Logansport auto dealer joins forces with Kokomo firm

scott.smith@kokomotribune.com

Instead of shutting the doors on their 50-year-old dealership, Logansport's Donato family will be transitioning the business to become a used car "supercenter," allied with Kokomo's Button Chrysler Jeep Dodge.

Monday, Button and Donato & Sons issued a joint press release announcing the partnership, which they said comes in response to the recent corporate restructuring of Chrysler's dealerships.

Operating in Logansport since 1959, the family-owned and -operated Donato and Sons Motors Inc. is one of state's oldest and largest Jeep dealerships.

Donato's was also one of 20 Indiana dealerships receiving a letter from Chrysler last month, a notice that the company intended to sever relations with the dealerships.

Now the dealership will continue operations at 1600 W. Market St., Logansport, under the new name Donato/Button Motor Sales. It will continue to provide service on Jeep products sold by the former Donato dealership, as well as on vehicles sold through the new used-car business.

Jim Donato will begin working out of the Button dealership, 1400 East Boulevard, Kokomo, Button marketing director Amanda Jolliffe said.

"We're encouraging all of the Jeep customers in Logansport to come and visit Mr. Donato at Button's in Kokomo," Jolliffe said.

Donato and Button co-owners Don Button and Rex Gingerich issued a joint statement announcing the alliance.

"We are proud to join the Button team and can now offer more products than ever to all our family of customers," Jim Donato said in the statement.

Gingerich and Button affirmed that sentiment, saying they were honored to align with Jim Donato. They said both dealerships "have a shared mission to deliver superior automotive products and services while achieving complete customer satisfaction as a result of our team efforts."

Button, founded in 1932, will keep its same name and location at 1400 East Boulevard. The dealership will continue operations unchanged, selling new Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge products, along with used vehicles.

Donato's will become Donato/Button Motor Sales effective Wednesday.

After the mid-May announcement of dealership closings, Chrysler officials said it would keep 75 percent of its dealerships, representing 87 percent of all sales.

Dealers later said Chrysler officials ended relations with several standalone Jeep dealerships, which had begun selling Jeep products prior to Chrysler's purchase of the brand.