One of the country’s largest privately owned auto retailers sold a store, two groups added dealerships to their portfolios and a minority dealer development program candidate bought his own store in deals from the second and third quarters of 2022 and first quarter of 2023.

Here’s a look at the deals involving domestic, luxury and import dealerships and stores in Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Texas.

One transaction involved a dealership ranked on Automotive News‘ top 150 dealership groups list.

Napleton Automotive sells Infiniti store in Georgia

The former CEO of AutoGravity has purchased an Infiniti dealership in Georgia.
Alex Mallmann of AJM FL Corp on Oct. 3 purchased Napleton Infiniti of Macon from Napleton Automotive Group, according to Dave Cantin, CEO of the Dave Cantin Group whose buy-sell firm brokered the deal.

The store was renamed Infiniti of Macon.

Mallman told Automotive News that he has more than one dealership under his AJM Automotive Group, though he didn’t provide specifics.

Financial technology company AutoGravity announced Mallmann’s appointment as CEO in July 2018. He previously was CEO of Mercedes-Benz Auto Finance China.

Napleton Automotive, of Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., has dealerships in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Minnesota, Florida and Pennsylvania. In January 2022, Napleton Automotive sold another Infiniti store, in Augusta, Ga., to Jim Hudson Auto Group.

Napleton Automotive ranks No. 13 on Automotive News’ most recent list of the top 150 dealership groups based in the U.S., retailing 38,848 new vehicles in 2021.

Robert Turbyfill and Mike Lacey, managing directors of DCG Acquisitions, a Dave Cantin Group company, were brokers for the transaction.

Brickl Cos. enters Pennsylvania

Brickl Cos.’ LeadCar dealership group of Prairie du Sac, Wis., expanded into Pennsylvania with its Jan. 9 purchase of Independence Toyota from Robert Weiss and Brian Musgrave of Independence Auto Inc., CEO Jason Brickl said.

Renamed Toyota of Hazleton, it’s the company’s fourth store selling the import brand and sits in a newly upgraded facility about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

“We are pleased to build upon our successful 15-year partnership with Toyota while broadening LeadCar’s presence in the Northeast,” Brickl said in a statement. The Brickl Cos. founder also was a 2012 Automotive News 40-under-40 honoree and former CEO of the Ballweg Family of Dealerships.

Chris Cass was named the dealership’s president and managing partner, and he has an undisclosed ownership stake in the store, Brickl told Automotive News in an email.

Brickl Cos. sold an Audi dealership in Missouri to Semersky Enterprises Inc. in August 2022.

The year before, Brickl Cos. purchased three New York dealerships from Lithia Motors Inc., including Carbone Chevrolet in Yorkville and Carbone Buick-GMC of Utica in October 2021 and Carbone Honda Yorkville in November 2021.

Brickl said the company expects to make more acquisition announcements in the Northeast this year.
Brickl Cos. said it now owns seven dealerships selling Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet and Buick-GMC brands in New York, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Drew Picon, managing director of DCG Acquisitions, represented both parties in the transaction.

Randy Marion buys new North Carolina store

Randy Marion Automotive Group on Sept. 22 purchased the former Ashe County Ford in West Jefferson, N.C., from Jeff and Amy Dollar, the auto retailer’s COO DJ Heller said.

The Mooresville, N.C., group renamed the store Randy Marion Ford of West Jefferson.

“We’re pleased with the way it’s going,” Heller told Automotive News. “The town’s been great to react and welcome us and we’re excited for more growth in that area.”

The store is located in West Jefferson, N.C., near the Tennessee and Virginia borders.

Amy and Jeff Dollar in 2007 bought into the store with family and purchased the store outright in 2010, according to Jeff Dollar’s LinkedIn page.

Heller said Randy Marion Automotive expects a busy first quarter with the hopes of multiple acquisitions in the Southeast closing.

GM minority dealer development program candidate buys Texas store

Eduardo Solana on July 14 purchased Lubke’s GM Cars and Trucks, a Chevrolet-Buick-GMC dealership in Brady, Texas, according to buy-sell firm Tim Lamb Group of Columbus, Ohio.

The dealership was renamed Solana Motors. Brady is in the central part of the state.

Dick Pryor, director of the Texas & South Central region for Tim Lamb Group, who represented the seller in the transaction, said Solana was a General Motors minority dealer development program candidate. Pryor told Automotive News that Solana’s father has a Chevrolet dealership in Mexico and that Solana sought to own his own store and “wanted to come to the States.”

Sue Lubke’s late husband, Ray Lubke, bought the GM dealership in Brady, Texas, in 1990, according to his obituary. He died in November 2018 and Sue Lubke took over the store, Pryor said. The family also operated a Chevrolet dealership in Eden, Texas, which closed. Eden, Texas, is west of Brady, Texas.