Hempstead’s Lawrence Marshall automobile dealership closed  

2/05/09  The Lawrence Marshall automobile dealership in Hempstead closed Wednesday, a victim of the tough economy, the nation-wide recession and the ever tightening credit crunch. The company website said that all services at the facility had been suspended.  

The dealership, which began in 1969 when Lawrence Marshall purchased a small Chevrolet lot in Hempstead, had grown to be the small-town’s Mega-dealer that until recently sold 9,000 vehicle annually.

Several years ago, former Houston Oilers football player Ray Childress purchased the dealership from Lawrence Marshall who died last year. 

The 40-acre complex sold at least seven automotive brands including Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ford, Cadillac, and Hyundai. In recent years, the company had been one of the biggest volume dealerships in the United States.  

The dealership provided an estimated 225 jobs to the area and was an important part of the Hempstead economy. Sales and service at the dealership provided for a major part of the local tax base. Officials in Hempstead said they were not aware of the impending closure.