Carson Nissan closing after 12 years in business

Carson Nissan is closing its doors on Friday after nearly 12 years in business, co-owner Jeff Woodward said Monday.

Woodward said the dealership, 3390 S Carson St., had lost about 60 percent of its revenue over the last year and a half as a result of Chrysler's 2009 bankruptcy that resulted in Woodward's business losing the Jeep line under the company's restructuring plan.

Up until then, he said, the dealership, which he co-owns with his father-in-law Larry Axelrod, was making a profit each year.

"In the face of continuing losses due to the economy, we've made a very difficult decision," Woodward said, later adding, "The timing for the decision came about because we wanted to make sure our vendors, suppliers, creditors, employees would all be made whole during this closure."

Woodward's dealership opened in 1998 and employs 24 people.

Woodward said the dealership will sell off its inventory this week, adding the decision to close had been coming "for quite some time."

"The last thing Carson City needs is another empty facility," Woodward said. The dealership sits on about 2.5 acres of land.

"What's next is winding down operations of this business, which is not an overnight operation," said Woodward, who owns three other dealerships in Ohio. "Long term I'm excited about other opportunities in the future."