AVON, Ohio — Mark Wahlberg has a new business venture in Northeast Ohio.
The Oscar-nominated actor, producer, and businessman has acquired Joe Firment Chevrolet in Lorain County. The dealership is being renamed Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet of Avon.
A grand opening celebration is being held on July 7 and 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free cheeseburgers from the Wahlburgers food truck and special giveaways. In honor of the grand opening weekend, Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet and the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation are making a donation to Joel's Place for Children, an Avon, Ohio non-profit that provides grief support to children.
With the acquisition of Joe Firment Chevrolet, Wahlberg and his business partner, Jay Feldman, now have five automotive dealerships in Ohio.
"The people of Ohio have really embraced our sales and service standards," said Wahlberg in a release. "With this expansion into the Cleveland area, we are deepening our bond with our Midwestern customers."
Located at 37995 Chester Road, the Avon store is located on 10.5 acres with 38,000 square feet of showroom, service and parts space. The location is equipped with 20 service bays.
"Having five dealerships in Ohio gives us the opportunity to provide consumers with a consistent sales and service experience and a huge product inventory," added Feldman, who owns 15 dealerships in Michigan and Ohio. "We'll be able to provide our Ohio customers even more brand choices at the lowest prices with this new location."
In August 2020, Wahlberg added a Chevrolet store in Worthington, Ohio, a Columbus suburb. A month earlier, Wahlberg and Feldman launched Mark Wahlberg Buick GMC and Mark Wahlberg Airstream & RV to go along with their 2018 inaugural location, Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet. All three Columbus dealerships are on West Broad Street.
The former owner of the dealership, Joe Firment, said, "We are excited about the new energy that Mark and Jay bring to the Chester Road dealership. Our customers are going to love the experience and talent they bring to the marketplace."
Firment and his family owned the dealership for 40 years.
Mark Wahlberg's portfolio of business interests includes a movie production company, a health and wellness company, a water line and the Wahlburgers restaurant chain that is currently franchised throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.
In addition to being business partners in the dealerships, Feldman and Wahlberg have been friends for several years and partners in several Wahlburgers restaurants, including the nearby Cleveland store at 2015 Ontario Street. The Cleveland restaurant opened in 2017.
The five Ohio Mark Wahlberg dealerships are hiring for several key sales and service positions in Columbus and Avon. For more information, visit www.markwahlbergchevrolet.com
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