Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Bergstrom to convert Milwaukee Hummer dealership

By Thomas Content
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Bergstrom Automotive plans to move its Hummer dealership in Milwaukee inside its Bergstrom Chevrolet dealership next month and convert its Hummer showroom into a stand-alone dealership specializing in GM certified used vehicles.

The changes come as General Motors Corp. (GM) is considering selling off the Hummer brand and is expanding its network of dealerships that sell GM-certified used cars and trucks.

Bergstrom Chairman and Chief Executive John F. Bergstrom said this morning that the Hummer brand hasn’t performed as well as he had hoped, but that he would like to continue selling the large sport utility vehicles even if GM sells the brand.

GM said this month it would conduct a strategic review to determine whether Hummer still belongs in the GM mix with gas prices at more than $4 a gallon.

Bergstrom said it opened its first GM-only used-car store in the state last year in Neenah. The Milwaukee store is set to open Oct. 1, and three others are planned across the state. In Milwaukee, Bergstrom Chevrolet will begin selling and servicing Hummers on July 14, he added.

Bergstrom also operates the state’s only dealership that sells the small, fuel-efficient smart cars made by Daimler AG. Bergstrom is planning to expand sales of smarts in Wisconsin with new dealerships in Madison and the Fox River Valley, he said.

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