News
No News From GM Is Good News For Rassas Pontiac Buick
By Ryan Fennell
RED BANK - Last week General Motors (GM) began sending out letters to 1,100 dealerships across the country informing them that when their contracts expire in the fall of 2010, they would not be renewed.
Breathing a sigh of relief this week is Rassas Pontiac Buick on Broad Street in Red Bank.
The dealership has not received a letter from GM and placed a sign on its property letting the public know that it is here to stay.
Originally located on Mechanic Street in Red Bank, Rassas has been in business since 1930.
"We've been here a long time, and we have a lot of long-time customers," Owner Aaron Rassas said. "A lot of them have been calling and questioning if we're okay and (asking) are we going to be here."
"The answer is yes we are going to be here," Rassas said.
"Because we're a small dealer, we have a lot of customers whom you basically become friends with," said Rassas. "They've really expressed a concern. We put the sign up so we'd alleviate any concerns that someone might have."
Although Rassas will remain a GM dealer, GM will be phasing out new sales of the Pontiac brand by the end of 2010.
"We still have Buick, and we will be expanding our Buick operation and our used-vehicle operation," Rassas said.
Rassas also said there is no problem with Pontiac parts' availability or with warranties on Pontiacs.
"This is a case where no letter is good news," Rassas said. "We're really very, very happy because we want to stay here, and we were planning on staying here for a long time."
