Customers or future buyers of the Central Garage and Central Kia car dealerships in Atholville encountered closed doors on Thursday.
In the courtyard of these two dealerships, there is not a single vehicle left. All have been taken back. A note written in the window of these two businesses informs customers that the premises have been placed under sequestration following an order rendered to the Court of King’s Bench of New Brunswick dated November 27.
This order affects the companies Central Garage Limited, CL Auto Inc., and 613 586 NB Ltd.
That said, the exact reason for this double closure has not been confirmed.
If the Kia dealership is more recent in the Restigouche landscape, this is not the case for Garage Central – retailer of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and RAM brands – a family business whose history goes back 68 years.
The Garage Central dealership abruptly closed its doors this week after being in operation for 68 years. – Acadie Nouvelle Jean-François Boisvert
We no longer find a single vehicle in the yard of the Central Kia dealership in Atholville. – Acadie Nouvelle Jean-François Boisvert
The Campbellton Regional Chamber of Commerce was quick to react to these two closures.
“These closures mark a significant loss for the local economy and the history of our region,” indicates the director of the organization, Michel Soucy.
“Garage Central has been a true institution in the region, offering quality services to generations of customers. He symbolized the reliability, dedication and entrepreneurial spirit that define the Campbellton region. Central Kia, for its part, has been able to attract a diversified clientele and contribute to the competitiveness of the automotive sector in the region,” he added.
He goes on to emphasize that these closures affect not only employees and their families, but also the entire Restigouche commercial ecosystem, including suppliers and customers.
Still according to Mr. Soucy, the closure of these businesses reflects the growing challenges that many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face in the current economic context, including financial pressures, rapid technological developments and changing market dynamics.
At the Restigouche Automobile Dealers Association, we admit that the announcement of these closures hurts, particularly that of Central Garage considered a real monument.
“It’s a whole story that ends with the closure of Central Garage,” underlines Nancy Poirier, spokesperson.
According to her, the remaining dealers will certainly have to adjust in the coming months in order to accommodate a greater flow of customers due to the loss of service centers. We also hope that other entrepreneurs will step up to compensate for these losses.
