Staff photo/Rhonda Silence The Lashinski family and their employees hope to continue to serve the community as a GM/Chevrolet dealership in Grand Marais. (L-R, front) Sam Bly, Dave Schulberg, Gideon Silence. (L-R, standing) Steve Lashinski, Jason Lashinski, Joe Thompson, Tom Byholm, Daniel Lashinski, Gene and Karen Lashinski, Jarid Lashinski. (Not pictured: Sherry Lashinski, Jamin Lashinski.)
Anyone who tuned in to Duluth television last week to hear the General Motors announcement of Minnesota auto dealerships that were to be closed in the company’s restructuring may have thought that the local GM dealer, Grand Marais Motors, had “dodged a bullet” since it was not named. It turns out that is not the case, owner Gene Lashinski told the Cook County News-Herald on Tuesday, May 19. “We got a letter Friday,” said Lashinski. “But we were in shock. We needed to take some time to talk this over, to figure out how we were going to tell our employees.”
The letter from GM informed Grand Marais Motors that the company “did not expect its contractual agreement would continue past October 2010.” However, GM added that plans were not finalized and gave the family-owned business until June 1 to submit information justifying its continued operation as a GM dealership. “We are challenging GM’s plan,” said the family in a written statement. “We believe that the community of Grand Marais deserves a Chevrolet dealership. We also believe Grand Marais benefits from having Grand Marais Motors. We provide jobs, tax base, support other businesses, and have made many donations to
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