By Steve Huffman
shuffman@salisburypost.com
Salisbury’s Ben Mynatt Nissan won’t be affected by changes announced this week to the other Ben Mynatt dealership in Concord.
Cabarrus County Commissioner Grace Mynatt announced Monday that her family’s Concord dealership will no longer sell Chevrolets.
Ben Mynatt’s Concord dealership will, however, continue to sell Buicks and other General Motors products.
And the changes won’t affect Ben Mynatt Nissan on Jake Alexander Boulevard, regardless, said Todd Rakes, the dealership’s general manager.
“We’re doing fine,” he said of the Salisbury dealership. “We’ve got 150 percent growth this year.”
He said that even in Concord, the Ben Mynatt dealership had always worked as two separate dealerships ó one for the Chevrolet brand and another for the other General Motors products.
Rakes said the Concord store will be putting a greater emphasis on other General Motors products since it will no longer be selling Chevrolets.
A receptionist at Mynatt’s Buick/GMC dealership in Concord referred calls Tuesday to Rakes. The receptionist said Cyndie Mynatt, the daughter of Grace Mynatt and the woman who operates the dealership, was out of town.
General Motors is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company has announced plans to close 1,700 new car dealerships nationwide.
The Concord dealership was formed in 1976 when Grace Mynatt’s late husband, Ben, purchased the franchise from Betty Thomas, widow of Art Thomas.