Ford, Stellantis, GM and Mazda dealerships sell in Q3, Q4 transactions

A dealer acquired his second store, a daughter bought the majority share of a dealership from her parents and auto retailing groups acquired more stores to add to their holdings in third-quarter and fourth-quarter transactions last year.

Here's a look at the deals involving domestic and import brands and stores in Virginia, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota.

Dealer Jamar Brinkley last year acquired his second dealership, formerly known as Discovery Ford-Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in the small central Virginia market of Altavista. The dealership has a separate Ford showroom but shares a common service area.

The selling dealer was Kevin Geagan, said Gerrick Wilkins, vice president for Dealer Support Network, a buy-sell brokerage firm. The transaction closed Sept. 17.

Wilkins was the buyer's representative in the deal, he said in a phone interview. Dealer Support Network has offices in Winnsboro, Texas, and Leeds, Ala.

Brinkley renamed the dealership Renaissance Ford-Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep.

Brinkley's first dealership was Renaissance Nissan in Roanoke Rapids, N.C., which he purchased in March 2020. In a phone interview, Brinkley said that when he was shopping for another dealership he was interested in domestic franchises to diversify his holdings.

The other big reason was the market, Brinkley said.

"The economic conditions in Virginia are actually trending upward," Brinkley, a 2022 Automotive News 40 Under 40 honoree said. "And if you look at the franchises, both franchises are very strong in the sector, in the domestic brands. And we already have an import store."

Before purchasing his first dealership, Brinkley worked in sales and management for other dealership groups, including a seven-year stint with Hendrick Automotive Group of Charlotte, N.C.

"I spent the majority of my career with domestic brands, especially Chrysler and GM," Brinkley said, adding that experience made the Altavista purchase a good fit.

Lanie Ridder, vice president of finance at Vince's GM Center, a Chevrolet-GMC dealership in Burlington, Colo., is now majority owner and dealer principal after purchasing most of the dealership from her parents, Vince and Jana Schreivogel.

In 1983, Vince Schreivogel purchased the first of two dealerships that ultimately would be combined into Vince's GM Center, according to National Business Brokers, a buy-sell firm in Irvine, Calif., which facilitated the transaction. The family has operated the dealership at its current facility since 2012, the firm said.

In the past, the business also had Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac franchises.

Ridder said in a phone interview that the dealership dropped the Cadillac franchise last year and the Buick franchise effective Jan. 31, rather than make the required investment to sell electric vehicles.

When the transaction closed Oct. 31, it was for the Chevrolet and GMC franchises only.

"It's a rural market. It's slower to adapt to new things," Ridder said.

Burlington is in eastern Colorado, near the Kansas border.

Vince Schreivogel was dealer principal. Jana Schreivogel remains the dealership's controller, Ridder said.

Her parents retained a minority share, but ultimately, Ridder said they plan to retire.

Drew Bray and Chris Teape of National Business Brokers worked on the transaction. Bray is vice president and Teape is senior vice president of the firm's Midsouth region.

The Steve Napleton Auto Group in Schaumburg, Ill., in December acquired a Ford dealership, marking its third acquisition in just over a year, according to a company executive.

The group on Dec. 15 bought Hawk Ford of Oak Lawn from Hawk Auto, said Danny Napleton, a Steve Napleton Auto partner.

The dealership was renamed Napleton Ford of Oak Lawn. Hawk Auto has dealerships in Illinois.

In May, the Steve Napleton group also acquired Oak Lawn Mazda from Ghaben Auto Group, Napleton said. That store, purchased May 16, was renamed Napleton's Oak Lawn Mazda.

The group in November 2021 also bought a Honda store in Morton Grove, Ill., from Tom Sondag, Napleton said.

"We wanted to buy these stores because they represent strong franchises and submarket opportunities within our focus range, which is within one and a half hours from Chicagoland area," he wrote in an email to Automotive News. "We are also still actively pursuing similar opportunities."

The group now has nine dealerships in the greater Chicago area. Oak Lawn is southwest of Chicago. It has four Mazda stores, two Subaru dealerships, one Ford, one Honda and one Buick-GMC store.

Craig Hallenstein represented the buyer in the Ford and Honda transactions.

Fury Motors has added a Ford store to its portfolio with the acquisition of Waconia Ford, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

The deal was finalized Nov. 28, a Ford spokeswoman confirmed, and the store is now named Fury Ford Waconia. Waconia is west of Minneapolis.

The Ford dealership dates back to 1915. Tim Curtis had been operating the dealership for more than 16 years and decided to sell to focus on family priorities, according to accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen, which facilitated the transaction.

"I am delighted with the outcome and I am confident that Fury will continue to provide members of our community with unmatched care and service in the future," Curtis said in a statement.

Fury Motors also has Stellantis dealerships in South Saint Paul and Stillwater, Minn., according to its website.