If Orange County’s 142 franchised auto dealers were tallied as one big employer, they’d be the third largest employer in the county with more than 13,000 workers, according to the Orange County Auto Dealers Association’s study on the dealer effect here.
The Costa Mesa association’s economic impact report said dealership sales rose to $9.5 billion last year, up from $8.6 billion in 2005. Employment grew 10% for a total of $1.2 billion in wages.
On average, each dealer sold 1,265 new vehicles last year for a total of 179,630 autos.
Service and parts sales were about $1.2 billion for the group.
Dealerships account for 20% of the county’s retail sales and generate $654 million in sales tax.
The report estimates that about $66 million of that goes directly to OC cities.
Dealers also are charitable citizens, donating about $6.7 million last year to local schools and groups.
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Lamps at Habitat for Humanity store: group opening second OC location |
Anaheim is the local city with the most dealers at 16. Costa Mesa has the second most, 15, followed by Tustin, which has 13. Irvine counts 12, while Huntington Beach and Santa Ana tied at 11.
Second ReStore
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County has opened its second OC Habitat ReStore Discount Home Improvement Center, which sells cheap new and recycled home supplies, in Garden Grove.
The 20,000-square-foot store sells lighting, couches, paint, doors and windows, among other things.
One day, a U-Haul pulled up and unloaded four new couches, said Gladys Hernandez, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit.
Sales help build Habitat for Humanity homes.
The first OC store is at its offices in Santa Ana.
The Santa Ana store, a smaller 7,000-square-foot store, opened in 2000.
The nonprofit is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, which opened its first ReStore in Austin, Texas, in 1992.
The ReStore gets donations from companies and individuals.
Donations from Ontario’s California Hardware Co. helped open the Garden Grove store.
The ReStore also offers “deconstruction” services.
“We tear out your kitchen,” Hernandez said.
Then the ReStore will resell your kitchen and you can write it off as a charitable contribution.
Scott Bainbridge, director of the ReStores, is managing the Garden Grove store.
Habitat for Humanity has built 122 homes in OC since 1988, with 89 on the drawing board.
Two homes are planned to be built in Fullerton this year. Habitat is unique in that homeowners also help build their homes.
Terms of buying the home are a 1% down payment and zero-interest mortgage.
Habitat partners with cities, which donate the land.
“(Habitat for Humanity) brings quality people into their neighborhood,” Hernandez said.
In San Juan Capistrano, Habitat is building 27 homes, including 14 for combat war veterans.
Monkeying Around
Hey, Hey it’s the Monkees.
Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees will be one of the performers at this year’s Fashion Island Summer Concert Series at the Bloomingdale’s courtyard. Dolenz will appear July 11.
The concert series pulls in loads of people for the mall,about 30,000 who shop, eat and drink.
The series, which debuted in 1967, also helps Fashion Island build ties with the community. Families show up in full picnic mode with blankets, chairs and coolers.
As usual, the popular Poncho Sanchez and his Latin band will close out the series, which is produced by Gerald Ishibashi, owner of Stonebridge Productions. Ishibashi has been putting on the event since 1991. Acura is the sponsor this year.
Other concerts include Johnny Rivers, who sang with the Fifth Dimension, new-wave 1980s band Berlin, The Fab Four, a Beatles tribute band, and Matthew and Gunnar Nelson will perform their father Ricky Nelson’s hits as well as their own.
Stylish
Harper’s Bazaar magazine named Traditional Jewelers at Fashion Island as one of the best jewelry and watch stores in the U.S. The complete list of “style leaders” is in the May issue.
Storytime
Wonderland Bakery in Newport Beach will begin selling its Wonderland and Gund branded bears in September for about $50.
The animated speaking Allyson Wonderland Storytime Bear by Gund, and accompanying book, will tell the story of how Allyson Ames, the 21-year-old chef, and her mom, Sondra Ames, launched the bakery.
In other news, Sondra Ames will be presented with the Maternal Outreach Management System’s annual Moms Business Mother of the Year award at Disneyland Hotel on May 11. Maternal Outreach is a nonprofit that helps mothers have healthy babies.
