Ohio Auto Dealers Association BOD Chairman removes signs from his dealerships

Ohioans For Concealed Carry is please to announce that another group of Ohio businesses has removed discriminatory signs barring concealed handgun license-holders from their business.

The following email is from Andy Glockner, owner of several car & truck sales-related businesses in the Portsmouth area, to OFCC Senate District 14 Coordinator.

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew M. Glockner
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004
Subject: Glockner--No guns signs

Dear Rick,

I am responding to your e-mail concerning the NO GUNS signs and law.

After much study of the law and discussion with our employees and our insurance company, we have decided to pull all our signs from all our buildings at all locations.

Looking back at when the law was enacted, I guess I reacted to the Ohio Auto Dealers Association who recommended we post the signs. And we assumed our insurance company would want us to post the signs for contingent liability reasons. I was wrong!!! They, in fact, have NO position one way or the other.

I, myself, am an avid outdoorsman, as are many of my family. I personally own [many] guns. So, I am pro gun.

I guess we over-reacted to this new law and did not do our homework. I do appreciate your views and the information you sent me. It was very helpful. If we offended you, we are sorry. Hopefully we can earn an opportunity to do business with you one of these days.

Thank you for making us aware and for expressing your opinion.
Sincerely,

Andy Glockner

According to the website of the Ohio Auto Dealers Association, Mr. Glockner is the OADA's "inaugural Chairman of the Board". We look forward to the potential for him to use his influence to get the OADA to back off of their "recommendations", which he freely admits were an "over-reaction" to the new law.

Mr. Glockner's kind and thoughtful email couldn't stand in more stark contrast to that of certain other car dealers. Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

Earlier this week, we published a letter written by the General Manager of Mike Pruitt Ford in Lima, which can be read by clicking here. The management at Mike Pruitt Ford won't remove their signs, and "don't wish to debate" their act of discrimination.

Today, a customer of Dunn Chevy-Olds in Oregon told OFCC he was hung up on after refusing to close a deal on a Trailblazer until they discussed the discriminatory signs on the doors.

""We don’t discriminate. We just don’t want guns in our building", the salesperson reportedly said.

The OFCC supporter replied: "Well, that is the deal buster, you just lost a $20,000.00 sale because of those signs."

The OFCC supporter then says the salesperson said: "SO WHAT!?! We sell hundreds of used cars every month, your business is not that critical to us", and hung up the phone.

When asked recently why they were banning CHL-holders, another Ohio dealer with discriminatory signs told an inquirer that "we get a lot of angry customers in here."

Perhaps there's a lesson in that...

The list of businesses (including several other car dealerships) which have removed discriminatory signs and opened their doors once again to Ohio concealed handgun license-holders has grown quite long, and can be accessed by clicking here.

PLease also check out the many businesses which have asked to be listed as Safe Alternatives - places where CCW is not only permitted, but encouraged!