The actor, who is also a self-confessed car fan, has now added a car dealership into his business portfolio

Photos courtesy of Automotive News, screengrabs from markwahlbergchevy.com

Actor Mark Wahlberg has opened his first Chevrolet dealership in Columbus, Ohio. The actor has appeared in two of the 'Transformers' franchise flims, which feature heavy Chevrolet and General Motors product placement.

"I am continuously looking for ways to innovate my brand and engage in businesses I am passionate about," Wahlberg said in a press release on the acquisition. "I love cars and the chance to work with an experienced, proven dealer-operator like Jay and represent an iconic brand like Chevrolet inspired me to get involved."

His partner in the endeavor is Jay Feldman, who already owns several dealerships around Michigan, and also runs Walhburger restaurants in Ohio and Georgia. Wahlberg is planning to add more of such dealership in the Midwest.

Besides his acting credits, Wahlberg is quite established in the business sector. In addition to the 'Wahlburgers' restaurant chain, he also owns a movie production company, a health and wellness company, and a water line - Performance Inspired Nutrition - with rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs.

In a statement, Wahlberg also added that he is always looking for ways to innovate his brand and engage in businesses that’s he’s passionate about, and that he was inspired to “represent an iconic brand like Chevrolet.”

The 70,000 square-foot dealership sits on 15.5 acres, includes a two-story showroom and has 50 service stalls. The staff, of about 100 employees, will be retained but Mark Wahlberg Chevrolet will hire more sales representatives and service technicians. Feldman said he and Wahlberg will look to build on the store's success and may add other dealerships in the market.

Last year, Wahlberg also made headlines: He was declared the 'World's Highest Paid Actor', making a whooping US$68-million.