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Monday, May 04, 2009

BREAKING NEWS! SATURN OF SALISBURY CLOSING THEIR DOORS









Thank you for choosing Saturn of Salisbury for your automotive needs. To say the least, it has been an interesting few months as we all adjust to these changing times. In order to adapt to the changing times and to make our operations as efficient as possible, we are taking some steps that will affect your relationship with the Winner Automotive Group.

In light of the current US economic climate, we have chosen to incorporate our Saturn operations into our automotive complex in Dover. The Winner Dover Autocenter has been providing outstanding customer service in Dover and its surrounding area for over 25 years.

For the past 9 years Winner Automotive Group has operated Saturn of Salisbury as a satellite operation to Saturn of Newark. In order to provide a superior customer experience, we have made the decision to strengthen our Newark and Dover operations by combining our resources.

You may continue to have your Saturn serviced by a trained Saturn technician at our Dover location, Winner Ford Hyundai Mitsubishi, located at 591 South Dupont Hwy and available by calling (302) 734-0445. They are also equip to handle used vehicle sales and have a state-of-the-art body shop.

If you so choose, your local Chevrolet dealer can also service your Saturn -- Courtesy Chevrolet in Salisbury at (410) 749-7100, I.G. Burton in Seaford at (302) 629-5514 or First State Chevrolet in Georgetown at (302) 856-2521.

What does this mean to me?

Although we are no longer selling Saturn vehicles in Salisbury we can still service your vehicle at our Dover location, Winner Ford Hyundai Mitsubishi, located at 591 South Dupont Hwy. You can reach them by calling (302) 734-0445 or by visiting them online at http://www.winnerforddover.com/, http://www.winnerhyundai.com/, or http://www.winnermitsubishi.com/.

How do I make a service appointment?

Just call our scheduling coordinator at Winner Ford Hyundai Mitsubishi at (302) 734-0445.

I have coupons for service, are they still good?

Yes. All coupons received for service at Saturn of Salisbury will be honored at Winner Ford Hyundai Mitsubishi as well as Saturn of Newark or Saturn of West Chester.

Is my warranty still good?

Yes. Nothing has changed except the location. Your warranty is still intact and all warranty work can be done at Winner Ford Hyundai Mitsubishi, Saturn of Newark or Saturn of West Chester.

Can I still contact my Sales Consultant?

In consideration of commute times, some Sales Consultants have chosen not to stay. We have reassigned their customer relationships to our most senior Sales Consultants at Saturn of Newark and Saturn of West Chester. In the next few weeks you will be receiving a personal communication from that Sales Consultant. In the meantime, any of our current managers can help you.

Is Saturn going out of business?

General Motors has announced that they will produce Saturn vehicles through the 2009 model year. They are currently sourcing production alternatives to keep the brand alive past that time. We are committed to Saturn and reinvesting in our remaining locations. We are confident of the long term success of Saturn and in all that it stands for as a brand.

What if I want to purchase a new Saturn?

If you wish to purchase a new Saturn, please call our Saturn call center at 877-391-1118 so our Saturn specialists can discuss with you all the options available and pricing that fits your budget. If you choose, you can take delivery of your new Saturn at our Dover location.

Thank you, in advance, for your understanding as we make this change in an effort to position ourselves to provide you the most outstanding sales and service experience possible.

Sincerely,

Michael Hynansky
President
Winner Automotive Group

46 comments:

joealbero said...

I told you it was going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

Anonymous said...

I wonder how many jobs this will cost Salisbury?

Anonymous said...

SBYNews beats out the competition again.

doug wilkerson said...

Has anyone seen anything that has actually been bailed out besides the BANKERS?

Anonymous said...

It looks like you can't trust any American made car these days. Honda or Toyota will have my business from here on out. Yeah, Saturn will make your payments for 9 months if you lose your job. What a bunch of crap.

Anonymous said...

What kind of idiot wants to buy a car from these guys after this letter?

Anonymous said...

who cares? Saturn isn't worth a hell of a lot, anyway. I feel for the workers but I'm going to miss Saturns about as much as I missed the Yugo.

Anonymous said...

I am sorry to see Saturn go as well as, it appears, lose the model all together in another year. My last car was a Saturn, and I had no problems with it; in fact, it was one of the best cars I've ever owned. The problem was with the service department. I traded for a Hyundai, even though I swore I would never buy a non-American car. I am happy with the Sonata as well as the service I receive from Pohanka.

Anonymous said...

Thank the Unions!

Anytime you take a brand/service away from market based/controlled salaries, the brand will eventually fail.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
It looks like you can't trust any American made car these days. Honda or Toyota will have my business from here on out. Yeah, Saturn will make your payments for 9 months if you lose your job. What a bunch of crap.

2:40 PM
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I understand your point, but, this is why US car makers are in so much trouble, the union wages are ridiculous along with people buying foreign cars because they have an extra cup holder. I have a problem giving my money to countries that want to destroy our way of life but when I look around it seams I'm in a minority. The U.S. builds a much better vehicle but the government as actually regulated them out of business. I'd say it is how our capitalist nation is supposed to work if not for that last sentence.
Hopefully the big 3 have people smart enough to reorganize and out the leg breaking unions, if not... something will take their place.

Anonymous said...

I bought my first Saturn Vue from Saturn of Salisbury back in 2003 and now am driving a 2006 model.
I have owned 11 vehicles in my lifetime and I would say this is one of the best I've ever owned. Second only to my 94 Toyota Camry.
When I bought at this location in 03, I was treated like a queen! I had and have never been treated as well as I was at Saturn of Salisbury.
I'm saddened they are closing the location and that Saturn may disappear all together but I had made up my mind this was my last Saturn Vue because I really dislike the new body style and even though I like the Outlook model, it burns too much gas for me.
Good luck with your endeavors employees of S of S.

Anonymous said...

They made an awful product. I looked at one years ago at an auto show and it had one back door, it opened on to the street side. What genuis thought that one up?

Anonymous said...

3:30 "I have a problem giving my money to countries that want to destroy our way of life but when I look around it seams I'm in a minority."


Last I checked we were pretty good friends with Japan. And yes, they do make a better vehicle which are assembled by US workers at non-union wages.

Anonymous said...

Last I checked we were pretty good friends with Japan. And yes, they do make a better vehicle which are assembled by US workers at non-union wages.

3:39 PM
--------------------------------
where are the parts made?
I've been a mechanic for 35+ years and I can tell you that the US vehicles are much superior to the foreign vehicles. People got the notion of the rice burners being better in the 80's when the big 3 had to cut cost or close. How many classic rice burners do you see at classic car shows VS American iron? 1000 to 1 is about right. Why? real simple, the recycled tin can rice burners just wont stand up to time like American iron.

Anonymous said...

I cant say that im sorry to hear this. They screwed me over on a vehicle in 2004, then I was stupid enough to go back and bought a new truck with, what the salesman told me was wax, on the hood. Long and short of it, they refused to correct the problem and i ended up having to pay 900.00 to have a new car painted.

Anonymous said...

Thanks,
But I will buy any future vehicles from dealerships who have a comittment to the Salisbury economy and people. Good riddance and good luck!

Topper said...

Saturn cars suck anyway...good riddance

Anonymous said...

I find it interesting that the letter states you can get warranty work done at their Ford store.
Nope!
I work for GM and that statement is false. You can get your warranty work done at ANY GM dealer though

Anonymous said...

Someone mentioned the big three automakers. Remember Ford hasn't taken a dime of federal money and deserve a lot of credit for that. Chrysler is now in bankruptcy and will be roughly 55 percent owned by the union and 30 percent by Fiat.

Someone else said they bought a Hyundai from Pohanka and were really pleased. All I can say about that is wait until you need service. My son has a 2005 Honda and took it in because it would not start. They determined it was a bad starter and would cost $885.00 ti fix, including $90.00 for the diagnostic test. Moral of the story is if you need a new car buy American if possible and buy a Ford for standing up and not taking government money.

joealbero said...

anonymous 5:38, Come on now! If you think Ford Dealers or anyone else isn't charging the same kind of money for parts and labor, you're nuts. Vehicle maintainance is extremely expensive these days, no matter what brand it is, foreign or domestic.

MelissaW said...

506, ITA! Bought a brand new Saturn in 2001 & drove it for 4 years, won't ever buy another!

Anonymous said...

joealbero said...
anonymous 5:38, Come on now! If you think Ford Dealers or anyone else isn't charging the same kind of money for parts and labor, you're nuts. Vehicle maintainance is extremely expensive these days, no matter what brand it is, foreign or domestic.

5:41 PM
------------------------------
Parts Joe, foreign car parts are normally double the price of domestic or more, for example; a alternator for a chevy will cost around 70-80 bucks where one for a foreign engine will be near 300.00.
Most shops do compete on the cost of labor, but American engines are much easier to work on so the labor time is mostly always less.
Ford does make a decent vehicle NOW but until the late 80's were junk, GM is far superior. Ford had to sell their Mazda stocks back to Mazda for an astronomical loss and that's what held them together during these trying times. I wont buy ford because they are in big support of a group I don't agree with morally.

Anonymous said...

This shows the true reason for the automotive industry crisis. For years, all of the manufacturers were simply producing too many cars, and consumers had the notion in their heads that they needed a brand new year model Escalade every 2 years.

How come the only solution I ever hear to the economic crisis is to get the banks back on their feet so people can go out and buy cars and houses again??? Why aren't we changing our PHILOSOPHIES? Ya know, where you don't buy the $500,000 house thats too big to live in when you already have a nice house in a good neighborhood, and you don't buy the brand new car when you have a perfect working one in your garage already. It seems like the answer is to get the banks restructured so we can just make the same mistakes all over again.

Rob S

Anonymous said...

hungry? out of work?...eat you import.

Anonymous said...

2:56 The banks and investment houses that had to be bailed out with billions weren't union. Think maybe the problem in all three industries is poor management and corrupt business practices?

citygoer said...

To Anon 3:35. Its obvious you havent worked on many Japanese autos in your life. There is NO WAY GM is far superior to any auto maker. BTW the alternator for my Subaru from the dealer was $92. Blanket statements dont work, check your facts.

More shore jobs down the tubes. A few weeks ago WBOC talked about how the Delmarva economy was doing ok. Such apologists around here. WAKE UP!!! Why not report the truth? Cities on the shore better start planning now to begin increasing the job market locally. If not the 25% population that already lives below the poverty level will only get higher.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
2:56 The banks and investment houses that had to be bailed out with billions weren't union. Think maybe the problem in all three industries is poor management and corrupt business practices?
--------------------------------
That was part of it along with the greedy brass at the top. 'Mostly' it's all about government (democrats) involvement forcing the lending institutions to lend to clients that could not pay their note. That is what started everything that's happening now with companies failing, if the dollar is not fluid it's not there to be spent, especially for the higher cost things like vehicles and that's why they are the first to go under. It will trickle down, and the more the government gets involved the worse it will get.

Anonymous said...

citygoer said...
To Anon 3:35. Its obvious you havent worked on many Japanese autos in your life. There is NO WAY GM is far superior to any auto maker. BTW the alternator for my Subaru from the dealer was $92. Blanket statements dont work, check your facts.
---------------------------------
maybe you have the problem with "facts" I just looked up an alternator for a 95 subaru at autozone and it's $241.00 re-manufactured. or maybe you meant $900.00 at the dealer. And Chevy IS far superior to any foreign vehicle. How many foreign taxis and police cars do you see? There's a reason for that. DURABILITY!

joealbero said...

anonymous 9:10, Come on now. You don't use foreign cars for Taxi's because they're too small.

There always seems to be an age old arguement about foreign cars but face it, they run better than American cars, they last longer and they're much more durable.

If you go to Europe, all you see are foreign Taxi Cabs! Get this, they mainly use Mercedes because they last forever like luggage!

In America you mainly see Crown Vics because they're a dime a dozen and you can go to "ANY" Junk Yard and get replacement parts really cheap.

You don't see Cab Companies buying brand new Crown Vics either. They buy them from Police Auctions where they have been well maintained. However, let's just look at Gorgy's last Crown Vic from the Fire Department. They paid $6,000.00 for a replacement rebuilt engine for that SOB! Start taking a look at the maintainance records for any municipality and it will blow your mind!

You've got your facts all wrong. Oh, I should add, look at the depreciation of the Crown Vic too. They lose their value so fast you won't believe it. You won't find the same in a foreign car, that's for sure. There's a damn good reason too, they last much longer.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad we have a new mayor but I'm afraid this is just the begining of business closures. Watermen's Cove and Saturn alone probably account for over 100 jobs lost alone in the last 5 days that have been posted here. There's probably more.

From what I understand the bank would not help the owner of Watermen's Cove from forclosure.

I just have one question, where's all this fuggin' stimulus money going? The banks now want another Trillion Dollars? I say enough is a fuggin' nuff! Let's all take our money out of the banks, pay off all morgages and car loans if possible and drop them to their knees.

The shape the former mayor left this city in is in no way going to make a difference for a long time.

Anonymous said...

9:10, durability has nothing to do with it. Gov't agencies have a policy to buy American when and if possible. Even Gov't buildings are built with USA goods, when possible.
Taxis are American made becausee they are used cop cars.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but stateing opinion as fact is called a lie if the statment is indeed untrue.

citygoer said...

To Anon 9:10. Thanks for confirming the great deal I got at the dealer. Go to Subarugenuineparts.com and lookup an Alternator for a 98 Subaru Legacy. I'm not going to argue with someone who so obviously thinks they "know-it-all". NY cabs are Honda Odysseys and Toyota's. Enjoy your kool-aid.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:36,

FYI - Saturn of Salisbury is in DELMAR, not Salisbury.
They only used Salisbury in their name because they had to in order to get the franchise. They have to use a "metropolitan" area name.
You probably think the tourist center is in Salisbury too, wrong....it's in Delmar too!

Anonymous said...

Doesn't matter, Delmar or Salisbury, there's 100 more people ot of work that don't have money to shop and many will likely have to collect unemployment until they can find a decent job.

The more people out of work with no money to spend means a future of more suffering businesses, where's that stimulus money really going is what I want to know?

It won't help the county tax base either. No piggyback taxes for 100 more people next year, or much less, still paints a picture of things getting worse before it gets better.

Anonymous said...

The bottom line with Saturn of Salisbury was that it made no economic sense for the owner of the dealership to keep it open. Whether you love Saturns or don't, the people of this area didn't buy enough of them to keep the biz in the black. This is probably not the last big boy going down in this area. Sherwood has consolidated their operation, and have moved the old Carway biz into their main operation across the street, and have the building and property for sale (priced at twice what it will sell for, imho)
and are still struggling.
Pohanka is also suffering, just aren't talking about it in public yet. They all are. But the owners have big fancy houses to keep going, and lifestyles to fund. Keeping a failing car store open costs big bucks. The little guys are on their own. As always.

joealbero said...

anonymous 8:03, let me clarify something here. This is America where people have hope and dreams. We were raised to believe we can do anything if we work hard enough.

Many have achieved greatness and then failed, only to come back again, because we live in a Country where anything is possible.

Now let me show you the other side of the coin. I used to live in a 10,000 sq. ft. home just outside Annapolis. It was a beautiful home but there came a day when it was only me living there and 10,000 sq. ft. was just too much space for one person. I moved to Ocean City and bought a beautiful home right on the Bay in West Ocean City. For a single guy, man, it was the bomb! Then I got married again and that property simply wasn't dog friendly. Well, for the Labs it was but for the Yorkies it just wasn't what we needed. Now we have a Ranch with horses and everything we wanted together as a team. Nothing too big, nothing too fancy, it's just right.

People go from big to small for all sorts of reasons but I don't think it's right that you try and shame someone for being successful. Many feel big homes are something to be proud of and it shows their success. Perhaps that's not a practical reason to own a huge home but it's their right. Some buy them, (like I did my home outside Annapolis) because I needed the tax write off. Nevertheless, one of the most sound industries ever founded in America is falling apart. Not because the local Dealerships got greedy. More so because the Giants got greedy and ruined it for the smaller guy, the Dealerships.

One thing I can assure you of is this. The owners of these Dealerships will always succeed. They may fail for now buut they will come back.

Anonymous said...

Sherwood started downsizing many years ago when they closed up in Snow Hill.

The Banks aren't helping any of these car dealerships because they aren't approving loans because they already have so many bad loans on their plate. Even people that should be able to get a loan aren't, if they are, the interest rate isn't that good so they decline.

Anonymous said...

When a business is struggling and the owner cuts benefits, cuts out all the perks, freezes salaries, even stops the annual Christmas party for the staff, but STILL lives in a 10,000 sq.ft. house, with gardener, pool, etc., without regard for those people who are making it possible, it seems a little like rubbing their noses in it. Not punishing the owners for their success, but criticizing them for not PERSONALLY practicing what they preach, is the point. It doesn't necessarily make them bad people, but certainly insensitive. And don't think the worker-bees don't notice, and arent' offended. As one of those bees myself, I'm mad as hell. Loyalty should be two sided.

joealbero said...

anonymous 9:29, That's exactly the problem with America today. Since when do YOU have the right to challenge the OWNER in what they choose to do with their personal life. Worker Bee's are just that, employees. You either respect the owner for the risks they took to get to where they are or you simply resign your position.

Man, you people are crazy!

Anonymous said...

Amen to your response of 9:32 Joe!

It's all about ME ME ME!
Be thankful you still have a job Anon 9:29!!!!

Anonymous said...

If GM is so good, why was the Pontiac G6 rated "worst car in it's class"? And I know a service advisor at a Pontiac dealership, I told him I was interested in a G6. He told me it had more problems than a 2nd grade math book, and don't buy the car. Get a Toyota or a Vibe which is a Toyota. Last I saw, they only sold 756 G6's in the entire country in February. Probably why they went bankrupt.

Chimera said...

LOL Anon 2:50......If I had a choice between a Saturn and a Yugo,gimme a Yugo.check the car ads,Saturn has miniscule re-sale value.
Oh BTW foreign car haters,I have a 98 Honda and the highest priced part so far was a $250 distributor.Hell,my new radiator was under $100

Anonymous said...

GO TO POHANKA FOR A NEW OR USED CAR.ALL OF THEIR NEW CARS ARE THE TOP RATED IN THE INDUSTRY AND THEIR SERVICE AND SALES TEAM ARE FANTASTIC!ALSO THEY ARE DONATING SO MUCH MONEY BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.GOD BLESS ALL THE EMPLOYEES WHO WORK FOR POHANKA. YOU GUYS ARE GREAT.KEEP UP ALL YHE GREAT WORK.

Anonymous said...

`bye bye miss american pie drove mychevy/saturn to the levy but the levy was dry.some good ole boy were drinking wiski and rye think this isthe way saturn died

Anonymous said...

Hynansky doesn't care about his employees anyway - all he cares about is his money - when he sold Winner Ford of Newark, Winner Infiniti and Winner Mitsubishi to Porter Auto group - Too many of us lost our jobs - Porter did not want to keep those who where paid a decent wage and as of Winner merging employees into the rest of the auto group - he didn't but yet ads ran for winner looking for staff (receptionist, techs, sales, etc..) so don't believe everything you read from Winner Automotive Group. He only cares about his money - not his employees.

Anonymous said...

I think it is absurd to say that Hynansky doesn't car about his employees. He treats his employees and customers very well. Saturn of Salisbury would still be open if we could have gotten the job done. They couldn't land good professional sales consultants or top notch managers. Mr. Hynansky gave that store more than enough time to become profitable. There are still people employed for him from both Saturn stores that were closed and he offered every consultant the opportunity to interview in Dover at his Ford store which none chose to do. Please make sure you kno what you are talking about before speaking.