A Famous Car Dealership Now Makes An Unexpected Closure

June 26, 2024

A famous car dealership now makes an unexpected closure after servicing customers for nearly 20 years, the company confirmed.

In Flagstaff, Arizona during the late 2000s, Findlay Auto Group purchased the site of a closed Volkswagen dealership.

The owner, Robby Findlay, had plans to turn it into a Saturn dealership to make it his third dealership in the region, though troubles with GM made that dream impossible.

In early 2009, the group’s chief financial officer Tyle Corder revealed the plan to turn the dealership back into a Volkswagen dealership while they waited to hear about the fate of Saturn.

“We are converting it,” Corder told the Arizona Daily Sun.

“We still have the rights to Saturn, and quite frankly we are just waiting to see what shakes out in the GM restructuring and whether Saturn will be a viable brand or not.

We are hoping it will be.”

However, Saturn as a brand went belly up later that year, but the group was able to open the Volkswagen branch in December 2009.

Findlay was pleased, noticing many customers eager for a service center.

“We halted construction for a while to see what was going to happen, but it became pretty evident that it was a lot safer to push up (the opening of the Volkswagen dealership) than wait for the Saturn store to finally open,” Findlay told the outlet.

Volkswagen customers were eager for another dealership, as the one before Findlay’s purchase was forced to close after a lengthy FBI investigation in 2001.

A “cease and desist” notice was posted on the glass doors, and the event quickly became the talk of the town.

The previous auto group owner and 13 Florek Volkswagen and Audi dealership employees were ordered to pay $2.2 million in restitution for victims of several counts of fraud.

They were also found guilty of falsifying odometers in cars and selling knowingly damaged cars.

Now, after nearly 20 years, the Findlay Auto Group made the difficult business decision to close the dealership in May.

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Also Read: An Unexpected Retailer Is Now Closing All Stores in Illinois

Other Economy News Today

An unexpected restaurant now abruptly closes 7 locations in one state after revealing plans to shutter a total of 36.

TGI Fridays is closing a total of seven restaurants in one state as part of the company’s ongoing growth strategy.

This comes after the chain abruptly closed 36 locations across 12 states in at the beginning of the year, per The-Sun.

The restaurant chain will pull the plug on seven locations across the state of New Jersey in the coming weeks.

Today, Fridays will welcome in famished diners at its location in Brick for the final time.

“As we continue along our path of transformation to revitalize the Fridays brand and implement a long-term growth strategy, we see a bright future for TGI Fridays,” said Weldon Spangler, CEO of TGI Fridays earlier this week.

“We are at the helm of a pivotal moment that will allow us to explore boundless advancement, expansion, and innovation to keep delivering ‘That Fridays Feeling’ that our fans know and love.”

Before the closures, TGI Fridays had about 270 US locations, according to the company’s website.

“As part of the store closures, TGI Fridays is offering more than 1,000 transfer opportunities, which represents over 80% of total impacted employees,” the company previously said in a statement.

“Our top priority has always been delivering a superior experience for each and every TGI Fridays guest, and we’ve identified opportunities to optimize and streamline our operations to ensure we are best positioned to meet – and exceed – on that brand promise,” said Ray Risley, US president and chief operating officer, in the release.

Eight other locations were sold to former CEO Ray Blanchette, a longtime stakeholder who will acquire the previously corporate-owned restaurants.

The sale comes as major changes have been made to the brand’s leadership, including the news of Weldon Spangler being made CEO.

“As we continue along our path of transformation to revitalize the Fridays brand and implement a long-term growth strategy, we see a bright future for TGI Fridays,” said Spangler in a statement.

Also Read: Retirees Will Now Receive More Money For Social Security

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