The auto industry is indeed struggling. But in 2000, Tony Bruce Sr. built a thriving Ford dealership in the town of Monroe, eventually turning the reins over to his son, Tony Bruce Jr. Â Now, the dealership has gone belly up.
Workers who found themselves locked out of the car dealer on Route 17M in the town of Monroe at the beginning of October claim that Bruce Jr”™s. excesses, not the economy, were the reason the dealership failed. “He liked a lavish lifestyle; now, we”™re out looking for work,” said one mechanic trying to get his tools out of the shuttered shop.
Bruce Jr. did not respond to numerous attempts seeking comment.
Ford headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., reports it will send excess inventory to other Ford dealerships in the region. For purchasers, the abrupt closing left many wondering how to retrieve their cars, some which sat in bays dismantled. Others called in tow trucks to have their property removed before the property was sealed off.
Monroe Ford employed nearly 30 people ranging from receptionists to mechanics.
Ford”™s corporate headquarters said Bruce Jr. had relinquished all rights to the franchise on Oct. 30. The 43,000-square-foot showroom and car lot will be emptied by the end of November. Tony Bruce Jr. could have some explaining to do amid reports the state attorney general has questions about the closing.
