Biz Beat: Empty car dealership hopes for revival, seeks new deal franchise

Drive past the former Liberty Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Hanford next to In-Shape City, and it looks like a ghost town.

There aren't any cars in the lot. The building seems deserted. It appears that the once-bustling car dealership is a fatal casualty of the economic meltdown and the bankruptcy of Chrysler.

Actually, there's still life in there -- one employee there working in the parts department. Most of the former employees have been moved to the Selma Auto Mall. The rest of the dealership has gone into hibernation mode as it waits for a new car manufacturer to pick it up.

"The plan, absolutely, is to stay in Hanford with a new deal franchise," said former general manager Rick Jacobs.

Jacobs is now the executive vice president of dealer operations for the Selma Auto Mall. Auto Mall owner Dwight Nelson still holds title to the Liberty building.

All the shop equipment is still there, waiting for a line of new cars to sell, repair and show, Jacobs said.

The dealership was angling for Honda to move in after it was shut down by bankrupt Chrysler this summer. In a special promotional deal, Jacobs got a line of Honda vehicles onto the lot for one week in August.

The Honda sale "didn't hit the goals we anticipated, but at the same time, none of the markets were hitting their targets," Jacobs said.

He said Honda's inventory was severely reduced because of the popular Cash for Clunkers program, so Liberty didn't get the volume of vehicles it was hoping for.

There is at least a theoretical possibility that Liberty could re-open as a Chrysler dealership. Chrysler's decision to shut down Liberty along with scores of other dealerships nationwide is being challenged in Congress, raising the possibility of re-instatement or re-imbursement for some of the money the dealers lost when they were terminated, Jacobs said.

The dealership would love to open as a Honda provider, but hasn't gotten any word from the popular car maker. Jacobs said the dealership is looking into other manufacturers, though he declined to name them.

Closing the dealership for good is not being considered as an option, he said.

"Yeah, it's in hibernation. We hope it wakes up soon," he said.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2432.

(Nov. 5, 2009)