A trio of domestic franchised dealerships changed hands, with the Tim Lamb Group facilitating the transaction involving Germain Motor Co., and Chesrown Automotive.

The sale involved Germain Chevrolet-GMC, Germain Ford, and Germain Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Sidney, Ohio going to Jim Gill, Ryan Gill, and Joseph Gill of Chesrown Automotive.

According to a news release, the transaction, which closed on June 3, includes the rebranding of the dealerships to Chesrown Chevrolet GMC of Sidney, Chesrown Ford of Sidney, and Chesrown Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Sidney.

The Chevrolet-GMC and Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram stores sit side by side in 16,000 square-foot buildings on an 8.8-acre lot. Directly across the street, the Ford dealership spans 27,000 square feet on 11 acres.

Combined, the three dealerships occupy nearly 20 acres and feature over 50 service bays, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, vehicle lifts, and advanced diagnostic tools, delivering robust service capabilities for the surrounding communities.

The Germain Motor Company made the strategic decision to divest these three locations to focus on expansion opportunities in other markets. Germain Motor Company will continue to operate dealerships throughout Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, and Montana.

This acquisition marks the first major expansion for Chesrown Automotive under Jim Gill. His sons Ryan and Joseph will jointly oversee daily operations across all three Sidney locations.

Chesrown Automotive, which has been in business for over 50 years, also operates the Chesrown Chevrolet GMC dealership in Delaware, Ohio, serving customers throughout Columbus, Dublin, and Mario.

“We are excited for the opportunity to own seven domestic brands in one market and we look forward to serving the Sidney community as well as Dayton’s northern communities,” Gill said. He continued with, “Special thanks to the Germain family, Chris Infantino, and Tim Lamb for helping make this transaction process smooth and efficient.”

Germain Motor Co., acquired the Chevrolet-GMC and CDJR stores from Dan Hemm in April 2021. Hemm had operated the stores since 1984.

The Ford dealership was purchased in May 2023 from James and Jason Hunt of Buckeye Auto Group, which had owned it since 2007.

CDK finalizes partnership with WE Auto Group

CDK continues to cultivate its dealer client portfolio; this time by adding a group with stores in Michigan and Tennessee.

On Monday, CDK announced a multi-year partnership with WE Auto Group, which will implement the CDK Dealership Xperience platform across all four of its dealerships, incorporating the Fixed Operations Suite and Intelligence Suite at certain locations.

Since the successful launch of the Dealership Xperience in fall 2023, more than 3,000 dealer sites have adopted the new category of software.

“After using other software solutions in our dealerships, we realized that the CDK Dealership Xperience platform delivers precisely what we were searching for — a powerful unified workflow platform, comprehensive service and parts solutions, and advanced artificial intelligence capabilities for real-time data insights,” WE Auto dealer principal Michael Speigl said in a news release from CDK.

“These tools are exactly what we need to elevate our sales and service operations to the next level,” continued Speigl, who offers new and pre-owned vehicles from Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Jeep, Ram, Subaru and Toyota in Gallatin, Tenn., and Ann Arbor, Mich.

The development with WE Auto comes after CDK announced its latest renewal, with Jim Ellis Automotive Group extending its multi-year partnership with the dealership software provider.

And in April, the dealership retail software provider announced a multi-year renewal of its agreement with Great Lakes Auto Group, a minority-owned dealership group that operates in Ohio and New York.

For more information on the Dealership Xperience and the Suite solutions, visit https://www.cdkglobal.com/dealership-xperience-platform.