Retailer Recounts Details of Sudden Saturn Closure

[Charlie]

A new feeditems entry has been added:

[drupal=3442]Retailer Recounts Details of Sudden Saturn Closure[/drupal]

Barbara Wieland from the Lansing State Journal: Sherrill Freeborough is finding there is life after Saturn. Freeborough was one of 340 Saturn dealers left hanging when GM's deal to sell the division to Penske Automotive Group collapsed September 30. GM quickly halted Saturn production - including dropping the Outlook crossover made at its Lansing Delta Township assembly plant - and began shutting down the brand. "It was sickening, disheartening," said the normally upbeat, optimistic Freeborough. "It took some time for the reality of it to sink in."

[saturn 51]

SO where did she find her new life

[saturn 51]

Two days left to unemployment day.

[ttreibel]

Originally Posted by saturn 51

Two days left to unemployment day.

Sorry to hear that try to stay upbeat and take this time to find better opportunities for yourself.

[saturn 51]

Saturn of Shaumburg is closed.
Goodbye to all my wonderful customers,i will miss you! Thank you J.J.N.

[saturn 51]

Saturn of gurnee is closed.

[marx404]

Saturn of Florence, SC closed abruptly Oct. 2nd. I was sad to learn we had lost the support from GM that we needed to stay open and even sadder that we left our loyal customers in the dark and wondering where to get their Saturn serviced. Glad though when the local Cadillac dealer quickly acted to support us owners. This board, the many friends I have made here are what turned me into a SaturnFan. Without the people here, Saturn was just another car and I would have never quit my career in IT and gone to work selling Saturns five years ago.

GM /Saturn had great vehicles and better yet, they honestly built a strong loyal following for the brand, stronger than most. It is fewer and farther than most any product or brand that I have seen such passion than I have known with Saturn, not just from owners but employees alike.

I will be the first to admit my strong passion of being a Saturn Owner has led me to either controversy or camaraderie with many members here. The last year has been one strange ride, especially for us 13,000 loyal employees who lived under either the guise of having a job to go to the next day-and there after, or those who sat on pins and needles waiting for any viable official announcement one way or another while fending off unfounded speculations and rumors from various sources.

Well, the worst happened. I'm over it, well, sort of. Anyone who has worked at a decent Saturn facility where the Saturn ways were strictly adhered to will immediately acknowledge the differences when moving on to their next job at another brand. A different kind it was. We not only treated customers differently, we treated each other differently - with respect and admiration.
I'm sure that as some dealers converge to other brands the Saturn Culture may continue in some aspect or another.

Thank You to Charlie and everyone here for all the years of support and technical assistance. This is a great site and I hope that Charlie keeps SaturnFans up and running and that we all keep meeting here and talking for as long as we own our Saturns. Or at least until the last Saturn stops running, which will be a very, very long time from now.

God Bless, Light speed and I Say, I say!