Dignitaries to help open Suzuki facility

Columbia County business leaders and elected officials will host two special guests Thursday during a grand-opening ceremony for a Suzuki dealership.

Two of the international company's top executives will visit the new dealership, which is one of four pilot facilities that the Japan-based automaker is unveiling this year in the U.S.

Rick Suzuki, the president of American Suzuki Motor Corp. and the grandson of the company's founder, and Hirotaka Ono, the executive general manager and board member for Suzuki Motor Corp., the parent company, are scheduled to attend the ceremony.

"That two gentlemen of that significance would be in town ... we're thrilled about that and want to make them feel welcome," said Gordon Renshaw, the executive director of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce. "This is a wonderful way to showcase Columbia County."

//

The chamber incorporated the visit and the grand opening into its monthly networking event and invited local business and political leaders to speak. Ono, Suzuki and the dealership's Mike Lacey also will speak.

The event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. at Augusta Suzuki, 4339 Washington Road in Evans.