RETAILING

Garden Grove-based Hyundai Motor America broke ground this week for its Central Region offices and a major parts distribution center in Aurora, Ill.

It was the second ground breaking for Hyundai in two weeks. Hyundai recently began construction of a national parts distribution center in Ontario, Calif.

“We know that building and selling cars is only half the job,” said H.W. Baik, president and chief executive officer. “Our track record with customers after the sale is just as important as our sales performance.”

The Aurora project consists of a 342,000-square-foot complex to be built in two phases at a total cost of $15.7 million. The first phase includes a distribution center measuring 187,000 square feet as well as 35,000 square feet of combined service, training and office space. This phase is to be completed in 1990. The second phase, a 120,000-square-foot addition to the parts center, will be built in 1992.

Eventually the office building and parts distribution center will serve a 13-state area ranging from Ohio and Kentucky to the Dakotas.

At the same time, Hyundai’s Ontario center will be built in two phases of 300,000 and 200,000 square feet at a total cost of $21 million. The first phase is scheduled to be completed next year and the second in 1992.