Hecker dealerships still open here but Hyundai employees not paid

Employees at two Denny Hecker auto dealerships in the Brainerd area are once again covered under the company's health insurance plan but payroll has not yet been made at Denny Hecker's Brainerd Hyundai, a company official said Tuesday.

Eighteen of Hecker's 26 dealerships have been closed, the Star Tribune reported Sunday. His two Brainerd lakes dealerships, Brainerd Hyundai, on Highway 371 north of Baxter, and Brainerd Toyota in Baxter, remain open for business.

Employees at the Brainerd area dealerships declined to comment Tuesday on insurance and payroll issues. Barbara Jerich, Hecker Automotive Group president and chief of staff, in an e-mail said that health insurance for both dealerships was reinstated last week for all employees and Brainerd Toyota employees have been paid.

Jerich said Hecker Automotive Group continues to work on reinstating payroll for Brainerd Hyundai employees but she did not offer a date when employees could expect to be paid.

"We are continuing to work on our cash flow situation and are hopeful we will have a resolution very soon," Jerich wrote.

After two weeks of intense scrutiny by inventory financier GMAC, the Star Tribune reported Denny Hecker shut his Stillwater Cadillac Pontiac GMC dealership Monday morning and reportedly is considering selling his Southview Chevrolet dealership in Inver Grove Heights.

MATT ERICKSON may be reached at matt.erickson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5857.