Filings indicate shakeup at Cloquet car dealership

Public-record filings are indicating that there may be another shakeup in the direction of Cloquet’s only new car dealership, and its one-time owners have filed for bankruptcy.

June filings with the Minnesota Secretary of State office shows that Cloquet Auto Center has renewed the various assumed names attached to Cloquet’s Ford and Chrysler dealership. What’s new is that the Cloquet Auto Center name was renewed in May with an address associated with Duluth-based car dealership group Evergreen, which owns dealerships in the Twin Ports and across the state and region including Kia of Duluth, Iron Trail Motors on the Iron Range, NorthStar Ford and Volkswagen of Duluth, Sonju Two Harbors, and dealerships in Wisconsin.

Several attempts this week to contact Evergreen and Cloquet dealership officials were unsuccessful.

The filings can be confusing, since the dealership has a variety of names it uses, including Cloquet Auto Center, Cloquet Ford Chrysler, Cloquet Ford Chrysler Center, Cloquet Chrysler Ford, Cloquet Chrysler, Cloquet Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, and Cloquet Ford Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.

The Cloquet Motors name has not had any filing changes and is still listed as under the management of Mike Larson, which increases the mystery.

Former Cloquet residents Alan and Renee Birman filed for bankruptcy after moving to Texas last year and selling their home in Cloquet for $527,000 in November 2020.

A state bankruptcy filing this month shows that the Birmans, who took over Cloquet Motors in 2008 with Larson, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on July 9. Their assets are listed at $47,455 with liabilities of more than $3.7 million.

Last summer, a story in the Pine Knot said the Birmans had “stepped back to a more silent role” while “previously silent partner” Mike Larson had taken on a more active role. At the time, Larson said he was trying to stabilize the course of the business. He also could not be reached for comment this week.

The Birmans did not respond to inquiries. The bankruptcy filing shows 33 creditors that will be contacted to take part in an Aug. 6 teleconference. Aug. 6.