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Ford says "No" to deal

Businessman offers to pay off mortgage

By Britt Combs | The McDowell News

Published: November 1, 2009

When news broke last week that Legendary Ford-Mercury would close its doors, dealer principal Tommy Calhoun told The McDowell News there was no possibility the dealership could reopen.

Local businessman and philanthropist Ford Miller wondered how he could help.

Calhoun said the mortgage on the facility was held by Ford Credit and that company had insisted the dealership refinance. When Calhoun was unable to find a new creditor, Ford told him to shut down the business Tuesday.

Ford Miller, owner of Miller Engineering and the old Marion Manufacturing facility, and benefactor of the new Ford Miller Training Center on Baldwin Avenue, had a plan to save the day.

"I made them an offer," he said. "I offered to pay off the mortgage and buy the building, if they'd just let (Calhoun) go on and run the dealership.

"But Ford didn't want to go along with it," Miller stated.

Why the company wouldn't accept the offer to buy out the mortgage, Miller didn't know. He said he still hoped someone would shed light on the situation, "and wake up with some idea how to make this work out" Monday.

I hope someone will get after Ford about this," he stated. "We need the dealership here."

Legendary Ford-Mercury and its predecessor, Darrell Ford-Mercury, had been operating at the intersection of U.S. 70 and U.S. 221 since 1968. The business employed 22 full time workers.

Attempts to contact Tommy Calhoun were not successful before press time Sunday.