Connecticut Attorney General's Office

Press Release

June 3, 2010

After months of behind-the-scenes work, Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5), Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Alderman Motors representatives, and city officials today announced that the dealership will remain open, saving 20 jobs.

Blumenthal and Murphy fought since last summer to convince General Motors (GM) to restore Alderman Motors’ dealership and keep it in business. 

Murphy said, “GM was ready to give up on Alderman and Meriden, but we wouldn’t let them. I’m thrilled to have worked with the Platt family and the people of Meriden to pressure GM to see the error they made when they tried to close this family-run, community-supported business. The pressure we applied, and the legislation Congress passed to force GM to go through a fair process with their dealers, allowed this announcement to happen.”

Blumenthal said, “GM was about to drive Alderman Motors over a cliff, but heeded our warnings and surrendered the wheel just in time. We fought GM’s attempt to close this family business, imperiling this community pillar as well as 20 precious jobs. GM’s decision ignored Alderman’s 86 years of professional excellence and its outstanding quality and service -- not to mention business success. I am pleased that we helped save this family business and its jobs, and I will continue fighting to create and preserve jobs and business.”

Despite 86 years of service to the community and consistently exceptional rankings in GM’s internal ratings, GM informed Alderman last year that it was terminating its dealership as of October 2010. 

Blumenthal and Murphy helped Alderman contact GM, wrote letters to the auto giant urging reinstatement of the dealership and took other steps to help it stay in business.

Murphy personally met with GM officials, and he and U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman sent a letter to the company, along with petitions from customers, asking that they reverse their decision to sever their relationship with Alderman.  Murphy and his staff stayed in contact with company officials to continue to press Alderman’s case.

Blumenthal wrote then-GM CEO Frederick Henderson in November 2009 seeking information and his office spoke several times the next month with the company’s general counsel. Blumenthal sent a third letter to new CEO Edward Whitacare in February 2010 urging him to reinstate Alderman.

In December 2009, with Murphy’s support, Congress passed a law mandating that GM set up an arbitration process by which terminated dealerships have the right to seek reinstatement. GM, in large measure because of the legislation that was signed into law, reinstated hundreds of dealerships without going through the arbitration process. Alderman Motors received one of these reinstatements.

“The Alderman family would like to thank our loyal customers, friends, and elected officials for their support. We are so thankful that they recognized our termination was an error.  They stood up for what was right for Alderman Cadillac, the city of Meriden and the state of Connecticut by saving jobs and an 86 year old family business,” said Kathy Platt, Co-owner of Alderman Motors.