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USA, New England ■Carlsons Motor Sales is now part of DCD Automotive Holdings Nucar■ March 1, 2024, ARI_sk, Source: Concord Moitor ■Nucar is a part of DCD Automotive Holdings, founded in 2014 by Dan Dagesse, who started Berlin City Auto Group in Berlin, N.H. which was founded in 2014 by Dan Dagesse and his son, Christopher, who bought auto dealerships in Massachusetts even before the COVID shortages and price spikes threw the industry into turmoil. They prodded many independent dealers to sell out. Corporate Office is located in Norwood, MA, and dealerships are located in Delaware, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire; Now, they have 25 operations throughout New England plus one in Delaware, most under the Nucar name. That includes the former AutoServ group of dealerships in Tilton, which they bought in 2020.  Many of the Nucar operations are part of a branded franchise, but Concord’s will be a used-car “superstore,” Hanlon said. Nucar has long wanted to be in the Capital City. Carlson’s Motors, a family firm that in 1937 became one of the first car dealerships in Concord, has been bought by Nucar, a regional company with deep roots in New Hampshire, as part of a continuing trend of consolidation in the industry of auto sales and service. “Our role is to take the exceptional job the Carlsons did with their service business – they focused hard on mechanical service – and bring our sales footprint into it. They weren’t focused heavily on sales,” said Shawn Hanlon, president of the New Hampshire and Vermont operations for Nucar. “One of the biggest attractions was their loyal customer base. They have a very robust parts and service business, and people have been doing business there for a long time.” Source: Concord Moitor #automotive #retail #dealership

Highlights from our year-end 2023 Franchise Activity Report (FAR) are LIVE on our Insight Lab! Check out the industry's most reliable source of dealership statistics to learn about what happened across the U.S. automotive retail network last year. #automotive #automotivenews #automotivedata #study #dealerships #dealernetwork

NEW: Our 2024 midyear Franchise Activity Report (FAR) is here! Click below for a midyear status report on the U.S. automotive retail network during the first half of the year, including dealership and franchise counts, a dealership throughput update and more.  #AutomotiveNetwork #Dealerships #AutomotiveData #NetworkPlanning 

Thank you, Cox Automotive Inc., for including data from the Q4 2023 Haig Report®, highlighting the blue sky multiples for the Toyota North America and Lexus brands. "The extent to which these two brands drive profit is staggering. According to Cox Automotive Inc.'s analysis, Toyota and Lexus dealers captured 29% of the industry’s total new car gross margin in February, despite their combined dealer network representing only 9% of the nation’s dealerships. This math helps explain why the average Lexus dealer blue sky valuation from Haig Partners is 8-10x earnings, and Toyota is 7-8x earnings, both best in class for luxury and non-luxury franchises." https://lnkd.in/e6Priy5F #dealershipbluesky #bluesky #HaigReport #Toyota #Lexus #dealershipbuysell

MotorPeople&more! ■ Michael Lucki, General Manager and Operating Partner of Riverhead Mazda! Mike Lucki has carved an impressive path in the automotive industry over his 27-year career. By Jaelyn Campbell CBT News ■ In November 2023, Lucki took on the challenge of transforming Riverhead Mazda from the ground up. “We purchased the franchise, parts, and new vehicles—but no building, staff, or used inventory,” he explained. Starting with a double-wide trailer and no heating, Lucki has led a remarkable year of growth. Under his leadership, the dealership has achieved a 400% increase in sales compared to the previous ownership, consistently delivering exceptional customer experiences. ■ Despite a rich family history in the automotive business, Lucki cites the past year at Riverhead Mazda as the highlight of his career. “This is the first time it’s truly been my operation to build,” he shared. The dealership has top Net Promoter Scores among Mazda service departments nationwide and receives glowing five-star customer reviews. ■ Looking ahead, Lucki envisions a bright future for Riverhead Mazda, with the construction of a state-of-the-art facility set to begin shortly. Over the next five years, he aims to further cement the dealership’s reputation for excellence while continuing to tackle challenges one step at a time. ■ Mike Lucki, General Manager and Operating Partner at Riverhead Mazda, has carved an impressive path in the automotive industry over his 27-year career. Starting as employee number one at the dealership, Lucki built his team from the ground up, achieving an extraordinary 350% year-over-year growth in new vehicle unit sales. His focus on creating “raving fans” has yielded over a 95% net promoter score and a perfect 5.0-star rating across sales, service, and parts on Google.  Lucki’s journey in automotive retail began early; he sold his first car at just 12 years old. Coming from a long line of dealers, he grew up working at his family’s dealerships, handling tasks from cleaning cars to dealer swaps. After earning a degree in Accounting and working as a CPA, he returned to automotive retail full-time in 2011. His deep industry roots and diversified experience across dealership roles have equipped him with the insight and resilience needed to lead a thriving business. One of Lucki’s proudest moments was the grand opening of Riverhead Mazda, where he brought together colleagues, former students, and community members, bridging the past and future of his dealership network. As he looks ahead, Mike plans to consolidate and expand his family’s four dealership franchises, emphasizing a people-centric culture that embodies core values. His time teaching at the NADA Academy, where he trained over 6,000 automotive leaders, underscores his commitment to industry excellence—a quality that continues to shape his vision for future growth. #Mazda #Automotive #Dealership https://lnkd.in/eqbr3vPE

Toyota Motor Corporation and Lexus dealers captured 29% of the industry’s total new car gross margin in February, despite their combined dealer network representing only 9% of the nation’s dealerships. This math helps explain why the average Lexus dealer blue sky valuation from Haig Partners is 8-10x earnings, and Toyota’s is 7-8x earnings, both best in class for luxury and non-luxury franchises. https://lnkd.in/eaE2G8Vi

SCOOP: With its fiscal year sunsetting next week, Nissan Motor Corporation is paying its customers — its franchised car dealers — cash to buy vehicles from a backlog of unsold factory inventory. Last week, Nissan retailers began receiving emails and calls from factory reps offering $500 to $2,000 per vehicle they accept. But, Nissan reportedly finds few takers as dealers struggle with triple-digit day supply. Alan Haig, president of the buy-sell firm Haig Partners, said offering some dealers a deal on cars and not others could violate franchise laws in many states. The laws level the playing field and ensure larger dealers don’t get better deals than smaller ones. One retailer who was aware of the effort but had not received an offer said Nissan could be engaging in “two-tier pricing” by not more broadly offering the program. “The cash payment allows a dealer to effectively purchase the same product at a lower cost than another,” the source said. But Nissan isn’t having much luck getting its overstocked dealers to bite on its eleventh-hour sales drive because it doesn’t solve Nissan’s fundamental retail problem — a lull in consumer interest. The brand’s days’ supply hovered above 100 days at the end of February — the highest of any full-line automaker. “It only moves the asset from Nissan’s balance sheet to the dealer’s balance sheet and makes the dealers pay more in flooring costs,” a dealer said. Automotive News Cox Automotive Inc.

Franchised auto dealers polled by Cox Automotive Inc. in the first quarter perceived no improvement in their markets — but no worsening conditions, either. However, those polled continued to show the sourest sentiment since the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., as growing inventory shrank profits and interest rates and other economic factors weighed on customers. "Dealers are making less money, and that really weighs on a lot of the outlook," Cox Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke said Tuesday while discussing the combined franchised and independent dealership survey results. He called reduced profitability "really a franchise story. Because independents have been feeling that for several years." He said franchised #cardealers also are now reporting "the same things on costs and pricing pressure" that had previously been felt more by the independent sector. Franchisees also again reported reduced traffic compared with the previous quarter. #carsales Find out more on Automotive News: https://lnkd.in/gUJCv25g

Have you ever wondered what your dealership(s) might be worth in today’s market? Here's a story that might inspire you to take the next step. Shawn and David Ball, owners of Advantage Toyota and Ball Toyota, built their dealerships into two of the highest-performing Toyota stores in West Virginia. Their hard work and vision paid off when they recently sold to Victory Automotive Group, one of the nation’s top dealership groups. This deal was more than just a transaction—it was the culmination of years of dedication and a testament to the American Dream in auto retail. When Shawn and David decided to sell, they trusted Haig Partners to maximize the value of their dealerships. Our expertise in the Toyota dealer community ensured their legacy would continue with the right buyer. Here’s why this matters to you: ->Toyota dealerships remain one of the most sought-after brands in the country. -> Blue sky values for Toyota stores are holding strong, with buyers eager to acquire these high-performing franchises. -> We’ve advised on the sale of 39 Toyota dealerships nationwide—helping dealers achieve exceptional outcomes. Whether you’re thinking about your next chapter, exploring growth opportunities, or just curious about the current market, let's have a conversation. Interested in learning more about this landmark sale or discussing your dealership’s value? Let’s talk. 📞 Contact Alan Haig at [email protected] or (954) 646-8921 for a confidential conversation.📞 Because your life’s work deserves nothing less than exceptional. Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/3CWJHjN #ToyotaDealerships #AutoDealers #HaigPartners #DealershipSuccess #AutoRetail #BuySellAdvisor

Rivian CEO Challenges Dealer Franchise Laws Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has called out state-level dealer franchise laws, claiming they hinder direct-to-consumer sales and limit consumer choice. During a recent roundtable, Scaringe explained how these regulations, originally designed to protect dealerships, now act as barriers for EV makers like Rivian and Tesla, forcing them to navigate alternative sales and service models. Learn more about the challenges facing direct-to-consumer EV sales and Rivian’s strategies to address them. #EVSales #Rivian #DirectToConsumer #ElectricVehicles #RJScaringe #AutoIndustry #FranchiseLaws #SustainableTransport #EVChallenges #Tesla