June 9, 2023 — Dealership M&A activity continues a brisk pace in 2023 as six transactions involving 20 different rooftops were announced the first week of June.

Meanwhile, word on the street is that a record-breaking transaction for a single-point store is close to getting across the finish line and could be days from being announced.

GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE

Group 1 sold its Boardwalk Acura store in Egg Harbor, NJ to Key Auto Group (Anthony Di Lorenzo). Performance Brokerage Services facilitated the transaction.

The Houston-based publicly traded dealer group also acquired Beck & Masten Kia in Tomball, TX, in early June a few weeks after purchasing three Buick-GMC from the retiring long-time Texas dealers John Beck and James Masten. Kerrigan Advisors advised Beck and Masten on all four sales.

 FRANCHISE EQUITY PARTNERS

Franchise Equity Partners formalized a joint venture with the North Carolina-based Parks Automotive Group, owned by Adam Parks. The agreement follows a $55 million minority investment made by FEP supporting Parks’ purchase of two Stellantis stores in the Charlotte, NC area in January.

Stephen J. Dietrich, Lacey Croy, and Keith Sambur of Holland & Knight represented Franchise Equity Partners in the transaction. 

James Taylor at Truist Securities provided advisory services and Chris Gyves of Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP represented Parks Automotive Group in the transaction. 

The transaction is Franchise Equity Partner’s second investment in a dealer group since it was founded in 2021 by former Goldman Sachs partners Michael Esposito and Scott Romanoff. FEP invested $70 million in October 2022 in Georgica Automotive Holdings, owned by Jonathan Sobel, also a former Goldman Sachs partner. 

New York investment firm HPS Investment Partners, invested $1 billion to fund Franchise Equity Partners, which is investing in auto dealerships, heavy-equipment dealerships, restaurants, beverage distributors, and health and beauty consumer services.

Long-time industry veteran Don Reese is the CEO and President of FEP Auto Holdings while Mark LaNeve, former Ford and General Motors executive, serves as Chairman.

THE AUTOSAVER GROUP

The Abel Toll-owned Autosaver Group acquired DeLaBruere’s Auto in Newport, VT, and rebranded it as Northpoint GMC. The group now has 14 dealerships across multiple states in the Northeast. 

Gilles De La Bruere founded the store in the early 1980s but passed away in 2022. His wife, Christine De La Bruere, took over the store, selling it last month. Nancy Phillips Associates facilitated the transaction. 

AUTONATION

AutoNation announced on LinkedIn the acquisition of five Carlsbad, CA-based dealerships from the Bob Baker Automotive Group from the Baker family. Founder Bob Baker passed away at 89 years old in 2021. His son Christopher Baker was the CEO. 

The five dealerships have been renamed AutoNation Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM and FIAT Carlsbad, AutoNation Subaru Carlsbad, AutoNation Volkswagen Carlsbad, AutoNation Mazda Carlsbad, and AutoNation Hyundai Carlsbad.

KUNES AUTO GROUP

The Kunes Auto Group acquired All-Star Buick GMC in Oak Creek, WI from the Boyland Auto Group and Dr. Dorian Boyland. In January, Boyland sold his All-Star Honda store in Greenfield, WI to the Rosen Automotive Automotive Group. National Business Brokers advised Boyland on both transactions.