Three dealerships groups added stores in October transactions in Pennsylvania, New York and Indiana.
Here’s a look at the deals involving domestic and import brands.
Spitzer Management Inc., doing business as Spitzer Autoworld, has continued to grow in DuBois, Pa., buying two dealerships this month in the city northeast of Pittsburgh.
Spitzer, of Elyria, Ohio, on Oct. 19 bought Murray’s Ford-Lincoln and Murray’s Honda from Greg Murray.
The stores will be renamed Spitzer Ford-Lincoln DuBois and Spitzer Honda DuBois.
“Last fall we acquired a Chevy-Buick-GMC-Cadillac and a Subaru store one mile up the street,” Spitzer COO Andrew Spitzer said in an email to Automotive News. “Over the last year we’ve learned about what an amazing area and community DuBois is. So when the opportunity arose to add another two locations [with great brands], it was an easy decision.”
Murray’s dates to 1968, when Harvey Murray founded the company, and the dealerships have been run by the Murray family since.
Spitzer was founded in 1904 in Grafton, Ohio, by George Spitzer. Today, the group includes a fourth generation of leaders and now has 20 dealerships, Andrew Spitzer said.
Drew Picon and Brian Brown of DCG Acquisitions, a Dave Cantin Group company, handled the transaction.
Friendly Auto Group has acquired D’Amico Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Geneva, N.Y., marking its fifth dealership and third Stellantis store in upstate New York.
Friendly Auto on Oct. 11 bought the dealership from owners and brothers Peter D’Amico, Patrick D’Amico and Michael D’Amico.
The D’Amico family launched its business in 1963, starting as a one-bay Sinclair gas station before adding Dodge vehicles in 1981 and Jeep in 1997.
The dealership was renamed Friendly Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram of Geneva. Friendly Auto expects the store will sell 900 new- and used-vehicles this year.
“This store is located right next to our state-of-the-art Ford dealership in Geneva and was a natural fit,” Heather Uvanni, marketing director for Friendly Auto, wrote in an email to Automotive News.
The Friendly group, founded in 1997, began with a single Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram store in Penn Yan, N.Y. It has grown to include a Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealership and a Ford store in Hamilton, N.Y.
D-Patrick Inc. of Evansville, Ind., has expanded into Lebanon, Ind., buying Gene Lewis Ford.
D-Patrick, owned by co-Presidents Mike O’Daniel and Ray Farabaugh, bought the dealership on Oct. 1 from brothers David Lewis, Jim Lewis and Steve Lewis.
“We think Ford is among the best franchises for the future and we believe that there is growth opportunity in Lebanon,” Mike O’Daniel wrote in an email to Automotive News.
The store was renamed D-Patrick Lebanon Ford. Lebanon is northwest of Indianapolis.
In a Sept. 30 Facebook post, David Lewis announced the sale and said D-Patrick would retain all employees. He said his grandfather started with Ford in 1912 and his family has operated the dealership at the same location for 50 years.
“It is a bittersweet moment but we are excited because D-Patrick has the same core family values that Gene Lewis Ford does,” David Lewis said.
D-Patrick operates several dealerships in Evansville that sell Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, Nissan, Honda, Ford and Lincoln vehicles. It also has a Ford dealership in Boonville, Ind., and a used-vehicle dealership in Evansville.