Editor's note: Buy/sell firm Pinnacle Mergers & Acquisitions was hired to sell Carthage Ford and Carthage Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram. An earlier version of this story misstated which buy/sell firm was retained for that transaction.
Dealers Ed Bozarth and Bob Beine sold dealerships in multiple December transactions in Kansas, Nevada and Missouri.
Here's a look at the deals involving domestic brand dealerships.
Bozarth sells three dealerships
Cable Dahmer Automotive Group, of Kansas City, Mo., on Dec. 13 expanded into the Topeka, Kan., market with the purchase of two General Motors dealerships.
Cable Dahmer bought Ed Bozarth Chevrolet #1 Buick-GMC-Cadillac from father and son Ed Bozarth and Kent Bozarth, and Chris Spargo. Spargo stayed on as president of the Chevrolet-Cadillac and Buick-GMC dealerships, which now operate as Cable Dahmer of Topeka.
Cable Dahmer has six dealerships in the Kansas City metro area. Topeka is about an hour's drive west of Kansas City.
Elizabeth Ouellette, executive assistant to Cable Dahmer CEO Carlos Ledezma, said he and Ed Bozarth have known each other for a while and were in the same 20 Group together. A 20 Group typically comprises dealers and dealership executives of like brands who share best practices.
"He was honored that Ed asked him if he'd be interested in purchasing" the stores, Ouellette said.
Ouellette said the group is hiring for the dealerships and expects to grow their service business.
"We see a lot of potential," she said.
On Dec. 21, Bozarth sold Ed Bozarth Nevada #1 Chevrolet in Las Vegas to Steve Olliges. The store is now called Team Chevrolet Las Vegas.
Olliges has owned Team Ford-Lincoln since 2000 and is a partner in Friendly Ford. Both of those dealerships also are in Las Vegas.
Olliges said Bozarth "just called me and asked me if I was interested. All our dealerships are right next door to each other, and so it makes sense."
He said he is hoping to grow sales at the Chevy store, which has about 100 employees.
"Our plan is to keep everybody," Olliges said, adding that a new Lincoln store and showroom are set to open late this year across the street from the Team Ford store.
Bozarth has three Colorado dealerships remaining — Ed Bozarth Chevrolet in Aurora, Bozarth Chevrolet in Lone Tree and Ed Bozarth Chevrolet-Buick in Grand Junction, according to Ed Bozarth's dealerships website.