Published Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008 | 2:59 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2008 | 4:33 p.m.
“Mr. Big Volume” is now Mr. No Volume.
Bill Heard Chevrolet and its sister Chevy dealership in Las Vegas closed their doors, along with 11 other dealerships across the country.
In a statement released Wednesday, Bill Heard Enterprises says the closures will affect about 2,700 employees nationwide.
The statement says the company didn't have the resources to continue operating. It cites factors including rising fuel prices, an inventory dominated by trucks and SUVs, economic recession, unfavorable market conditions and the current banking and financial crises.
The Columbus, Ga.-based company had five dealerships in Georgia and nine in six other states – Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Nevada, Tennessee and Texas. The Arizona dealership closed two weeks ago.
Calls to the Las Vegas Bill Heard Chevrolet location at 444 South Decatur went unanswered. "No one is available to take your call right now and we'll get back to you as soon as we can," a recording said each time.
Calls to the Vista Chevrolet location at 5501 Drexel Road in northwest Las Vegas went to a voicemail box.
The closed Bill Heard Enterprises dealerships were two of the valley’s five Chevy dealers. The remaining dealers are Findlay Chevrolet, in the southwest valley near the Las Vegas Beltway at 6800 S. Torrey Pines Drive; Fairway Chevrolet at 3100 E. Sahara Ave.; and Henderson Chevrolet (in the Valley Auto Mall) at 240 N. Gibson Road in Henderson.
A spokesman for Findlay Chevrolet said the dealership will be ramping up its service operations given the Bill Heard and Vista closures, opening additional service bays and hiring additional technicians to take care of customers who used to rely on the closed dealerships.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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