Detroit Car Dealers Convert to Sears

DETROIT — Just months after being forced to shut down his Saturn franchise, Carl Galeana is converting it to a Sears Auto Center. Colleen McDonald, franchisee of thiry-year old McDonald's Century Dodge dealership is doing the same.

Geleana, the former president of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, an independent association that represents car franchisees, is participating in a program created by Sears Automotive in October 2009 to give dealers a chance to transform their dealerships into automotive service businesses. That was when General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy and announced the termination of thousands of franchisees.

"Carl Galeana and Colleen McDonald exemplify the character and business structure we search for in potential franchisees," said Joe Finney, president of Sears Automotive. "These auto industry veterans have turned negative situations into opportunities for their businesses, former employees and communities. As Sears Auto Center owners, they will continue to deliver quality products and services to customers that trust them and know them by name."

At the 2011 NADA Convention & Expo last month, Sears announced that it will not only convert former car dealerships but also equip Sears Auto Center franchisees with automotive warranties. Galeana and McDonald's are some of the first. The new Sears Auto Center franchise locations will provide the same products and services for automobiles, light trucks and motorcycles that are currently available at the nearly 850 company-owned Sears Auto Centers.