Car dealers brace for news on closing dealerships

Area car dealers are bracing themselves as troubled automakers prepare to close dealerships.

Reports say Chrysler will tell 800 dealerships Thursday that they are no longer needed, while General Motors will fire 1,000 dealerships Friday.

Two local dealers, Greg Greenwood and Dave Sweeney, said they aren’t sure what to expect, although they think their dealerships are secure.

“My hope is that if there are dealership closings in this area, they will be very minimal, but I don’t know,” said Greenwood, owner of a Chevrolet and Hummer dealership in Austintown and a Chevrolet dealership in Hubbard.

For more information, see Thursday’s Vindicator or www.vindy.com.