Three dealerships change hands in single-store deals

Two dealership groups expanded their portfolios with acquisitions in the third quarter, while one transaction included first-time dealers.

Here's a look at three transactions involving domestic- and import-brand stores. One deal involved an Automotive News top 150 dealership group.

Ken Garff Automotive Group has entered a new state and added a new brand to its portfolio with its latest dealership acquisition.

Ken Garff bought Earnhardt Kia in Phoenix on Aug. 9 from Earnhardt Auto Centers. The dealership has been renamed Ken Garff Kia.

"We have been interested for some time in expanding our dealership footprint into the Arizona market and are thrilled to now be present through this acquisition," John Garff, CEO of parent company Ken Garff Enterprises Inc., said in a release.

Ken Garff now has 52 dealerships across Arizona, California, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, Texas and Utah.

"The Kia brand is consistently recognized for its outstanding value, and we are proud to add this dealership into our Ken Garff family so we can continue to provide the highest quality of service to customers throughout the greater Phoenix area," said Brett Hopkins, CEO of Ken Garff Automotive Group, in a statement.

The Kia acquisition is the group's first purchase since it bought Lexus of Oxnard from Lithia Motors Inc. in November 2020.

Ken Garff Automotive Group ranks No. 9 on Automotive News' list of the top 150 dealership groups based in the U.S., retailing 53,687 new vehicles in 2020.

Chicago-area dealer John Crane bought Bredemann Chevrolet in Park Ridge, Ill., on July 6 from the Bredemann Family of Dealerships.

The dealership's real estate was not part of the deal. Crane said Bredemann had a Toyota store next door and needed the Chevrolet dealership's space to expand its footprint.

Crane moved the Chevrolet franchise, which was renamed Golf Mill Chevrolet, a little more than a mile north to Niles, Ill.

Golf Mill Chevrolet is located in a former Best Buy store. Construction should be wrapped up by the end of October, Crane noted, but the dealership is operational.

"Things just kind of lined up where Bredemann was ready to sell and we had found a location that we could move to," Crane told Automotive News. "We're in transition right now, but it's just a tight real estate market and we have to sort of make do. There's just no empty acreage available."

Crane also owns Golf Mill Ford, which is about a block and a half away from the Chevrolet dealership. Niles is northwest of Chicago.

In addition to the two Niles dealerships, Crane, a past chairman of the Ford National Dealer Council, also owns Hawk Auto Group, which has eight rooftops throughout the Chicago suburbs, as well as Glenview Luxury Imports, a dealership that sells Aston Martin, Lotus, Maserati and Alfa Romeo vehicles. Additionally, Crane owns Hawk Volkswagen of Monroeville, in Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh.

"Now that we have all these pieces in place, we expect to do over $800 million in sales per year," Crane said.

John and Bridget Carlson acquired their first dealership on July 27, buying Baker Chevrolet in Red Springs, N.C., near the South Carolina border.

The Carlsons bought the store from dealer Fred Baker, who is retiring. Baker had owned the dealership since 1987. The dealership has been renamed Carlson Chevrolet. Performance Brokerage Services brokered the transaction.