Roen Ford closes Sept. 1

Talk about it

Roen Ford owner Terry Roen confirmed Friday, Aug. 21, that his dealership accepted a buyout opportunity from Ford to close the local dealership that’s been in River Falls 42 years.

“The market forces were overwhelming,” Roen said.

Ford first thought it could reduce the number of dealerships through attrition, but it wasn’t working fast enough to unload the target number of 800-1,000 dealerships. Roen, who anticipates a very quiet fourth quarter for the quarter, said it made good business sense to take advantage of the buyout opportunity.

He’s talked to dealers in the Twin Cities who are also taking the deal and says it isn’t all small dealerships. Roen knows of several bigger operations in Chicago and other areas that will also accept the offer.

The owner said Sept. 1 is when Roen will no longer be open as a dealer. He said though they’ll be there doing odds and ends, that’s the date Roen quits selling cars.

The former dealership will continue servicing vehicles of all makes and models but will not do work covered by a Ford warranty.

He will still own the property and is hopeful it may be able to transition into some kind of repair facility in the future. He said it’s doubtful the real estate will become another dealership of any kind.

Roen said, “It’s tough for our employees,” and added that he also will miss Roen’s customers, especially those who’ve been with them since the start. “I think of some of our customers who have been with us 42 years, and we have such respect for those folks.”

Tags: business, news, roen, ford, closing