Deacon Jones Purchases First Luxury Import Brand
Deacon Jones Automotive recently acquired Sale Auto Mall Stores, located in Kinston, NC.
This move marks a significant expansion for Deacon Jones Automotive, based in Smithfield, NC, to solidify its position in eastern North Carolina as a premier destination for automotive sales and service in the region, according to company officials. The Safe Auto Mall is made up BMW, Chevrolet, GMC and Ford dealerships.
Ken Jones, President & CEO of Deacon Jones Automotive, noted the deal includes the group’s first luxury import brand with BMW.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sale Auto Mall stores into the Deacon Jones family,” said Jones in a statement. “This expansion allows us to better serve our customers in Kinston and surrounding areas, offering them a diverse range of quality vehicles and exceptional service.”
Holman Purchases Leith Automotive Group In North Carolina
Holman has completed its acquisition of the North Carolina-based Leith Automotive Group, nearly doubling its automotive retail business and the largest retail acquisition in Holman’s 100-year history.
This deal includes 13 new franchises and Holman’s its first auction center. All Leith facilities are located in the greater Raleigh area and Aberdeen, N.C. Holman now features 58 dealerships, 34 brands, and nearly 4,500 retail automotive employees in nine states;
“In our centennial year, we’re excited about the opportunities to strengthen and grow our automotive retail footprint that began in 1924 with a single dealership,” said Holman CEO Chris Conroy in a statement with the deal closing. “This acquisition represents the culmination of extensive strategy, hard work and vision to put our employee partners and our business in a position to win for the next 100 years.”
The deal preserves the Leith brand and team.
“Like Holman, Leith has placed the highest priority on delivering excellent customer service by building a strong network of employee partners,” said Holman President of Automotive Retail Gene Welsh. “We are thrilled to welcome Leith’s 1,900 employees to the Holman family.”
Holman ranks as one of America’s largest privately-owned dealership networks. Additionally, the certified, women-owned broader Holman business delivers a unique range of automotive-centric services to commercial and consumer customers around the globe.
Toyota of North Charlotte Purchased by Hudson Automotive Group
Hudson Automotive Group has acquired Toyota of North Charlotte, the sixth dealership to join Hudson within the last three months.
Located in Huntersville, Toyota of North Charlotte has an inventory of over 350 new Toyota and pre-owned vehicles, alongside its state-of-the-art service center infrastructure equipped with 29 service bays and four high-speed oil change pits, plus an auto parts center and body shop.
Hudson Automotive Group officials stressed they are committed to preserving and elevating the legacy of exceptional customer service and community engagement that already defines Toyota of North Charlotte.
“We are thrilled to expand the Hudson brand…and look forward to collaborating with the talented staff at Toyota of North Charlotte as they become integral members of the Hudson Automotive team,” said David Hudson, CEO of Hudson Automotive Group.
Ed Morse Expands in Illinois
The Ed Morse Automotive Group recently acquired JC Carey Motors in Savanna, IL. The dealership located at 800 Viaduct Road in Savanna was renamed Ed Morse Chevrolet.
Morse now has seventh dealership in Illinois, joining locations in Red Bud, New Athens, Geneseo, and Kewanee. With this acquisition, the Ed Morse Automotive Group, headquartered in Delray Beach, FL, will grow 49 dealership locations, 80 automotive franchises, 19 motorcycle franchises, two recreational vehicle franchises, and 31 different brands in Florida, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Colorado and Oklahoma.
Teddy Morse, Chairman and CEO of Ed Morse Automotive Group, said the company was “thrilled” to continue its expansion in Illinois.
“This dealership fit perfectly into our family-owned model with a proven employee base that are dedicated to excellence in customer service,” said Morse in a press statement. “Savanna is a beautiful city with wonderful people, and we strongly believe in this dealership’s growth-ready infrastructure.”
The transaction was brokered by Paul Kechnie and Emily Bourne with Performance Brokerage Services.