NEW HONDA SALES AND SERVICE CENTER UNDER WAY IN CAPE WEST BUSINESS PARK

Artist's rendering of new Honda building, which is under construction on Siemers Drive in Cape West Business Park.

Dennis Manns, zone manager for American Honda Motor Co., and Adam Spencer, district manager for the Honda Co., were in Cape Girardeau last week for a groundbreaking project for a new full-service Honda facility.

Jerry Wieser Honda Motor Co. is expected to open new facilities on Siemers Drive in Cape West Business Park in December.

The new Honda Information Center is one of 100 being built throughout the nation.

"This will be a state-of-the-art facility," said Manns. "We're looking at a 15,000-square-foot facility specially designed for Honda. "This will be a white drivet building and one that will become recognizable to Honda owners every where."

The new building is one of only three in Missouri. The new building site adjoins another automotive company -- Bud Shell Auto World -- in Cape West Business Park. The new facility will be leased from Drury Southwest. On hand for the groundbreaking were Larry Westrich, director of leasing, Drury Southwest; Doug Niswonger, project manager; and, Martin Jansen, president, Columbia Construction.

"The building should be ready by mid-December," said Wieser.

David Kinder will be manager of the new facility.

Jerry Wieser, a veteran in the Cape Girardeau auto sales industry, returned to auto sales in 1993, following a two-year absence from the field.

Wieser opened his first Cape Girardeau dealership - M.G., Austin Healy -- in 1956, and obtained the Honda dealership in 1975 and the Mazda dealership a year later.

Wieser's Town & Country Motors also handled Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge. He sold Town and Country to Auffenberg Motors in 1989. He re-purchased the Honda-Mazda dealership, 2611 Auto Park Drive, a couple of years later.

Wieser Mazda will continue to operate in Auto the Park.