Cover photo: Attorney H. Todd Bullard;
Randy Henderson, Ower Henderson Automotive; Tim McCauley, President, Rochester
Black Business Association]
Members
of the Rochester Black Business Association (RBBA) are standing in support of
Randy Henderson, owner of Henderson Automotive in his lawsuit against Chrysler
LLC.
In the $2.1 million suit, filed by Henderson's Attorney H. Todd Bullard,
Bullard alleges that Chrysler LLC, in an attempt to consolidate its Chrysler,
Jeep and Dodge brands, tried to coerce Henderson to sell his Chrysler dealership.
The
suit further accuses Chrysler LLC of discriminatory business practices against
Henderson Automotive. Henderson says that since 2007 Chrysler began placing numerous
restrictions on his business causing him to lose money and lay off more than half
his staff.
"Without notice, they (Chrysler LLC) changed the way they've
always done business with us. They cut off my credit line, they interfered with
one of my large fleet accounts and caused me to lose hundreds of thousands of
dollars," Henderson told us.
In addition, Henderson says that in what
appears to be a move to preempt a pending change of franchise laws in New York
State, Chrysler allowed another franchisee to move into his territory.
In
a show of support for Henderson, Tim McCauley, President of the RBBA called a
meeting on Monday at Henderson's 2100 Empire Boulevard location in Webster.
Present
at the meeting was local clergy and black business people from the Rochester community.
McCauley
told supporters that the community needed to send a strong message to the Chrysler
Corporation.
"Randy is Chrysler's brand here in Rochester," McCauley
said. "I think Chrysler needs to understand that."
And, although
the issue of race has not been specifically mentioned in the formal complaint,
there is a certain racial undertone to the discussion. Some are wondering if Chrysler
specifically targeted Henderson because he is Black.
Henderson says he is Chrysler's
only African American dealership in New York State and the entire northeast region.
He
has owned the dealership for eleven years but has worked with the Chrysler Corp
for over twenty years. His Chrysler dealership sells between 800 and 1200 cars
per year. Of this amount, he tells us that between 30% and 50% are sold to African
Americans.
"Most of us in this community have chosen to do business
with Chrysler because of Randy," explained Bishop Gregory Parris.
Parris
is Senior Pastor of Church of Love Faith Center on Exchange Street. He says he
doesn't think Chrysler is intentionally discriminating against Henderson because
of his race. "But I think that there is an insensitivity to what Randy represents
to individuals in this community," he said.
Parris says that it is
because of Randy's reputation and character as a business person that many African
Americans in Rochester have become attracted to the Chrysler product. "We
have someone who has met certain expectations and personal integrity as a way
of doing business… and that is a truly unique package."
"I wouldn't
necessarily say that this is an issue of race," explains McCauley. "The
race issue is very hard to judge but when you look at the actions that Chrysler
has taken against Randy's business there remains some serious questions."
Chrysler
denies that race has anything to do with their decisions. They issued a statement
saying they have a strong commitment to minority dealer development and do not
tolerate discrimination of any kind in their business dealings. "Chrysler
has not wavered in our commitment to our people, dealers and local communities
throughout the U.S., even though the entire automotive industry is facing extraordinary
economic challenges."
As a result of their meeting on Monday, the RBBA
came up with a strategy including a letter-writing campaign and they also want
to invite Chrysler representatives to come and speak to community members.
"If
our community can't stand up for Randy, then who can we support?" McCauley
exclaimed. "This ball will not be dropped. You don’t give someone an
opportunity, have them do so well with it and then take it away.”
