Actor Mark Wahlberg, who in 2018 added auto retail to his business repertoire, has expanded his dealership ownership with a Buick-GMC store in Columbus, Ohio.
Wahlberg and partner Jay Feldman, a Michigan dealer, have purchased Haydocy Buick-GMC. The dealership, renamed Mark Wahlberg Buick-GMC, is across the street from Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet. That’s the former Bobby Layman Chevrolet store that Wahlberg and Feldman purchased in July 2018.
The latest transaction included an Airstream and RV dealership in Columbus, which has been renamed Mark Wahlberg Airstream & RV.
“Columbus has been so welcoming and it just made sense to grow our automotive platform here,” Wahlberg said in a statement. “The Haydocy family has been wonderful to work with during this transition and Jay and I are looking forward to doing big things here.”
Feldman, CEO of Feldman Automotive Group, with more than 10 locations in Michigan and Columbus, said two years ago that he and Wahlberg were looking for more dealership locations.
Feldman, in a Zoom videoconference in April about a hospital donation, told reporters that purchasing the Buick-GMC store across the street from Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet was a “perfect fit.” He said then that the closing had been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We love the Columbus market. It’s been amazing,” Feldman said. “When we bought the dealership almost two years ago, I had never really spent a lot of time in Columbus. But since we’ve been there, I’ve fallen in love with Columbus. It’s a great town.”
Wahlberg and Feldman, who met in 2013 in Detroit while Wahlberg was filming the fourth installment of the Transformers movie series, also are business partners in several Wahlburgers restaurants. In addition to burgers, dealerships, acting and producing, Wahlberg is active with a movie production company, health and wellness company and a water brand.
Tim Lamb Group handled the dealership buy-sell transaction.
Jennifer Vuong contributed to this report.
