Hendrick Team, RichmondCC Celebrate Groundbreaking on Automotive Training Center

July 16, 2021 - Hendrick Automotive Group Chairman and CEO Rick Hendrick said “this feels like home to me” as he stood at the edge of the building site of the future automotive training facility at Richmond Community College that will bear his name and produce highly skilled technicians for generations to come.

“This school is special, and we are very honored to be part of your program because I see unlimited opportunities and potential for young people here,” Hendrick said at the groundbreaking ceremony today for the Hendrick Center for Automotive Training.

Hendrick started his first dealership in Bennettsville, S.C., and over the years, he developed many connections with people in Rockingham. Since those modest beginnings, Hendrick has built the largest privately held dealership group in the United States.

Brent Barbee, president of RichmondCC, thanked Hendrick and his team for their dedication and support of this project, which started six years ago.

“I know there were a thousand other places that you could have been today, but you chose to be here to show your support for this partnership, and that support has been evident since the beginning,” Barbee said.

In 2019, Dr. Dale McInnis, who was president of RichmondCC at that time, met with Hendrick to discuss workforce needs in the automotive maintenance industry. Leaders from the College continued the discussion over the years, making visits to Charlotte to meet with the Hendrick team to better understand the industry and its unique demands.

“Who better to rely on than an industry leader who has built one of the largest, most successful dealer networks in the country,” Barbee said.

Roger Mesiemore, vice-president of Fixed Operations for the Hendrick Automotive Group, explained the value of having an automotive trade school education, breaking it down into three categories: hands-on, real-world training; pride and purpose; and job security and demand.

“The students will be getting under the hood and using their hands to learn skills that they will use each and every day in the real world,” Mesiemore said. “There is something really prideful about fixing things with your own hands.”

Mesiemore stressed the need for more automotive technicians, providing figures for the number of dealerships across the country, as well as within North Carolina, and how many technicians they employ.

“These jobs are stable, high-paying and they can’t be outsourced,” Mesiemore said. “This automotive program that we are breaking ground on today will launch so many careers that are respected, rewarding and built for long-term success.”

The Hendrick Center for Automotive Training will be a 10,000-square-foot facility located on RichmondCC’s Hamlet Campus. In addition to being backed by the team from Hendrick and other private and public philanthropies, the project is also receiving support from the state of North Carolina.

Senator Dave Craven spoke on behalf of the N.C. General Assembly at the groundbreaking.

“This is an excellent example of what a private/public partnership should be in this state,” Craven said. “The N.C. Senate put a $2.5 million grant in our last budget to complete this project. That shows how dedicated we are to ensuring this comes to fruition, in addition to the $5 million the N.C. General Assembly has already appropriated for this project.

“I look forward to returning for the opening of this state-of-the-art facility and watching the future of the N.C. automotive industry take place right here in Richmond County,” Craven added.

Hendrick assigned himself the task of pulling in manufacturers like GM, Toyota and Honda to help with the training provided within the new facility and to make the program grow.

“We’re going to work hard to make this successful, and I believe in three to four years we will be expanding this building. We will make sure this school is one of the best in the state and the country,” Hendrick said.

The Hendrick Center for Automotive Training is scheduled to be completed in one year. Students will begin enrolling in the short-term, cohort-based training program in the fall of 2026.