I'm so very sorry you lost your job, but HOORAY!, you've got another one lined up! I think Toyota will pull through all of this mess.
It disturbs me that Saturn is going away. My DD has a 7 yo Ion, which has been the BEST inexpensive car anyone I know has ever owned. She recently had a "major" repair, her 1st. It was $220. I wish another co. would pick up Saturn. Pat (whose Dad worked for GM, so we got the discounts and my brother has my former '98 Silverado & it's running GREAT!)

I worked in the industry for 25 years. I left just before we moved to FL 7 years ago. It's funny how it gets in your bones and you just can't think of doing any other kind of work. I also worked in fabric stores at night for the discounts. LOL I've worked with some great people over the years.
It's sad when they close (I've been there till the end at several) some have been family operated for generations.

Hope you LOVE your new dealership and quickly fit right in.
It won't take you long.

I'm happy that you were able to find another job so quickly. It's not an easy job selling cars. I feel sorry for those who are out of work because of these big companies who don't know how to run a business.

DH and I have decided our next vehicle will be a Nissan.

SamKaren
your resident DJ

I'm glad to hear that you already have something else lined up.
I may be in the market for a Toyota by the way. My Corolla is 16 years old, still runs like a dream, doesn't look so new anymore though. My next car will be another Toyota.

We have a factory in our town that makes the seats for Toyota and Lexus-they employ about 500 people, they are closing their doors (moving to Mexico) in July. Our town has lost several factories in the last 2 years, it is getting scary. I don't want our town to die.

Well, I don't sell cars, I would starve if I did. I work in the accounting dept. My job title is Costing desk clerk, which means I process all the car deals. Lucky for me, the group that owns this store also owns 3 other stores in Edmonton, and I was one of the lucky ones to get a transfer within the group. Out of the 30 employees at this store, 3 people got the axe, everyone else got a job transfer. The good thing about that is, I don't have the 3 month grace period and my pay and benefits are the same. It's been pretty sad and gloomy here the last week.
Thanks everyone for their good wishes.

Liira,
I am sorry to hear about your situation but I know where you are coming from. DH worked at a GM-Chevy dealership for 19 years
and last July he had his job terminated. Thankfully, he did find another job within a short time. But, not the same type of work and
not the same pay! This Monday, there was a reporter at his job location (gm dealer) basically all day reporting all about the new
announcement along with the owners stating that this dealership is doing well and the employees have no fear of losing their jobs.
That is a good thing for us.
I am so gald that you have another job without the grace period and I am sending you strong good luck vibes.
Deb

Ues, sadly Saturn is going away. My information says its a hurry-up job. GM had planned a slower phase out of Saturn over the next 2 years, but the circumstances of the bail-out and other factors have forced the issue and GM must divest themselves of Saturn this year.

There may be a little hope for this brand. It has been rumored that two unnamed concerns have expressed interest in purchasing Saturn. Another writer speculated that the dealers may buy the brand. It would be very easy carve Saturn off from GM because by design, the organization was originally designed to be a separate entity from GM. But for those loosing their jobs now, they can not wait around to 'see what might happen' in the next couple of years.

Pontiac will be closed as well.

I'm wondering why they have not examined the trucking divisions. GM has two lines of trucks, GMC and Chevrolet, that are nearly identical. As I see it, GM needs only line of trucks.

Personally, I am shocked at the rapidity with which GM fell apart, although trade journals have been discussing these ills for several years now and predicted a crash should the economy turn sour or customer tastes suddently change. Doubling the price of gasoline in a short time was a factor and wakeup call that changed buying habits over night.

Unfortunatley, the crash of a major auto maker will negatively affect our economy for years to come. A major chunk of our economy is driven by the automobile business.

Maybe they only need one line of trucks, but when two lines sell, it only makes sense to keep them and get rid of the brands that don't sell. Saturn, Pontiac and Hummer don't sell well. For that matter the duplication in Ford and Mercury isn't needed either.

Personally, I'm not a fan of Saturn. I used to be until my sister bought one. It's noisy and uncomfortable. I borrowed it one day to go out of town and could only go about 50 or 60 miles before I had to stop, get out and move around. I could not handle being in it any longer. I was only about 25-30 miles from my destination and thought about stopping but decided to move on and went a couple miles and had to make a u turn and go back to the exit since the next exit was going to be too far. I was actually in pain from discomfort. Granted, 15 years ago it wouldn't have been the same problem as these last years but nevertheless I can drive my Caravan 200+ miles easily. The other problems with the Saturn was her Lynx had more functional room for passengers and cargo, was quieter and got better gas mileage. There are some positives to the Saturns though like the no-ding doors, no-haggle pricing and more.

I'm troubled to see car lines go away these days, especially with the history of Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saab and yes, Saturn, even Hummer. (Hey, I wish DeSoto and Edsel were still around!) But the fact is that GM has been floating on too many too similar brands that it was inevitable. Chrysler too could consolidate even more. But there's a line between near-monopolies and efficiency. The competition is good when it works.

Actually when you look at it, it's going back in history a bit in some ways. Decades ago GM was set up that each car division could only make certain levels of cars. As the years passed the old waistline sprawled and the lines overlapped more and more. When I worked for one company who gave all the managers company cars, they essentially had a certain budget they could spend and could choose make, model, color and the like. One liked Pontiac, one liked Buick and two liked Oldsmobile so that's what they each got and they were all within dollars of each other at the fleet prices. Kind of amusing actually.

Sorry to hear the news but how impressive that you already know you'll have another job. I know a few people who got NO notice when they were laid off. And that was because of their companies failing, not their performance. So you are lucky that way.

I can understand the mood of gloom around your workplace. I work at a school and the recent deaths of two freshmen is hanging heavy around here. It could be worse. Chin up, and good luck at your new work!