MOOSIC, Pa. — Just like a lot of the rest of the country, when the pandemic began back in March and non-essential businesses closed, so did Jo-Dan Buick GMC, a family-owned-and-operated car dealership in Moosic.
"We had to do what we had to do, we survived, and we came out through it shining," said dealer principal Danny Limongelli.
Dealerships are back open, and the General Motors assembly lines are running again too, but now auto industry experts are keeping a close eye on supply versus demand.
According to published reports, sales of new vehicles by General Motors were down 10% in the third quarter compared to last year. Still, it's a big improvement from the second quarter, when sales were down 34%.
Inventory levels in showrooms are still at a historic low, and sales team members at the car dealership on Birney Avenue say the demand is higher than ever.
"Now that GM is back in line producing vehicles 24/7, we can't get them fast enough. As you can see, a lot of empty spaces here, but we are selling quite a number of vehicles here and having record months."
Some empty spots, yes, but employees at the dealership in Moosic say about a month ago, the lot was almost completely empty.
"I think General Motors has been in touch with the public and what they wanted and they have seen the demand has went up, that's why they are 24/7 now on the assembly lines trying to get inventory out to our dealers as fast as they can."
Employees at Jo-Dan Buick GMC say at its worst earlier this year, there were only about 20 new cars on the lot when typically there's more than 250, but now they are seeing improvements every single day, and they are hopeful for a record-breaking fourth quarter.