PARIS – The sudden closure of Oxford County Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (formerly Bessey Motors) last month came as a shock to the dealership’s vehicle sales, service and collision center customers and staff.

Some were left with unfilled sales contracts, others saw their cars and trucks undrivable in the lot, or even worse, locked up behind bay doors.

Its employees were left without their livelihoods and in some cases their own tools.

But other dealers in the area, from Auburn through Paris and into Bridgton, were ready to fill the gap.

Some service customers reported being able to arrange for service and auto body jobs to be handled at nearby Ripley & Fletcher in South Paris or Goodwin’s in Oxford.

In Bridgton, Stellantis (the Amsterdam corporation that owns Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram, among other vehicle manufacturers) dealer MacDonald Motors has hired employees, as has Lee Auto Malls in Auburn.

“We are actually going through a service expansion,” explained Bill MacDonald, owner of MacDonald Motors. “We were able to offer employment to fill six positions that were open, and we created a new one.”

Of the six, one service technician decided to instead take a job at a more convenient shop. The new position MacDonald mentioned is a wholesale parts delivery driver. The role had not been in his dealership’s plans but some of his new employees recommended its benefits and OC’s driver accepted the job.

Darren Dillingham of Lee Auto Mall’s Norway store confirmed that a few of the staff have found employment with the company’s Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealership and service center in Auburn.

He added that while local owners can schedule their vehicle maintenance at Lee’s Norway location, they would still need to have any warranty work done at a Stellantis dealership.

“We will help here any way we can,” he told the Advertiser Democrat. “People can call us, or stop in, and we’ll try and help take care of what they need.”

MacDonald reports that his business is ready to assist customers who were considering, or have initiated, the purchase of a new vehicle.

The town of Oxford, which had two SUV police cruisers on order, was able to transfer their business to MacDonald Motors, which honored the bid price its Select Board had approved.

During Oxford’s April 17 selectmen’s meeting, Town Manager Adam Garland reported that MacDonald Motors agreed to honor and deliver the vehicles at the bid prices.

“The police chief has confirmed that MacDonald Motors is willing to fulfill the order,” Garland said. “That will be, two Dodge Durangos at $37,746 each, for a total of $75,492.

“All MacDonald needs to proceed is a purchase order, so I am bringing this to the board because they (the dealer) were not part of the bid process. But it’s an aggressive price so I need direction whether to go with them or put it back out to bid.”

Selectmen unanimously voted to transfer the bid from Oxford County to MacDonald Motors.

MacDonald said his sales team is handling those sales inquiries as they are presented. In Oxford’s case their original order, had not yet progressed to assembly so it was easier to place a new one.

In other situations where a customer’s down payment has been made, or a vehicle was closer to delivery, MacDonald Motors representatives will work with Stellantis to facilitate the details necessary to fulfill open orders.

As for the now empty dealership property in South Paris, MacDonald said it’s anyone’s guess what its future is but it will be someone’s opportunity.

“Stellantis has first right of refusal” for what the next auto dealership’s representative brands will be, he explained. “Jeeps, and Ram trucks have always been a staple in the area. It will be a successful business again.