate to say it, but if you sell junk...your destined to go out of business. At least GM and Ford have a few autos that rank well in CR's reviews!

Sorry redvert, Bobs dealership is an Elite 5-Star dealership. That means his customer satisfaction scores are in the top 5% nation wide (they are actually in the top 2% from what I've seen posted).

The simple fact of the matter is that Bobs dealership is being railroaded because other dealers don't like not having captive customers.

When I was looking to purchase a Challenger this winter, I was looking for a very specific mix of options. No dealer in the country had 'my' car on the lot, so I decided to order from the factory.

After talking with half a dozen local dealers here in GA, none were willing to do a factory order, they all were trying to force me into buying something off the lot. I finally got fed up and contacted Bob due to his nationwide reputation for customer service.

He got my car ordered and delivered in record time, helped with the financing to get me a great deal on it, and even picked me up at the hotel when I flew in to pick the car up. There's a reason he's in the top 2%.

I'm convinced based on comments from various Chrysler executives that closing down Fredericks is meant to keep people from having an option to buying from their local dealers, and to punish Bob for the business they've lost to him because of their own bad behavior.

As mentioned in another article, Bobs' dealership meets or exceeds (by far) all the required to stay open. The fact that he's being shut down seems purely political and the entire area will feel this loss much more than with any other Chrysler dealer.

The support he's asking for is simply for the township to add their voice to the mix. Given that the Chrysler bankruptcy is government financed, it's not unreasonable for him to ask the local governing bodies to go to bat for him on this.

He's a local businessman with a national reputation, and deserves the support of everyone who's a beneficiary of this. That includes local hotels, taxis, restaurants, etc. who benefit when folks from other parts of the country come to him for their cars.

I'll fly 4,000 miles to purchase a car from Frederick Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep. You don't find dealers like him in my state of Alaska.

More dealerships should be closed than just Fredericks. This market is OVERSATURATED with car dealers of all makes. Look at how many American car dealers there are in this 25 mile area alone. I'm sure it's scary to be out of the "CJD blanket" but if Frederick is truly a wise businessman, they'll find a way to adapt and survive.

Why doesn't Fredrick become the dealer of another brand or exclusively sell used cars? There's more money to be made with used cars anyways.

Sorry spencer60 but Chrysler wants dealers that are making them money. You mention all these reports that tell how good he is. Well anyone can write a report, if it looks legit people tend to believe anything.

What people do not understand is that both Chrysler and GM have stated that less dealers will mean that the remaining dealers will not have as much competition for sales. That will mean that the customer will not get as good a deal. At least the dealers may think so. I have found that with the internet you can zero in on what a dealer has invested in a car down to within about 1%. Therefore in this day and age you as a buyer can tell the dealer what you will pay for a vehicle. One or two percent over invoice is more than enough! Remember, even if the dealer sells to you at the actual invoice price he still makes money (dealer holdback).

Back in 2000 my brother-in-law ordered a 2000 GMC Yukon from a small dealership in either Dillsboro or Sylva, North Carolina. He paid $45.00
over invoice. This dealership was a small 3000 sq.ft. building including 1 service bay. Very low overhead. I heard that this dealership was a victim!

Gm and Chrysler have also stated that with less dealers that the ones left will have more money to upgrade their dealerships. Now who do you think they are looking at to pay for the expensive remodeling. The bigger the dealership, the less wiggle room they have to bargain.

Having said all the above, if it is found that there was any funny stuff here I do not think either of us would be surprised!

Bottom line is that the employees will suffer in already tough times.

All this and the PRESTON dealerships aren't touched? Please, pass the karma.

i worked at both bob eddys and frederick dodge in the sales dept.Bob Eddys for 10 years and frederick for 5 years.I got out of car sales because of the hours, with a young family i was never home. I have no axe to grind trust me,the complete truth is that frederick hammered people for years on gross profit per vehicle they did not care about volume just the gross,i am sure that chrysler was not happy with sales volume thats why they are closing. Frederick should blame his son who is an awful buisness man. Anyone who knows them knows bobby is the problem. Mr. eddy behind the scenes is a remarkable person who truely cares about customers and they are a volume dealer that means the deals are a lot better in austintown.

Honestly, I have never seen an area that points its fingers at the other person so much. There is no blame, so stop looking for it. Again, this is a simple case of supply and demand. Read Adam Smith's "Wealth Of Nations." This concept is nothing new. Economies expand and contract, both at the micro and the macro level. That translates into job gains and losses, etc. When businesses over-extend, closures happen.

Stop with the blame and read some economics books.

That be

This is comical. To think that 2 small dealerships have enough pull with the Chrysler bigs that they can dictate who stays and who goes. Location may be a plus but as stated it comes down to profitability.
askmeificare - I believe the Preston dealership in Niles IS closing

will 100 percent agree that mr. frederick's business problems started with his son. He is the one who ran it into the ground. It's nice to have family member and friends that worked for them 20 to 25 years giving them their lives only to be treated like a piece of trash. They were all fired so bobby could hire his non-competent friends to work for 6.00 an hour. They are terrible people who ruined many families and now they will have their day!

Hey coach, I appreciate a point of view from the inside.You seem to have no axe to grind and you are respectful.I knew it had to be something beside the notion that everbody is picking on me. Cmon people leave your feeeeelings out of this and really look at this honestly..

Whoah!

I may have to appologize to Mr. Frederick for my first post.

It is turning out that a few hundred Chrysler dealerships have been polled and all, except one (1) so far, were conservatives who on record, did NOT contribute to Hussein Obama's campaign fund.

Chrysler Corp was asked about the closings of these particular dealerships and said they were dealerships selected by the Obama Car Zaar's task force, not by Chrysler.

This is being investigated more and could get really ugly.

Just a little more 'Transparency' from the Obama clan.