General Motors officials notified at least 10 Iowa car dealers last Friday that they’ll no longer be a G.M. franchise.
A Sioux City car dealer vows to fight the closure notice he received from General Motors. Eric Hoak, president of Hoak Motors in Sioux City, took over the family-owned dealership in the year 2000.
"I’m going to fight for my employees. I’m going to fight for the community," Hoak told KSCJ Radio. "You know, I mean there (need) to be choices in a city of this size."
Hoak’s grandfather Richard Hoak, Senior, started selling Dodge and Plymouth cars in Sioux City back in 1945. The dealership currently sells Pontiacs, Cadillacs, and other G.M. vehicles, as well as Nissans. Hoak admits his dealership is in the red on paper, but it’s due to a fire in February that caused $3 million in damage.
"Still probably three to four months before I get back into the service department," Hoak says. "I just two weeks ago got back into my showroom. We were working out of trailers for the last two and a half months. I lost 16 cars…I all my computers, all my phones, all my furniture."
Hoak is urging his customers to lobby G.M. to keep his dealership on the map.
"I know the insurance is going to be there, but I need the community support," Hoak says.
Hoak employs about 35 people at the dealership. Last Friday, General Motors officials notified 1100 dealers across the country that they’ll be let go because of weak sales.