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One of Utah's largest auto dealerships is closing the doors at two Salt Lake valley sites, but the business owners say they're not about to panic. In fact, Robert Garff, chairman and CEO of Garff Enterprises, says they're really consolidations.
A used car location on Redwood Road will join with a Dodge dealership, and a Volvo dealership in Sandy will be moved back downtown. But that said, the turn in the car business can't be ignored. "There's a liquidity crisis and a credit crisis, and that has spilled over into the car business," Garff said.
Garff Enterprises owns about 40 dealerships in three states. He says the changes won't impact customer service or jobs.
Garff says there are dozens of dealers in Utah that have gone out of business. One industry official predicts as many as 600 dealers could close nationally.
Garff says the car business is always changing, but, as he puts it, "We're still in the black, and we're not panicking, and things will get better. They always have and they always will."
E-mail: mgiauque@ksl.com
