Stellantis, Hyundai, Ford and Buick-GMC dealerships sell in Q2 transactions

A dealer duo and Hawaiian dealership group each expanded their holdings, while a group added its third store and a dealer bought his second, all in separate, single-store second-quarter transactions.

Here's a look at the deals involving domestic and import dealerships in California, Hawaii, Kansas and Maryland. One transaction involved a group ranked on Automotive News' list of the top 150 dealership groups.

Sacramento Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in California changes ownership

Dealers Bob Nouri and Pete Shaver on June 14 bought Sacramento Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in California from Potamkin Automotive Group Inc. of Miami Lakes, Fla.

The dealership name will remain and falls in line with Nouri's philosophy of naming stores based on location or street for optimal search engine optimization.

The dealer duo purchased the store, Nouri said, because the "potential is humongous, and already the first full month is finished and the dealership will be close to record" July sales. The store sold more than 100 new vehicles in July, Shaver said.

The partners previously purchased two other stores from Potamkin.

Nouri and Shaver have hired 48 staff members for their latest store acquisition and plan to add more as sales grow. Nouri hopes the dealership will make the top 20 U.S. Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealership sales list, just as he and Shaver's Los Angeles-area Stellantis store has. That dealership ranked sixth in July.

With the acquisition, Nouri and Shaver said they now co-own 13 new-car dealerships, including four Hyundai stores and three Stellantis stores. They also have stores selling Alfa Romeo, Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, GMC, Kia, Maserati and Volkswagen. All of the stores are in California except for a Chevrolet dealership in Milwaukie, Ore.

In 2021, Nouri and Shaver said they sold about 40,000 new and used vehicles combined and generated $1.75 billion in revenue.

Nouri and Shaver, who consider themselves co-CEOs, this year plan to formalize a combined business name of Nouri/Shaver Automotive Group for their dealerships.

And the two already are in the process of buying three more California dealerships, with deals set to close by the end of October.

Nouri said he and Shaver are looking to buy more dealerships, mostly in California, but they also are looking in southern Florida and Nevada. Those are areas that are "more favorable tax-wise than the state of California," Shaver said.

Shaver said he and Nouri also are considering establishing their own branded used-vehicle dealership chain.

Potamkin ranks No. 38 on Automotive News' list of the top 150 dealership groups based in the U.S., retailing 22,795 new vehicles in 2021.

Windward Auto adds Hyundai store in Hawaii

Hawaii auto retailer Windward Auto Group expanded in June, buying the former JN Hyundai Honolulu dealership from dealer Brad Nicolai of JN Automotive Group.

The deal closed June 30, and the store was renamed Jerry V's Honolulu Hyundai, said Brady Schmidt, controlling shareholder of Windward Auto Group and dealer principal of the store. Jerry Romano is part owner and operating partner who will run the store day to day, Schmidt said. Besides Schmidt and Romano, the other investors in the acquisition are Wayne Davis, CFO of Windward Auto, and Gary Mull, co-CEO of buy-sell firm National Business Brokers, Schmidt said.

Schmidt also is co-CEO of National Business Brokers in Irvine, Calif. The brokerage firm listed two other Hawaii dealerships for sale, and Schmidt, Romano and the other two investors ultimately formed Windward Auto last year to aid Romano in buying those two dealerships: Windward Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram and Windward Hyundai, both in Kaneohe. Romano today is dealer principal of the Stellantis store.

Before Windward Auto formed, Romano was a veteran general manager for the late owner of the two dealerships, Louis VeDova.

The recent Hyundai store purchase followed a similar sequence, Schmidt said. Schmidt said he told Nicolai, the selling dealer, "I'll list it, but I may end up being the buyer." And that's ultimately what happened.

Schmidt said the latest acquisition was attractive in part because Windward Auto already owned another Hyundai store and liked it, and in part because Romano, a proven performer, would operate it.

"One of the primary reasons is that Hyundai is one of the best manufacturers now. They have a great management team, excellent product, a good plan," he said. "The Hyundai brand is hitting on all cylinders."

The transaction marked the second acquisition and third franchised store for Windward.

Nicolai still owns other dealerships, including Porsche Hawaii and JN Chevrolet, both in Honolulu, and Velocity Honolulu, a high-end dealership with 11 luxury brands, Schmidt said.

Velocity Honolulu is part of a mixed-use complex Nicolai and his company developed. Besides the dealership, which offers Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bentley, Ferrari, Genesis, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Lincoln, Lotus and Maserati vehicles, the site features upscale retail businesses and a luxury residential tower.

Oakes Auto buys Ford store

Oakes Auto Group on May 13 purchased Ford dealership Cox Motor Co. in Pleasanton, Kan., from Jesse Secrest, according to dealership broker Paul Kechnie, partner at Performance Brokerage Services, an Irvine, Calif., firm, which handled the transaction.

The deal brings Oakes Auto up to three dealerships. Cox Motor Co. was renamed Oakes Ford and joins the group's other stores, Oakes Mitsubishi and Oakes Kia, in the greater Kansas City area. Pleasanton is south of Kansas City.

Dan Oakes, president of Oakes Auto, told Automotive News that Cox Motor Co.'s nearness to Kansas City was a motivator for the acquisition. He said the deal also brings Oakes Auto its first Ford dealership.

"Basically, our auto group was able to pick up Ford," Oakes said. "It's in proximity to Kansas City, which is where the population and the rest of our operations are."

As for changes, Oakes said the group will invest in fixed operations, specifically more lifts and service capacity.

Cox Motor Co. was Secrest's only dealership, Oakes said, adding he was looking to retire.

Tony Crowdis buys hometown dealership from Winegardner Auto Group

Tony Crowdis on June 29 purchased Winegardner Buick-GMC of Brandywine in Maryland from Winegardner Auto Group, according to Jeff Rochwarger, senior vice president of National Business Brokers. Rochwarger advised the seller in the sale.

Winegardner Auto sellers were Chuck and Tom Winegardner, Rochwarger said. The group now has two General Motors dealerships in Maryland, according to its website.

Crowdis also now owns two dealerships. He renamed his acquisition Buick-GMC of Brandywine.

It joins Nissan of Lexington Park in California, Md., in his portfolio. Crowdis said he was a partner in that dealership and in June last year bought out Phil Morelli's interest in the store.

Crowdis told Automotive News that he grew up in Brandywine and wanted to have a dealership in his hometown.

"I was born and raised in this area," Crowdis said. "I just thought it was a good acquisition to put more roots into where I grew up."

Crowdis is interested in moving the store to a new location in Brandywine where he could combine the currently separate service and sales buildings under one roof.

A relocation also would allow him to add new amenities such as a possible car wash and upgraded service facility.

"That's a big thing I'm working on now," Crowdis said. "I think that drives your business, by having everybody in the same building."

Looking toward the future, Crowdis said he hopes to continue buying dealerships in the Brandywine area.