fbpx
published on February 9, 2017 - 4:29 PM
Written by
BMW Fresno, Audi Fresno and Porsche Fresno are under new ownership.

 

CJ Wilson, a former pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels (2012-2015) and Texas Rangers (2005-2011), officially took charge of the three luxury auto dealerships last week and made the move to Fresno from his native Orange County to be hands-on in the community.

While he’s known for his plays on the baseball field, Wilson has also made a name for himself on the racetrack and started his own racing team, CJ Wilson Racing, in 2010.

Coinciding with his dive into the racing world, Wilson invested in a handful of Mazda dealerships throughout the country—the first he purchased in 2012 in the Chicago area. Wilson now owns three Mazda stores, a McLaren store, two BMW motorcycle stores a handful of other dealerships. The recent addition of the Fresno sites brings his total to 14 stores.

“This is the dream team,” Wilson said of the three Fresno stores. “These three brands are what you wait for your whole life as a dealer and to have them all in one location is like the 1992 Olympic basketball team…I decided if an opportunity like this was ever presented to me, I’d swing big and go for it.”

Wilson purchased the dealerships from Al Monzajeb, a Seattle luxury imports dealer. Monzajeb purchased the family-owned BMW dealership on Palm, previously known as Weber BMW, in 2013, and purchased the Audi and Porsche dealerships next door in 2014.

See the Feb. 10 print edition of The Business Journal for more information. Subscribe or find a newsstand.


e-Newsletter Signup

Our Weekly Poll

Do you think Valley Children's Hospital will lose financial support due to CEO pay revelations?
120 votes

Central Valley Biz Blogs

. . .