Hollister
– A Honda Powerhouse that city leaders say could ignite the
local economy has opened for business after years of
preparation.
Hollister – A Honda Powerhouse that city leaders say could ignite the local economy has opened for business after years of preparation.
Marty Greenwood, who co-owns the store with brother Mike, said Hollister is now the home of a “level five” Honda Powerhouse, the highest caliber of such stores. The new retailer is only the second level five Powerhouse in California.
“This is going to be a regional draw,” Greenwood said.
City leaders have said the business, in the town’s “northern gateway” at 411 San Felipe Road, could add some fuel to the local economy. Officials backed that praise with a $1.5 million, low-interest loan from the Hollister Redevelopment Agency.
RDA Director Bill Avera has said the loan is tied to specific revenue-generation and job-creation goals.
The store sells “everything Honda makes except cars,” Greenwood said. That includes motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and power equipment.
Greenwood said he and his brother have tried to bring a Powerhouse to Hollister since 2004. The brothers already co-own Hollister’s Greenwood Chevrolet.
“It was just kind of, ‘What if?’ one day,” Greenwood said.
Just as they started thinking about a new business, Honda was looking to open a store in Hollister. The city’s central location was a key attraction, Greenwood said.
“Within 40 miles of here, there are a million-plus people,” he said.
Greenwood also contended there are many customers willing to drive up to 100 miles to visit a Powerhouse.
The Powerhouse employs 15 staff people, most of them from Hollister, Greenwood said. And that number will only grow as the store expands.
“We’re here for the community,” Greenwood said.
Local architect David Huboi, who designed the renovation of the former Good Times Bowl location, described the Powerhouse as “a community project” completed with the help of many locals.
“I’m really happy with the way it turned out,” Huboi said. “With its location right there in the northern gateway, I wanted it to be a high-quality project.”
Huboi and previous building owners had hoped to save some of the bowling alley’s lanes, but ultimately it didn’t make financial sense, he said.
The Powerhouse’s grand opening won’t happen until some point in August, Greenwood said, but the store opened its doors for “a very soft opening” on July 5. Although the service department isn’t running yet and some of the offices are in disarray, the main showroom is already covered with new vehicles, accessories and tools.
Despite opening right before the Hollister Motorcycle Rally that started July 6, Greenwood said the store didn’t get much of a boost from the event.
“(The rally) was so focused on downtown,” he said. “But yes, it’s great that we had our lights on and our doors open for that.”
