HAMLET — Richmond County Chamber of Commerce leaders as well as Hamlet and county officials gathered Friday afternoon for the grand reopening of Griffin Toyota on U.S. 74 East.
The facelift for the building has been in the works for almost a year when Hawks Builders of Rockingham took on the project last spring. Ronnie Hawks said projects like Griffin usually take around six months because there are special car building fronts that have to be ordered from Toyota.
But on a sunny Friday, the ceremonial red ribbon was cut by General Manager Clint Ray, even though the car dealership has officially been reopened since Jan. 15.
“This is a wonderful thing for Hamlet,” said Mayor Bill Bayless. “It’s just a feather in the cap of Hamlet, and we wish them the best.”
Ray said the reasoning behind the remodel stems from Toyota, as well as other major car manufacturers, wanting their buildings to stay up-to-date with what’s new in the world of architecture. It’s also a way to help draw new business in.
“This is a great asset for not only Hamlet, but for Richmond County,” said Ray, a Rockingham resident of 22 years. “It’s more customer-friendly in the building overall. We appreciate the support from everybody, past and future customers.”
In addition to the door prizes, refreshments and music on hand Friday, the festivities will continue from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday with a giveaway of free gas for a year. A form must be filled out to participate and no purchase is necessary.
— Matt Harrelson