By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
Team Chevrolet-Cadillac bought the new-car assets of Salisbury Motor Co. Monday, reflecting how the economic restructuring of General Motors is filtering down to local dealerships.
Team will now add Buicks, Pontiacs and GMCs to its inventory of new cars at 404 Jake Alexander Blvd. South.
It will be the first time in 90 years Salisbury Motor Co. will not be selling new Buicks.
Salisbury Motor is one of the oldest family-owned dealerships in the country and one of the oldest to have continuously sold the Buick nameplate.
Founded in 1919 and always a part of the downtown, Salisbury Motor Co. will stay in business with a dealership selling pre-owned, mostly late-model cars, and it will continue its service department.
“It was time for us to do what’s best for Salisbury Motor Co.,” said General Manager Donald “Don-Don” Clement IV, also known as DC4. “… A lot of it has to do with the turmoil at General Motors.”
Four generations of Clements have been associated with Salisbury Motor Co., located at 700 W. Innes St.
“It’s definitely emotional,” Clement said, “but at the same time, we’re not quitting in any way, shape or form.
“We’ve been here 90 years, and we’re not going anywhere.”
Thom Dillard, owner of Team, predicted GM will emerge healthier from its restructuring, but “it’s going to be painful getting there.”
“It’s part of what’s going on in the industry,” Dillard said.
GM announced last week it will be phasing out the Pontiac line in 2010.
Dillard recalled the Obama administration said bond holders, unions, suppliers and dealerships would all be affected by what’s happening with GM and the industry as a whole, and that is now being played out across the country.
“Everybody’s getting hurt,” Dillard said.
The new Buicks, Pontiacs and GMC models that were for sale at Salisbury Motor Co. ó about 70 were on the lot ó began moving to Team Chevrolet Monday afternoon.
Dillard said his dealership will immediately start servicing Buick, Pontiac and GMC models and all connected warranties.
Team Chevrolet becomes the only full GM-brand dealership within about 60 miles, Dillard added.
Both Dillard and Clement said their negotiations were amicable. While the dealerships have been competitors, they were always friends, too, Dillard said.
Similar mergers of franchises under the GM umbrella also have occurred in Gastonia, Albemarle and Rock Hill, Dillard said. Clement noted that GM has restructured dealerships three times within the past year.
Clement added that GM is trying to reduce the number of dealerships from about 6,500 to roughly 3,500.
Salisbury Motor Co. has a dozen employees, including four members of the Clement family: Don Jr., Donald III, Donald IV and Kate Clement Tierney.
Don-Don Clement said he met with each employee to get his or her feedback about selling the new-car assets and continuing as a pre-owned car dealership, and they all said they wanted to stay with the company.
“And that means a lot,” Clement said.
Salesman Bill Sides has been with Salisbury Motor Co. almost 40 years; Service Manager Steve Whitley, 42 years. Clement said the company’s three service technicians average 22 years each with the dealership.
Clement said he hopes to start the pre-owned dealership with about 50 cars.
“We will have the same good service, which we intend to make even better,” Clement said, “almost the same employment, more vehicle services for our customers, the same facility with the same name, of course, and we look to grow.”
Clement did not rule out a day in the future when Salisbury Motor Co. will be selling new cars again, if that’s what is best for the company.
He said Salisbury Motor also will have a big online sales presence.
At one time, Salisbury Motor Co. carried 125 to 135 new cars on its downtown lots, but it eventually reduced the inventory to about 65, “and that’s what GMAC liked,”‘ Clement said. He added the inventory being sold to Team Chevrolet was “the best it has looked in 20 years” with the right colors and equipment options.
Donald Clement founded Salisbury Motor Co. in 1919 after his return from World War I, where he had commanded the supply train for the 4th Division through the battles of France and Germany.
The founder was active in the company until 1951, when his oldest son, Donald Jr., took over.
In 2006, Donald Clement III became the dealer. Donald Clement IV moved into the general manager’s slot in August 2007.
The dealership faced challenging times in the past including the Great Depression, other major recessions and World War II, when Buick built tanks instead of cars for three years.
During the war, the original Clement started a delivery business with a fleet of trucks so he could keep the doors of his dealership open.
Over the years, Salisbury Motor Co. has sold many new-car brands other than Buick, including Oldsmobile, International, White, Opel, Peugeot, Dodge, GMC and Pontiac.
The dealership was originally located in the 100 block of West Innes Street next to the old U.S. Post Office and across from the Salisbury Post.
In 1946, the dealership built and moved into its present two-story structure at 700 W. Innes St. Since then, Salisbury Motor Co. has added seven adjacent pieces of property in the downtown and has been the only dealership to remain in the central business district.
“We love our location downtown,” Don-Don Clement said.
Four Clements own stock in the company.
“Although it’s an emotional time, a trying time for my family and all the people who work at Salisbury Motor Co. ó which is one big family,” Don-Don Clement said, “we also are excited about the future of this company.”