Ridgeway Chevrolet to remain GM dealership in Lansing

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Ridgeway Chevrolet in Lansing has a new lease on life as a GM dealership now that the automaker has decided not to end its franchise agreement with the 83-year-old car store.

Sales manager David Crutchfield said the dealership was notified last week that it was one of 600 dealerships GM said would not have to go through the appeal process to remain in the GM family. The automaker last year said it was dropping franchise agreements with more than 2,000 dealerships, but more than 1,100, including Ridgeway, appealed that decision.

Some longtime Southland GM dealerships have already closed, including Gibson Chevrolet in neighboring South Holland.

Crutchfield said the news was icing on the cake for the dealership. “We just had our best February ever,” he said. “It’s nice that we are going to stay a GM dealer, but we were going to stay open no matter what. We were ready to be a great used car store.”

Crutchfield said the dealership was down to its last dozen 2009 models and a half-dozen 2010 models.

“As soon as the paperwork goes through we’ll be ordering 200 new cars,” Crutchfield said. “But we have a great used car inventory right now.”
Crutchfield said the dealership’s service department “carried us through a tough time.”

He also attributed the store’s success to owner Bob Van’s philosophy. “Bob defies logic,” Crutchfield said. “But he’s always right on.”

Ridgeway was opened in 1927 by Van’s grandfather and the store is the second oldest business in Lansing.

For more information, call Ridgeway at 708-872-1012 or visit www.ridgewaychevy.com

Vic’s Barbecue in Worth

A new barbecue restaurant opened recently in Worth. Vic’s Barbecue is now open at 11306 S. Harlem Ave. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. The phone number is 708-448-5000.