Two groups on Automotive News‘ top 150 dealership groups list bought stores this month to grow in Kentucky and Colorado, respectively.
Here’s a look at the deals involving domestic and luxury brands.
Jeff Wyler Automotive Family Inc. on Monday acquired its second Mercedes-Benz store when it bought Mercedes-Benz of Louisville from Peterson Automotive Collection, owned by David Peterson.
“We know and love the community and take great pride in continuing the Mercedes-Benz legacy in Louisville,” David Wyler, president of Jeff Wyler Automotive, said in a statement. “It is an honor and a responsibility we do not take lightly.”
Jeff Wyler Automotive, of Milford, Ohio, also owns Mercedes-Benz of Fort Mitchell in Kentucky, near Cincinnati.
In July, Hudson Automotive Group, of Charleston, S.C., said it planned to buy all three Mercedes-Benz dealerships from Peterson Automotive Collection, which included two locations in Ohio, in addition to the Louisville store.
Instead, Hudson Automotive on Dec. 7 bought just Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati and Mercedes-Benz of West Chester. At the time, Hudson Automotive CEO David Hudson declined to comment on why the Louisville store wasn’t included in the Dec. 7 acquisition, citing a confidentiality agreement.
Mercedes-Benz of Louisville is Jeff Wyler Automotive’s fourth dealership in the Louisville market. The group also has dealerships in Indiana, in addition to Ohio and Kentucky.
Bill Scrivner and Mike Sims of Pinnacle Mergers & Acquisitions, a buy-sell firm in Frisco, Texas, represented Peterson Automotive in the sale to the Wyler.
Jeff Wyler Automotive ranks No. 38 on Automotive News‘ most recent list of the top 150 dealership groups based in the U.S., with retail sales of 21,592 new vehicles in 2020.
Phil Long Dealerships of Colorado Springs, Colo., purchased a dealership with five brands to expand its presence in Las Animas County in the state.
The group on Dec. 1 acquired a Ford-Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealership in Trinidad, Colo., from Jeff Cooke of Cooke Motor Co. Phil Long did not buy the Cooke Motor facility, but is renting it out. Phil Long Dealerships has renamed the dealership Phil Long Ford of Trinidad and Phil Long Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram.
The retailer, which has a Toyota store in Trinidad, said upgrades to the parts and service department are underway.
The group plans to build a new facility that will house the five brands a quarter of a mile away from the Cooke Motor location. That operation will consist of a Ford showroom and a Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram showroom connected by an accessories shop.
“Behind that would be a service department and we would have a service reception on the end, but the final design of how all that comes together still isn’t settled yet,” said Kevin Shaughnessy, vice president of operations and a partner with Phil Long Dealerships.
The new dealership will be up to 25,000 square feet. Construction is expected to start next year pending city, county and manufacturer approvals, Shaughnessy told Automotive News.
Trinidad is the hometown of Jay Cimino, CEO of Phil Long Dealerships. The group has dealerships in four other cities: Colorado Springs, Denver, and Glenwood Springs, Colo.; and Raton, N.M.
Phil Long Dealerships said its Trinidad store will be overseen by General Manager Donnie Allen, who previously worked at the auto group’s other Colorado locations.
In June, Phil Long Dealerships bought a Subaru dealership in Glenwood Springs.
Phil Long Dealerships ranks No. 100 on Automotive News‘ top dealership groups list, with retail sales of 9,068 new vehicles in 2020.