While the auto industry tries to recover from too much government “help”, it’s nice to see one of Mason City’s oldest and finest dealers find a way to get out from under the hob-nailed boot of government … and even find a way to thrive and prosper!
Debbie Sedars sent us this email on December 2nd, detailing a little of the behind-the-scenes maneuvering she and Jerry had to do to survive the government takeover of the auto industry. And she’s kindly agreed to share her story with Common Sense Politics Blog readers.
Here’s Debbie:
First, a little background …
The history of the Sedars family in the automobile business began in 1941 when Orvis Sedars became a Pontiac dealer in Perry, Iowa.
Sedars started an automobile dealership in Mason City in 1945 when he and Willard Hunter became partners in Hunter-Sedars Motor Co., a DeSoto and Plymouth dealership and distributor. The business was located in the fifth and sixth blocks of N. Federal until 1954.
During that period, Mr. Sedars bought out Mr. Hunter’s interest in the company and then purchased the Pontiac dealership at 22-3rd NW (currently the county jail location) from John Gallagher. In 1956 he purchased the Cadillac franchise from Harry Gelt of Lapiner Motor Co. and added the GMC truck line. Sometime in the late ‘50’s Vauxhall, an English car line, was acquired.
In approximately 1963 Sedars moved its main location to 307 N. Federal. In 1971 Subaru was added and Mazda in 1975. In 1980 Buick was added to Sedars’ franchises. Orvis Sedars died in 1988.
In 1997 the Sedars family built a new facility on the west edge of Mason City. Sedars Motor Co., Inc. (Sedars Auto Park) is Mason City’s oldest automobile dealership spanning three generations.
Which brings us to today …
Yes, it’s true: We’re now the Honda dealer in Mason City. We are in the process of remodeling and relocating to the old Price Motors Chrysler-Jeep dealership on South Monroe across from Schukei Chevrolet. This was a great opportunity for us, and we’re really looking forward to all the opportunities that await this new venture.
Some of you have been aware of this prospective business change almost from the beginning, and some of you have only received hints that something new might be in our future. Others have come right out and asked if the rumors were true. Heck, one person heard that Jerry and I were getting a divorce, and a neighbor even came over after hearing that Jerry had died! Thankfully, neither is the case. We tried to be discreet until “the deal” was finalized to avoid embarrassment in case it “fell out of bed,” and I apologize if you felt like we were trying to be evasive.
This was not an easy decision for us to make as the Sedars name has been associated with General Motors since Jerry’s dad became a Pontiac dealer in 1941. However, as you all know, GM has had a very bad year resulting in government bail-outs, bankruptcy, changes in leadership, massive loss in market-share, and the demise of Pontiac (one-third of our business), Hummer, Saturn, and Saab. These results were many years in the making due to stupid decisions, arrogance, underestimation of the competition, mismanagement of its relationship with the UAW, squandering of assets during the good times, reliance on sales of gas guzzlers for profit just as gas was hitting $4/gal., and finally, refusing to accept that to survive it could not remain what it was in the ’50′s and ’60′s.
GM also cut the throats of its dealers by allowing more dealerships to be established than could be supported. For instance, before the restructuring this past spring, Iowa had forty-six Cadillac dealers as opposed to only two Lexus dealers throughout the state. Then, as is GM’s pattern, they went to the other extreme by eliminating the Cadillac franchise from all but two locations throughout the state. They are now in the (all-too-familiar to dealers) process of reversing some of those decisions. But for us it’s too late. Our facility was built in 1997 for four franchises, not two, and the aforementioned causes and effects have trickled down to GM dealers. It became a relationship that has become, at best, difficult. It was time to make a change.
Unlike many dealerships who were forced to close their doors, we consider ourselves very blessed to have this chance to continue operating in the industry that we love.
And now you know.
Hugs,
Debbie
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