Fields Auto Group acquires coveted luxury dealerships; sale marks the 161st—and 162nd—Kerrigan-led dealership sale since 2015, and fifth multi-dealership transaction in 2022
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kerrigan Advisors, the premier sell-side advisory firm to auto dealers in the US, represented and advised Sun Motor Cars of Chicago, owned by Daniel Sunderland and David Nocera on the sale of Mercedes-Benz & Sprinter of Orland Park and the scheduled sale of Mercedes-Benz of Bourbonnais to Illinois and Florida-based Fields Auto Group, one of the largest private dealership groups in the nation. This transaction marks Kerrigan Advisors' 161st and 162nd dealership sale since its founding in 2015 and the firm's fifth multi-dealership transaction in 2022. With this sale, Kerrigan Advisors remains the most active sell-side advisor to the highest-value transactions in auto retail.
"We were honored to represent these two highly valuable Mercedes dealerships in the Chicagoland market on behalf of the Sunderland and Nocera families. This transaction is an excellent example of the continued strength of the buy/sell market, particularly for top luxury franchises like Mercedes. Many growing groups are seeking to add high volume Mercedes dealerships in major US metros" said Erin Kerrigan, Founder and Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. Kerrigan noted that luxury sales are on the rise, outperforming the overall auto retail market (luxury sales increased 24% in 2021, while the overall auto retail market rose only 3.3% despite inventory challenges).As part of this transaction, Fields is scheduled to acquire and relocate Mercedes-Benz of Bourbonnais to a newly built dealership in Romeoville. With this move, the Orland Park and Romeoville Mercedes-Benz and Sprinter franchises will be the exclusive dealers for Mercedes in the growing southwestern region of Chicago, serving a population of over 650,000.
"When we decided it was the right time to sell, we knew Kerrigan Advisors had the most experience with higher value dealerships. They've sold more luxury franchises in the Midwest, particularly Chicago, than any firm in the industry" said Dan Sunderland, co-owner of Sun Motor Cars of Chicago. "The expertise of the Kerrigan Advisors' team, particularly Marie Brashears, proved invaluable throughout the sale process and ensured as smooth a closing as possible. We are very grateful they were our advisors and by our side throughout this transaction."Opened almost 30 years ago, Mercedes-Benz & Sprinter of Orland Park became one of the highest volume luxury dealerships in Orland Park, the fifth largest luxury market in the Chicago MSA. Under the leadership of David Nocera, a longtime member of Mercedes-Benz Dealer Council, Mercedes-Benz of Orland Park built a reputation for outstanding customer and employee service, receiving numerous awards, including Mercedes' 'Best of the Best' six times and the 'Employee Choice Best Place to Work Award' two years in a row.
"Mercedes-Benz & Sprinter of Orland Park are pillars in the south Chicago auto market. The success of these dealerships is built upon the stellar work of our committed, longtime employees and a heartfelt commitment to top customer service" said David Nocera, co-owner of Mercedes-Benz & Sprinter of Orland Park and Mercedes-Benz of Bourbonnais. "We are grateful to Kerrigan Advisors for identifying the Fields organization as the right buyer to continue our commitment to our customers, employees and community, particularly with the expansion into the Romeoville market. We are excited to see Fields capitalize on their strong brand and enter the south Chicago car market with our stores."
Kerrigan Advisors is the most active sell-side advisor on larger transactions in the auto retail industry, achieving the highest sale price per client of any firm over the last six years. The firm attributes its success to its team's laser-focus on fulfilling each client's personal and professional goals. In addition to its sell-side advisory work, the firm offers strategic consulting services to dealers and their families, including growth planning, capital raising and valuation analysis, creating value at every stage of the auto retail lifecycle.
Mark Lyman of Lyman Law Firm provided legal counsel to the seller. Stephen Dietrich and Henry Lowe of Holland & Knight provided legal counsel to the buyer.
Kerrigan Advisors is the leading sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide. Since its founding in 2014, the firm has led the industry with the sale of over 280 dealerships representing $9 billion in client proceeds, including the third largest transaction in auto retail history – the sale of Jim Koons Automotive Companies to Asbury Automotive Group. The firm advises the industry’s leading dealership groups, enhancing value through the lifecycle of growing, operating and, when the time is right, selling their businesses. Led by a team of veteran industry experts with backgrounds in investment banking, private equity, accounting, finance and real estate, Kerrigan Advisors does not take listings, rather they develop a customized sales approach for each client to achieve their personal and financial goals. In addition to the firm’s sell-side advisory services, Kerrigan Advisors also provides a suite of consulting and investor services including growth strategy, market valuation assessments, capital allocation, transactional due diligence, open point proposals, operational improvement and real estate due diligence.
Kerrigan Advisors monitors conditions in the buy/sell market and publishes an in-depth analysis each quarter in The Blue Sky Report®, which includes Kerrigan Advisors’ signature blue sky charts, multiples, and analysis for each franchise in the luxury and non-luxury segments. To download a preview of the report, click here. The firm also releases monthly The Kerrigan Index™ composed of the seven publicly traded auto retail companies with operations focused on the US market. The Kerrigan Auto Retail Index is designed to track dealership valuation trends, while also providing key insights into factors influencing auto retail. To access The Kerrigan Index™, click here. To read the 2023 Kerrigan Dealer Survey, click here. To read the 2024 Kerrigan OEM Survey, click here. Kerrigan Advisors also is the co-author of NADA’s Guide to Buying and Selling a Dealership.
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