Ed Voyles Chrysler Jeep is buying Marietta Dodge, its next door neighbor on Cobb Parkway.

The Dodge dealership will close after the sale is final, and Voyles will pick up customer service and the Dodge line of vehicles.

Marietta Dodge general manager Jeff Shepherd said the sale does not reflect recent economic down turns. He said the two Marietta stores started talking about a sale last year after Chrysler Corp. encouraged its franchises to consolidate Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealerships into single stores in a strategy called the Genesis Project.

Shepherd said mechanics will finish repairs on cars in the Dodge shop before it closes. Voyles will take over repair services for Dodge customers and will sell Dodge vehicles.

Shepherd said some of the 93 employees at Marietta Dodge will go to work at Ed Voyles. He said a closing date has not been decided.

Marietta Dodge opened 31 years ago as a landmark of sorts in Cobb County. For years, it had a bright blue dome over the showroom. A painting of the Earth also covered the dome before it was painted white.