Press Releases
Ocean Honda to Celebrate State-Of-The-Art Green Facility
Dignitaries will attend opening of environmentally sustainable dealership
Owner Steve John will host the grand opening event, which will celebrate the most environmentally sensitive planned and designed automobile dealership in the area. Also on hand to formally open the new facility will be Richard Colliver, executive vice president and senior adviser of American Honda Motor Co., as well as Santa Cruz County public officials and environmental leaders.
A number of public officials, including County Board of Supervisors Chair Neal Coonerty, will participate in the Ocean Honda ribbon-cutting, as well as Brian King, president of Cabrillo College, Dan Haifley, executive director of O'Neill Sea Odyssey, and a representative of First District County Supervisor John Leopold.
John, a longtime local business and community leader, says his company "has put its best Green foot forward in the construction of the new state-of-the-art building. "We follow in the footsteps of Papa Honda," John said. "We are promoting Green on the Central Coast with a series of sustainable building elements and green operational practices."
The new building, which encompasses a state-of-the-art service facility, a huge showroom and expansive offices, includes a number of environmentally sensitive features:
o A massive radial storefront glass window and 42 large skylights that eliminate the need for indoor lighting during the day.
o Energy-saving equipment throughout the building.
o Four mountain bikes available to customers who want to drop off their cars for servicing and tour the area.
o Some 6,000 square feet of, pervious paved parking lot surrounding the building that prevents runoff and helps sustain the nearby riparian corridor. The stream is actually fed with water filtered through a special system of drain rock.
o Construction techniques that followed accepted Green guidelines for reuse of recycled material, energy efficiency, water conservation and recycling.
o A fully wired Community Room, which will be made available to area non-profit organizations for meetings and special events.
Regarding the timing of the opening of the dealership, John said, "In this economy, moving forward with a new, state-of-the-art dealership is quite a statement, both about the future of Honda and the future of our role in the community."
John timed the grand opening event to coincide with his late father's birthday. John said his father, Paul John, had a major impact on both the dealership and on his life.
In addition to serving as president of Ocean Honda, John has a long history of community involvement. He is a founding board member of Santa Cruz County Bank, a past president of the Cabrillo College Foundation, a longtime board member of York Preparatory School, the Monte Foundation, the Blind Adaptive Group and O'Neill Sea Odyssey.