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It was a hurry up and wait day on Friday for local automotive dealerships in East Central Illinois and West Central Indiana. Many of the local General Motor and Chrysler dealerships were relieved Friday, not by what they heard but by what they didn’t hear. On Friday, General Motors sent severance notices to 1,124, or 18.1 percent, of its 6,200 dealerships nationwide.
Those who received notices were told they will not be GM franchises after October 2010. GM did not release a list of the dealers targeted for elimination. In Illiana the Dralle’s GM dealerships were spared, as were Emerson-Sondgerath in Kentland, and on Thursday during the Chrysler Corporation cuts Watseka Chrysler heard they were safe as well.
At Dralle’s Of Watseka they are here to stay and John Dralle says they will be stronger than ever as they meet the transportation needs of Iroquois County and Surrounding areas for many years to come. Next year the Dralle family will be celebrating 50 years in the car business and John Dralle expects his General Motors dealership, Dralle’s of Watseka, to enjoy many successful years to come. Dralle’s of Watseka is among approximately 3,600 GM dealerships across the United States that will continue to serve the public.
Located on Route 1 and 24 East in Watseka, Illinois, Dralle’s of Watseka sells and services Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac and Gmc vehicles. Based on the Watseka dealership’s outstanding sales performance, overall customer satisfaction and location, GM has chosen Dralle’s of Watseka to be a part of their long range plan.
“We are thankful for General Motor’s commitment to our community and even more so we are extremely grateful to the families and businesses throughout Iroquois County, who have supported us over the last 18 years,” said John Dralle, vice president and general manager. “It’s great that GM recognizes our store and this community as vital parts of their future. We will continue to reinvest in our business to be more competitive than ever.”
Dralle dealerships have served thousands of families and businesses in Illinois and Indiana since 1960, when Dave Dralle, Sr. purchased an auto dealership in downtown Peotone, Illinois. In 1991 the Dralle organization expanded to Watseka, Illinois and has been serving and supporting the community for the last 18 years. The Dralle family has proudly been selling and servicing American made vehicles for three generations.
