BILLINGS – Two Billings auto dealerships that are losing their Chrysler-brand cars say they don’t plan any layoffs.
Underriner Motors and Rimrock Chrysler in Billings, along with Flanagan’s in Missoula and Bell McCall of Hamilton were notified Thursday that they were on the list of nearly 800 dealerships Chrysler was eliminating as part of its bankruptcy reorganization.
Bill Underriner and Steve Zabawa, co-owner of Rimrock Motors, said they aren’t planning any layoffs.
“We’re pretty lean as it is,” Underriner said Thursday. “We’ll just keep them all.”
Rimrock has already laid off 100 of its 250 employees and downsized operations as auto sales have fallen by as much as 40 percent.
Underriner, who is a director of the National Automobile Dealers Association, said he wasn’t surprised by Chrysler’s decision, but said the dealerships aren’t the problem and that closing them won’t save the company.
“We pay them for cars. We pay the shipping,” he said. “We buy the parts from them, the tools from them, and we are selling the cars for them.”
He said he will oppose Chrysler’s request to eliminate the dealerships, which must be approved by a bankruptcy judge. A hearing is set for June 9. Chrysler Vice Chairman Jim Press has said the list is final.
Josh Quigley, sales manager at Rimrock Chrysler, said, “If anything, we’ll go to all used car sales.”
He said Rimrock is selling four or five used cars for every new car it sells.
Rimrock, which is losing its Chrysler and Jeep lines, also sells Pontiac, Subaru, Cadillac and Kia. However, GM is eliminating its Pontiac brand.
“They took the store away from us today and that’s not very fair, but that’s what they did,” Quigley said.
Underriner also sells Honda, Volvo, Buick and Hyundai.
In Missoula, Flanagan’s is losing its Jeep line, but still carries Lincoln, Mercury and Mazda.
“We look forward to being in the car business in Missoula for a lot of years, it’s just going to have to be in a different iteration that what we’re currently doing,” said Shannon Flanagan, son of majority owner Larry Flanagan.
In Hamilton, Bell McCall lost its Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Dodge Truck brands, leaving it with Ford and Mercury vehicles.
“I don’t know what it means yet,” said owner Neil Miller. “I don’t know yet if I have any recourse.”