Former Red Joe Morgan hopes to hit home run with new car dealership

Photos: Joe Morgan dealership opens

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Former Cincinnati Red Joe Morgan signs one of the shovels used during groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Honda dealership he will own in Monroe on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009.

Staff photo by Gary Stelzer Former Cincinnati Red Joe Morgan signs one of the shovels used during groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Honda dealership he will own in Monroe on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009.

By Denise Wilson, Staff Writer Updated 6:54 AM Wednesday, November 18, 2009

MONROE — Former Cincinnati Reds second baseman Joe Morgan said he is hoping the economy improves next year by the time he opens his new auto dealership off Ohio 63.

“We’re not going to open until next summer and we’re hoping that by then the economy will have changed a little bit, and the environment will have changed: Morgan said Tuesday, Nov. 17, during a groundbreaking ceremony at the site on Garver Road.

The dealership bears the name of the former Hall of Fame second baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, who is the majority owner of the project. It will be located in the Warren County area of Monroe on about 4.5-acres just south of Treasure Aisles — formerly known as Turtle Creek Flea market.

Morgan and his wife attended the groundbreaking ceremony at the site along with several Honda officials from California and the Greater Cincinnati area. Also in attendance were John Voss, co-owner of the dealership, Dick Lange, general manager of the dealership and a number of Monroe officials.

Morgan, who resides in Danville, Calif., said he chose Monroe because it is a growing community, which has close proximity to Interstate 75.

“John (Voss) has been very successful in the automobile industry, he knows what we’re doing and we’ve done a lot of research, and so we decided this is where we wanted to go, and the time we wanted to do it,” he said.

Morgan said he is confident the dealership will succeed because of the Honda name.

“We have the best product on the market. I think that’s the reason I’m doing it because we have a Honda Dealership. I wouldn’t do any other dealership at this time,” he said.

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