Hall of Famer and Cincinnati Reds player Joe Morgan partnered on the dealership with John Voss, of Voss Auto Network of Dayton, which owns nine auto franchises, according to the company.
“We want to have a successful business that’s part of the community,” Morgan said.
Morgan and Voss were on hand along with representatives from Honda, The Chamber of Commerce Serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton, the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce and the West Chester-Liberty Chamber Alliance, of which the dealership is a member, said Joe Hinson, president and chief executive officer of the chamber alliance. Mayors Robert Routson of Monroe and Mark Mallory of Cincinnati also attended as well as Brandon Phillips, who plays second base for the Reds.
Middletown Little League received a check of $10,000 and Lebanon’s league a check of $5,000, said Michael Karrick, the Middletown league president.
Honda Motor Co. has a total more than 1,000 dealerships across the U.S. with an average three to five dealerships opening a year, said Steve Jaros, assistant vice president for Honda sales in the Eastern region.
Joe Morgan Honda is Monroe’s only automobile dealership, said Routson and Kevin Chesar, Monroe director of development.
Sales have improved each month, Voss said. Currently the dealership has 150 new cars and 100 used on the lot now with another 100 vehicles on the way, he said.
A collision center also is set to open probably after June 1, Lange said. Lange said Honda has signaled a slow down in production until the end of the third or the fourth quarter related to the tsunami in Japan.
Morgan, who drives a Honda Accord, said Honda makes “a car for everyone.”
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