Editors Note: This letter was written by William B. Ferrell of Gassaway W.Va. to Ruth Lemmon, president of the West Virginia Auto & Truck Dealers Association, i response to General Motors decision to terminate small W.Va. dealerships.

Dear Ruth:

When I learned Pletcher Pontiac, my third generation dealership, was being terminated by General Motors, I went to see the owner, Noel Jon Pletcher. My purpose was to obtain the name of the GM official who had signed the termination notice letter and write them a protest letter. I found GM sent a pathetic form letter with no explanation and did not even have the courtesy to sign a person's name to it. It ended with "Sincerely, General Motors Corporation", which to me was in very poor taste!

My purpose in writing you is to ask that you forward this letter to anyone you may know at General Motors - realizing it may be impossible to find someone who has a business brain at GM. I am currently 70 years old and have purchased over 50 Pontiac cars and GMC trucks in my lifetime from Pletcher Pontiac with my sole reason being because of the service and honesty of this dealer. If Pletcher Pontiac is no longer a GMC dealer, I will never purchase another GMC vehicle as long as I live.

I find myself wondering if GM officials can explain the following:

How could our Congress not know that small businesses create 70% of the jobs in this country and still allow the termination of our small business dealerships? I believe this action should be challenged in court. GMC received billions of dollars in bailout money and now they use this excuse to terminate thousands of jobs across the country by closing down America's small town dealers.

How could anyone who understands marketing decide to cut 1/3 of its outlets and not realize it will hurt their future sales? GM needs to realize if it were not for dealers like Pletcher Pontiac, they could not sell one car or truck bought by loyal customers like me and many others who buy because of the dealer and not because of GM.

GM has met the enemy and it is GM! It would only be fitting if the end result of this action puts GM our of business, as they have done to many of these dealers.

Sincerely,

William B. Ferrell

Gassaway, WV 26624