Zeigler Automotive to buy 3 luxury dealerships near Chicago

Zeigler Automotive Group, a large privately owned dealership group, said Monday it's buying three luxury dealerships in suburban Chicago from the Motor Werks Auto Group in its largest acquisition to date.

The deal, expected to close on Jan. 20, includes Mercedes-Benz and Sprinter of Hoffman Estates, Jaguar-Land Rover Schaumburg and Infiniti of Hoffman Estates, all in Illinois. The acquisition adds Mercedes-Benz, Sprinter, Jaguar and Land Rover to Zeigler's portfolio, its second Infiniti store and grows its presence of stores outside of Chicago.

The new stores are expected to add 5,000 unit sales a year and $350 million in annual sales. Including the three stores, Zeigler is expected to sell more than 40,000 new and used vehicles on sales of $1.7 billion a year.

"We are excited to be adding these new dealers to our lineup," Aaron Zeigler, president and owner of Zeigler Automotive, said in a statement. "These are high-performing stores that will undoubtedly expand our luxury reach in the market and give our customers more options with the same exceptional service they've come to expect from Zeigler."

Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. Zeigler will retain the store names.

Zeigler named Bill O'Hara vice president of Zeigler Automotive, and he will oversee the new dealerships in the area. It also chose Mike Connolly of Zeigler Nissan Orland Park as general manager of Mercedes-Benz and Sprinter of Hoffman Estates.

Zeigler of Kalamazoo, Mich., has 75 franchises and 30 dealerships in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

Zeigler ranks No. 58 on Automotive News' list of the top 150 dealership groups based in the U.S., retailing 16,851 new vehicles in 2018.