Growing #1 Cochran Automotive last week expanded beyond Pennsylvania state lines with the purchase of two Ohio dealerships.
#1 Cochran, of Monroeville, Pa., on Friday bought Sweeney Chevrolet and Sweeney Buick-GMC in Boardman, Ohio, south of Youngstown, and just west of the Pennsylvania border, from Alexa Sweeney Blackann, president of the stores. They were Blackann's only dealerships, said Rob Cochran, CEO of #1 Cochran.
The stores were renamed #1 Cochran Chevrolet Youngstown and #1 Cochran Buick-GMC Youngstown.
"We have done a good job in building out much of Western Pennsylvania based on our strategy," Cochran told Automotive News. "There's potentially a few more steps to make, but we've done maybe the majority of what we think could make sense within our home market.
"And so then the questions began to come up a year, two years ago [of], 'What do we do next?' We studied some of the adjacent markets, because again, that makes most sense from a cultural extension and a brand extension and how do we help our team members with career development opportunities?"