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Another Dealership Closes Its Doors

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By MICHAEL SASSO msasso@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 12, 2008

TAMPA - AutoWay Chevrolet of Tampa Bay, a Tampa dealership, closed its sales operation Tuesday as General Motors continues to thin its dealership ranks.

AutoWay Chevrolet, at 1700 E. Hillsborough Ave., is part of Fort Lauderdale-based dealership giant AutoNation. AutoNation has been taking part in a GM plan to shrink its dealership base, and the Tampa Chevy dealership was targeted as part of this plan, said AutoNation spokesman Marc Cannon.
Cannon acknowledged that AutoWay Chevrolet had experienced double-digit percentage declines in vehicle sales.

AutoNation's 14 other dealerships in the Bay area will remain open, he said. While AutoWay Chevrolet's sales and service operations have closed, its collision and parts center will remain open. AutoWay Chevrolet has about 100 employees, and more than two-thirds of them will continue working in the dealership's collision and parts operations or be relocated to other AutoNation-owned dealerships.
AutoWay Chevrolet of Tampa Bay is at least the third local dealership to close this year. Bill Heard Chevrolet of Plant City, part of a chain of Bill Heard dealerships, closed in September. Bob Wilson Dodge of Tampa closed its sales operations in April.

Reporter Michael Sasso can be reached at (813) 259-7865.

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