General Motors is pressing Hummer dealers to finish expensive stand-alone dealerships by March 2005.
So far only six of 167 Hummer stores in the United States have completed the Quonset hut-shaped stores mandated by the automaker. But Hummer marketing director Marc Hernandez says more than 90 percent of Hummer dealers are on track to meet the completion deadline.
The company has a powerful inducement: Dealers who don't comply risk reduced or no allocations of the third Hummer model, the 2005 H3.
GM originally wanted all dealers to have the new stores by Dec. 31, 2004. But the company moved the date back to March 31, 2005, to give dealers more time.
"H3 comes next year, and we're not going to delay again," Hernandez says. "It's time for everyone to live up to their commitment."
The requirement to build the Quonset-shaped dealerships is part of the Hummer franchise agreement, so Hernandez says the company is not pushing dealers unduly to build the stores.
Says one dealer who declined to be identified: "We just feel a little rushed."
GM has been meeting with dealers to review their building plans and establish "gates," or progress checkpoints, such as site-plan approvals from municipalities.
Regulations in some cities and towns don't allow for the unusual design of the dealership's Quonset hut style. Hernandez says the company will be flexible in these cases.

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So far only six of 167 Hummer stores in the United States have completed the Quonset hut-shaped stores mandated by the automaker. But Hummer marketing director Marc Hernandez says more than 90 percent of Hummer dealers are on track to meet the completion deadline.
The company has a powerful inducement: Dealers who don't comply risk reduced or no allocations of the third Hummer model, the 2005 H3.
GM originally wanted all dealers to have the new stores by Dec. 31, 2004. But the company moved the date back to March 31, 2005, to give dealers more time.
"H3 comes next year, and we're not going to delay again," Hernandez says. "It's time for everyone to live up to their commitment."
The requirement to build the Quonset-shaped dealerships is part of the Hummer franchise agreement, so Hernandez says the company is not pushing dealers unduly to build the stores.
Says one dealer who declined to be identified: "We just feel a little rushed."
GM has been meeting with dealers to review their building plans and establish "gates," or progress checkpoints, such as site-plan approvals from municipalities.
Regulations in some cities and towns don't allow for the unusual design of the dealership's Quonset hut style. Hernandez says the company will be flexible in these cases.

**Click PIc for full article**