Amador County – The recent closure of Prospect Motors in Jackson has sparked a community wide campaign designed to resuscitate one of the largest private employers in Amador County. The closure came after Prospect Motors owner Frank Halvorson received a call on Thursday, December 18th from GMAC Financial Services, the corporation that finances his vehicle inventory and the construction of the dealership’s new showrooms. Halverson said GMAC was pulling its inventory because he was “16 days late” in paying loans on the auto center facility. Halverson-owned affiliates Amador Toyota and Amador Chrysler will be closing as well. The announcement came as a shock to Amador County businesses. The 33-year-old dealership is well-known as a generous contributor within the community, and has generated a large portion of the city and county tax bases. The ripple effect of the closure could be significant.
Five days before Christmas, Halverson reluctantly told his 80 employees that he was closing and issued their final paychecks. GMAC has been threatening to declare bankruptcy and negotiating with federal authorities to have itself converted into a bank holding company so it could be eligible for part of the $700 billion in federal bailouts. Now, community members are taking action in the form of a letter-writing campaign that, with enough support, could get the financial giant to reconsider its decision. The campaign has been circulating by email and through public media outlets. Letters can be sent by email to Mark Laneve, Head of GM North American Operations at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and to Barbara Stokel, Head of GMAC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Jack Mitchell, Publisher of the Amador Ledger Dispatch, is hosting a rally meeting today, Monday January 5th at 5:30 pm in Mel and Faye’s Diner in Jackson. He is encouraging at least one or two representatives from service organizations in the County to attend. Story by Alex Lane (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
