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Neill-Sandler Ford Lincoln Mercury is closing, employees of the Alcoa dealership were informed Wednesday.

The employees were given a letter from Randy Morton, general manager of the Airport Motor Mile dealership, that said Ford Motor Co. had targeted the Alcoa car/truck seller as part of a companywide policy to reduce the number of dealerships.

Service and body-shop work will end in one week on Aug. 20. The sales department will remain open until the inventory of all used vehicles and new vehicles with over 200 miles or with after-market accessories is liquidated -- a process that could take up to 90 days.

After the vehicles are sold, the property will be sold, according to the letter. An official at Neill-Sandler, when called Wednesday afternoon, said he could not comment on the closing but did not deny it.

"The Ford Motor Company (FMC) has a national program in place to reduce the number of Ford LM (Lincoln Mercury) dealerships in various market areas around the country. Last year, 2007, FMC reduced the number of dealerships by 475. In 2008 the FMC goal is to reduce another 400-500 dealerships," the memorandum opens.

"The Knoxville Metro Market, of which we are a part, happens to be one of the markets selected by FMC for a dealership reduction/market consolidation, based on market analysis. There is not enough FLM business in this market to sustain 3 dealerships."

The letter said dealership management had been notified several months ago that Ford's Motor Mile location had been selected by the company's management in Detroit for consolidation into the rest of the Knoxville-area market.

An employee at Neill-Sandler said Ted Russell Ford and Lance Cunningham Ford had arranged to buy some of the Alcoa dealer's inventory of vehicles and possibly some equipment, too.

Local Ford dealers had asked for permission to talk with Neill-Sandler employees about taking jobs with the Knoxville dealerships, and the request was approved, according to the letter.

The letter states the dealership had "been fighting for our position" for over five months, but Neill-Sandler Ford had accrued substantial financial losses during that time and had no choice but to accept Ford's market consolidation plan.

"Therefore, August 20 will be our last day of normal business operations."

The dealership started out as Costner-Eagleton Ford, located on Hall Road where the Alcoa Kroger is located today. It later was sold and became King Ford. The dealership moved to its current location on the Airport Motor Mile and was sold to Gary Yeomans Ford. The Danner Group bought it, and the dealership became part of the Neill-Sandler dealerships based in Murfreesboro.

Some of the Neill-Sandler employees who received the letter Wednesday have worked for the Alcoa Ford dealership for 35 years.

"The only thing that you and we can do now, is to use this forced situation as an opportunity to move forward, or in a different direction. There is no reason for anyone to feel bad because the situation is due to circumstances beyond all of our control," said the letter distributed under Randy Morton's name.

"Gary's (Neill) responsibilities has limited the time he could spend at this store. Those of you who know him, know that his heart was always with this place. This store would be the last of the companies that he would want to end. Just as with me, the situation is out of his control. Mike (Sandler) also regrets the disruption this may create in your life."

The letter ends: "I will miss you." Signed, Randy.