Bill Heard Closing 13 dealerships

[rangerone]

Bill Heard closing 13 auto dealerships

Phoenix Business Journal - by Atlanta Business Chronicle



Auto dealer Bill Heard Enterprises Inc. will shutter its 13 stores Friday, the Columbus (Georgia) Ledger-Enquirer reports.

It closed a store in Arizona earlier in September and also is looking to sell its Columbus, Ga., Chevrolet dealership, the paper said citing unnamed sources familiar with the negotiations.

The company began in Columbus in 1919, founded by W.T. Heard Sr. It developed into the country’s biggest Chevrolet dealer for years and runs dealerships in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Texas and Nevada. But the souring economy brought less demand for new cars and GMAC recently eliminated Bill Heard’s credit for inventory, the paper noted. As Atlanta Business Chronicle reported in July 2007, Bill Heard faced a $50 million deceptive advertising lawsuit and was bombarded with a litany of complaints from consumers in the states where it operated.

According to its Web site, Bill Heard sells "around $2.5 billion" a year and employs more than 3,500.

[07 redrado]

you know that the economy is bad when a company that big goes under. we have a couple around my house and that is who we used to use at work for our GM dealer parts. i hope this isnt the begining of something worse to happen

[lawson4450]

yeah but you notice the reoccuring theme here? notice it says something about deceptive practices or what ever these damn companies are screwing with people getting away with it for a while and now they have to pay the piper and the only ones who pays is the employees. Look at enron look at the mortgage industry and now the stuff on wall st corporate types are get millions of dollars to get fired and leaving people in a lurch it cheeses me off to no end that there is no accountability for these guys and they walk with millions while people can barely buy gas or get money for food but these guys are walking with millions

[04sierracrewcab]

this closing also includes Lanmark Chevy (they are the same co.)

[Steve]

... Bill Heard faced a $50 million deceptive advertising lawsuit and was bombarded with a litany of complaints from consumers in the states where it operated.

You can't be unethical and get a major bad reputation and expect to stay in business. Not in the information/internet age.

[Jungle]

internet is littered with complaints about this dealership

scum bags.............but you know what, its GM's fault for not doing anything about it