Alin Navidi Acquires Covina Volkswagen from SRO Group
Performance Brokerage Services announced the sale of Covina Volkswagen in California from SRO Group to Alin Navidi. Covina Volkswagen will be renamed Covina Valley Volkswagen.
Covina Volkswagen is an award-winning Volkswagen dealership in Los Angeles, established in 1911. Greg Bozzani, Partner and General Manager of Covina Volkswagen, represented the third generation in the auto business that began over 100 years ago.
Alin Navidi started his automotive career as a used-car dealer in Portland, Oregon. He then became a partner at Coachella Valley Volkswagen, a Palm Springs dealership. After selling the Coachella dealership, Navidi has been actively collaborating with Performance Brokerage Services’s Jason Stopnitzky to identify and secure the ideal dealership opportunity where he would have full ownership.
“I had been looking for the right dealership for my family for over a year, and I had entered into three different deals that unfortunately did not work out,” said Navidi. “However, thanks to Jason’s experience in bringing buyers and sellers together, I finally found the perfect match.”
Straub Automotive Buys Honda Bealership in West Virginia
West Virginia-based Straub Automotive recently acquired Urse Honda in Bridgeport and renamed the dealership Mountaineer Honda. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The new Mountaineer Honda will soon have the state’s largest selection of new Honda vehicles, and a range of pre-owned cars, trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles, according to Bryan Fato, executive manager of Straub Automotive. Mountaineer Honda will continue to be a full-service automotive facility that is staffed by factory-trained and certified technicians.
The Straub Automotive, a family of dealerships for over 75 years, owns and operates Straub Honda, Straub Hyundai, and Straub Nissan at the Highlands near Wheeling, as well as Straub Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Glen Dale, Elm Grove Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram in Wheeling, and Straub Ford in Moundsville.
Besides the sale to Straub, the Urse family recently sold its Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram dealership in White Hall to Harry Green, which has been in the automotive sales business almost 100 years.
Taylor Bentley Conner Named First Female Dealer Principal At Howard Bentley Buick GMC
Howard Bentley Buick GMC announced Taylor Bentley Conner as its first female dealer principal in the company’s history.
The Albertville, AL-based elevated Conner after serving as general manager since 2018 and recently pursuing application for Dealer Principal with General Motors, as her role at Howard Bentley Buick GMC evolved. As general manager, she has led the dealership to the number one General Motors dealership in sales across Alabama, and number three across the Southeast region.
Growing up in the family business and holding various roles at the dealership, Conner, pursued a marketing career in a big city, and brought that experience back to her small town to continue the legacy of her father and grandfather. Since then, she has devised and implemented productivity models that have expanded the dealership to customers across the nation.
“While female leadership in the automotive industry has not traditionally reflected today’s buying consumer, thanks to my father, mother, grandfather, and grandmother for opening doors, paired with hard work and determination, I am so grateful to be in this role today,” shares Taylor Bentley Conner.
Women represent just over 21% of car dealership employees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additionally, a new S&P Globalstudy shows women hold just 29% of management roles across all industries.
“In addition to leading an incredible team in continually growing Howard Bentley Buick GMC, I’m committed to furthering opportunities for women, including my own young daughter,” said Conner.
Conner has led the dealership to numerous recognitions including being named Dealer of the Year by General Motors since 2015.
HGreg Expands in Los Angeles
HGreg expanded its luxury, pre-owned car dealership brand, HGreg Lux, into the Los Angeles market. Located in Costa Mesa, this dealership is the second HGreg dealership in the L.A. market. Founded in 2019 with a first location in South Florida, HGreg Lux offers an exclusive range of pre-owned exotic luxury vehicles.
Sitting on a 20,473-square-foot lot, the HGreg Lux Costa Mesa dealership is in a central, easily accessible location and features a two-story office and boutique styled showroom.
Present in Los Angeles since 2020, Florida since 2009, and Quebec, Canada since 1993, the company operates more than 30 dealerships in North America.
