RUMFORD – Rowe Auto has phased out its used car division here in favor of concentrating on the sales and service of Arctic Cat snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles.
Sales manager Joe Brissette said the owner of the Rumford site, Rowe Auburn, decided to stop selling vehicles in Rumford on Jan. 12. The last of the cars were removed from the lot on Route 2 and moved to Auburn on Jan. 14.
Automobiles will be serviced at the site until Jan. 31.
The used car dealership opened the Rumford branch in late 1999. A few years later, in the fall of 2006, Rowe bought Mountain Valley Sports from Rick Hebert, who had operated the business in Peru. Hebert is head of parts and service at the Rowe Rumford site.
“We’ll concentrate on power sports,” said Brissette.
One person lost his job as a result of the change in sales focus, said Brissette. Now, the business employs four full-time and two or three part-time people.
Brissette said auto sales at the site had been fairly good, but all businesses are trying to save money.
Besides new snow machines and all-terrain vehicles, Rowe Rumford will sell used power machines and accessories.
The end of Rowe’s auto sales follows by several months the closure of Lazarou Motors in Mexico.
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