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Community support sought for dealership |
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Wednesday, 03 June 2009 |
 By MICHELLE ZLOMKE
Chief Managing Editor
Some of Broken Bow’s business leaders met Tuesday to issue a plea and a message.
Custer Economic Development Corp. plans a campaign Friday and Saturday in Broken Bow where the group will help peoplee send letters in support of saving Gateway Motors in Broken Bow.
The dealership has been tabbed by General Motors to close when its contract expires in 2010.
The group also talked of the broader message -- the critical importance of doing business close to home.
“We’re talking about Gateway right now, but there are other dealerships, other businesses to think about,” said CEDC Board President Loren Taylor. “It’s not only General Motors, it’s the whole community.”
Friday and Saturday, CEDC will rally support for Gateway Motors with a letter-sending event on the south side of the City Square in Broken Bow.
Form letters, addresses and even computers will be available for people to send a message to legislators and other officials in an effort to pressure General Motors to spare the Gateway dealership.
The event will be 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday. CEDC will serve free burgers and drinks at the site during the day Friday.
Additionally, form letters and addresses will be available this week on the Custer County Chief website, www.custercountychief.com.
“We’ve got to make a whole bunch of noise,” Taylor said.
This effort is important, Taylor said, not only to preserve the business of one dealership, but to protect other local dealerships and businesses.
“In a small community, we’ve got to work hand-in-hand,” he said.
General Manager Thomas McCaslin told the Chief last week that the loss of the General Motors endorsement means that Gateway would no longer be able to sell new General Motors vehicles, or provide GM parts or service.
“If people have to go to North Platte or Grand Island for warranty work, they’re going to take all day to go and they’re going to go to the mall and they’re going to go to WalMart,” Gene Chapin said during Tuesday’s meeting.
Doug Campbell, CEDC’s Executive Director, said the loss of any business in a community has a ripple effect.
“Every business has an effect on the business next to hem,” Campbell told the Chief. “And every business has an impact on the other businesses in the community.”
Casey Gottschalk, owner of Ranchland Ford, Broken Bow’s Ford dealership said the loss of one dealership could definitely impact another.
“If we don’t havve a competitor down the street, are people even going to stop in Broken Bow,” Gottschalk said. “If we lose that competitor, everything is going to be a negative.”
Gottschalk said people want to be able to compare prices and service between similar businesses.
“If we are the only dealership, we won’t be able to do anything right, because they won’t have anything to compare it to,” he said.
Additionally, Gottschalk said the entire community is affected by the loss of a business.
“If we lose a franchise sign, it never comes back,” he said. “Who picks up their share of the tax load that we lose?”
He also pointed out that people stopping at a dealership spend more money while they are in town, on food, merchandise and groceries.
Campbell said those concerns led CEDC to assist Gateway Motors, and lead the group to assist all businesses in Custer County.
“Even though the effort and the focus right now is on Gateway Motors, we will help any business at risk in Custer County,” he said. “If they need help they can contact us and we’ll try and provide help in any way we can.” |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 08 June 2009 )
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