Rick Hendrick (left) and Reggie Jackson (center) speak at the opening of Jackson’s new Raleigh dealership while General Manager Shaye Johnson looks on.
Courtesy of Hendrick Automotive Group
RALEIGH
Hall of Fame baseball player Reggie Jackson will live part-time in the Triangle, overseeing his new Raleigh car dealership.
The 75,000-square-foot Reggie Jackson Airport Honda, which opened in January at 9530 Lumley Road, is the largest Triangle facility in the Charlotte-based Hendrick Automotive Group. It eclipsed Durham’s Southpoint Hendrick Auto Mall, which houses four dealerships under one roof.
Airport Honda hosted its official grand opening ceremony Wednesday. About 150 attended the event, including Rick Hendrick, founder of Hendrick Automotive group, Jackson and his longtime friend — NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving II, better known as Dr. J.
At Hendrick’s behest, Jackson plans to purchase a Triangle home from which he can oversee the budding dealership’s progress.
“I’ll have a place here probably within 12 months,” Jackson told The News & Observer. “I’ll purchase a condo or get an apartment or something. Rick had a conversation with me and said, ‘Reggie, you can do what you want… But you should consider sticking to it. Stay in the deal.’ I said, ‘I’m going to take your advice. You can count on me to stick to it and to be a person that’ll be part of the community.’”
Jackson, known as Mr. October for his legendary performances in several World Series, has owned an interest in Florida’s Rick Hendrick Chevrolet Naples since 2015. But the 1993 Hall of Fame inductee, five-time World Series champion, two-time World Series MVP and one-time American League MVP long searched for a chance to launch his own venture.
“I think Rick and I talked about it for probably the last 20 years,” Jackson said.
He selected the Triangle for its growing market and the diversity of its communities. Through his nonprofit, the Mr. October Foundation, Jackson plans to promote equal access to STEM careers in Raleigh, Durham and other area schools.
“What we’re going to focus on here is participating in the community and trying to raise the level of competence and the level of participation with a focus on diversity,” he said.
If Reggie Jackson Airport Honda can be a launching pad for otherwise disadvantaged students looking to secure worthwhile careers, Jackson will feel accomplished.
“I think it shows here in our employee count,” he said, “and we’ll continue to move forward with that. (Diversity) will be our trademark here.”