Pohanka Automotive buys Ford, Kia and Stellantis dealerships

Pohanka Automotive Group, of Chantilly, Va., bought three dealerships in Salisbury, Md., from Safford Automotive Group in an Aug. 1 transaction involving two of the country's largest auto retailers ranked on Automotive News' list of the top 150 dealership groups.

Pohanka bought Safford Ford-Lincoln of Salisbury, Safford Kia of Salisbury and Safford Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram of Salisbury, a spokesman for Safford Automotive, of Springfield, Va., told Automotive News. The Lincoln franchise was not part of the transaction, and it is no longer operated.

The acquisition grows Pohanka's already considerable presence in Maryland and in Salisbury, in the state's Eastern Shore region. The group now has 21 dealerships, primarily in Virginia and Maryland, plus one dealership in Texas, according to its website.

The three dealerships also represent new brands for the Pohanka lineup. The stores were renamed Pohanka Ford of Salisbury, Pohanka Kia of Salisbury and Pohanka Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram of Salisbury.

Geoffrey Pohanka is chairman of Pohanka Automotive. He is also the 2022 vice chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association, which by tradition sets him up to likely become chairman in 2023.

Pohanka Automotive ranks No. 34 in Automotive News' list of the top 150 dealership groups based in the U.S., retailing 24,142 new vehicles last year. Safford Automotive ranks No. 104 on the list, retailing 9,847 new vehicles in 2021.

Safford Automotive now has 10 dealerships, in Maryland and Virginia, a spokesman for the group said.