Skinner closes Southeast stores
Juneau, Ketchikan and Sitka dealerships shut down, Mont. location will stay open
Skinner Sales and Service of Juneau closed its doors for good at 5 p.m. Friday.
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Employees of the Ford Lincoln Mercury dealership, who declined to give their names as they weren't authorized to comment, said they were informed the dealership was closing at different times - some Friday morning and some Thursday.
Skinner's Ketchikan and Sitka dealerships closed Friday as well. More than 20 people worked at the Ketchikan store, but the Sitka store wasn't staffed.
Reached for comment around noon Friday, owner Robert Skinner said he was "not going to comment at this time" and hung up as he was being asked when he might be willing to do so. Skinner did not return a message left later Friday afternoon.
The Juneau dealership's office manager did not return a message left Friday. An employee at the Ketchikan dealership declined to comment when contacted by the Empire Friday afternoon.
The Skinner dealership in Townsend, Mont., was unaware of the Alaska closures, said the store's manager, who declined to give his name. He said his dealership would remain open.
Employees at the Juneau dealership said they did not know what prompted the close, or what was to follow. Skinner acquired the Juneau dealership, formerly Evergreen motors, in the fall of 2007.
"It's a pretty sad day here," said one employee. "It's pretty emotional. Everybody gave 100 percent to do their job, and it's a circumstance beyond our control ... we're as much at a loss (about why) as anyone. We know it didn't have anything to do with us or our performance."
Warranties on Ford cars are issued by Ford Motor Company, so warranties on cars purchased at the dealership should still be good. The problem will be getting them serviced, say area car dealers.
Karlson Motors, located right next to the now defunct Ketchikan Skinner Sales and Service, which was a General Motors and Subaru dealer, is the only remaining authorized Ford service center in Southeast Alaska.
Karlson Motors General Manager Charles Flores said the dealership has been getting some calls from Skinner's customers. "Most of them are kind of worried," he said.
"I'm sure they'll come up with a plan to take care of the customers," he said. "I don't think they're going to make you ship your car out to get it fixed."
Flores said in Ketchikan, people that own Dodge cars with warranties get work done by other shops and then get the work reimbursed. "That might be what happens there (in Juneau)," he said. "They could work on it, and Ford customers have to pay for the work done and then try to get reimbursed from Ford."
He added, however, that he doesn't know what will actually happen.
Ford Motor Company could not be reached for comment on Friday.
"If people (in Juneau) have new Fords for warranty work, it's going to be tough for them until someone takes over Ford," said Mike Hatch, owner of Juneau Jeep dealership Mike Hatch Sales. "I can't imagine it would take too long before someone would want to get into it."
Hatch said Jeep sales have been "as good as they've ever been."
"June was the best month we've had in 30 years," he said. As a small dealership, however, he said his dealership was "a whole different ball game."
One Skinner employee said the Juneau dealership had been profitable.
City sales tax income from car sales is down 24 percent so far this year. Skinner Sales and Service of Juneau is current on its sales tax payments, according to the city finance office.
"It's sad any time a local business has to close its doors," said Mendenhall Auto Center general sales manager Mark Troupin. "It's been an interesting year in the car business. It's difficult to say a whole lot of anything; this industry changes too fast."
More than one employee said they were chagrined about the timing of the closing, right before Christmas. They estimated the number of employees at the Juneau dealership at between 25 and 30.
Flores, who said Karlson Motors just celebrated 25 years, said all this is new to him.
"I have seen stores change hands, but never just a collapse like this," he said.
• Contact reporter Mary Catharine Martin at maryc.martin@juneauempire.com.