No changes at Murray GM

While the news General Motors Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States Monday made its way around the water coolers, the message in Moose Jaw was "it's business as usual."
According to Murray GM general manager Charles Vanden Broek, there will be no changes to the Murray GM dealership here in Moose Jaw.
He said from a customer's perspective "there won't be anything different, except for the fact that the company will be phasing out Pontiac (here in Moose Jaw) over the next year and a half."
Vanden Broek said the Pontiac phase-out will be similar that of the Oldsmobile phase-out a few years ago.
He said the steps taken by the automaker were necessary to ensure a strong future for the company.
"Things are going to be good. The Canadian market is strong, the Saskatchewan market is strong and we are as busy this May as we were last May."
Local Toyota dealer Chad Taylor, past president of the Saskatchewan Auto Dealers Association, agreed with Vanden Broek that the auto industry is doing quite well in Saskatchewan.
Taylor said he does not foresee any major changes in the near future for the local GM dealership, except for one that dealerships and automakers alike will all be facing together.
"If anything is going to happen, it is unfortunately going to be something the whole industry is going to be dealing with and that is product may be tightened up down the road," said Taylor.
"Other than that, you shouldn't see anything big from the dealer side of things."
Taylor said the biggest hurdle dealerships are facing at this point is a lack of consumer confidence.
He said the good thing is the province is in the midst of good economic times.
"That is what is going to get (local dealers) through these goofy periods," said Taylor.
"All in all, at the end of the day (the bankruptcy protection announcement made Monday) isn't going to affect anyone here," Taylor added.

Lyndsay McCready can be reached at 691-1256.