Casa Auto buys 4 New Mexico dealerships

Casa Auto Group expanded in New Mexico with a four-store purchase last month.

Casa Auto, of El Paso, Texas, on Sept. 20 bought Borman Autoplex, which consists of Borman Ford, Borman Honda, Borman Hyundai and Borman Mazda, all in Las Cruces, N.M., from the Connole family, according to Ronnie Lowenfield, Casa Auto's CEO.

Lowenfield said Borman Autoplex was founded by Frank Borman, a former multimission astronaut who flew Apollo 8. The Borman family later sold it to the Connole family, Lowenfield said.

The dealerships were renamed Casa Ford Las Cruces, Casa Honda Las Cruces, Casa Hyundai Las Cruces and Casa Mazda Las Cruces. The four stores are in separate buildings, but sit on a 20-acre property, Lowenfield said.

The acquisition follows an August 2022 purchase of four dealerships in Alamogordo, N.M.

Lowenfield, a 2023 Automotive News 40 Under 40 honoree, said the Las Cruces dealerships make a lot of operational sense.

"Las Cruces is kind of a halfway point between El Paso and Alamogordo," Lowenfield told Automotive News.

Hyundai and Mazda are new brands for Casa Auto, Lowenfield said.

"We wanted to diversify," Lowenfield said. "We know Hyundai has been a very hot product. We have a lot of confidence in what Mazda is doing and going to do."

Hicks Management & Consulting Group, a buy-sell firm in Arlington, Texas, represented the seller in the transaction.

The Ford dealership previously housed a Lincoln franchise. However, the Connole family resigned the Lincoln franchise and that part of the dealership was closed at the end of transaction, according to Ben Hicks III, CFO of Hicks Management & Consulting.