If there’s one thing Lithia & Driveway is not doing, it’s standing still.

The industry’s most active dealership group in the buy-sell market continued its aggressive approach this week with the acquisition of two Mercedes-Benz dealerships in the South.

The purchase of Mercedes-Benz of Jackson in Jackson, Miss., and Mercedes-Benz of Collierville in suburban Memphis from Trudy Higginbotham Moody and Wallis Higginbotham, announced by Lithia and sell-side advisor The Presidio Group, marked LAD’s first Mercedes stores in the Southeast.

In a news release, Lithia said the “strategic move” was made to increase store density and luxury mix in the region — not to mention the estimated $220 million in annualized revenue it will add to the company.

“This purchase allows us to expand our presence in Mississippi and Tennessee, two strategic markets for our company,” Lithia president and CEO Bryan DeBoer said. “These acquisitions align with our strategic focus on growing in high-performing regions and strengthen our luxury brand portfolio.

“We look forward to building on the strong foundations these teams have established and accelerating the stores’ growth and potential as part of our omnichannel ecosystem.”

Lithia previously acquired dealerships in California and Virginia this year, as well as selling three stores in West Virginia. The company said the year-to-date expected annualized revenue of its 2025 acquisitions totals $400 million, and noted its latest additions were financed using existing on-balance sheet capacity.

In all, LAD operates some 450 locations in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

The Higginbotham family has been in the auto retail business since Dennis Higginbotham founded his first dealership in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., in 1976. The Presidio Group said in a news release. After selling the dealership group to Sonic Automotive in 1998, the Higginbotham family acquired the two Mercedes stores.

Dennis Higginbotham died last October at age 83. His daughter, Trudy Moody, the dealer principal of Mercedes-Benz of Jackson and past chairman of the Mississippi Automobile Dealers Association, is the state’s nominee for the 2025 TIME Dealer of the Year award.

“After careful consideration, our family made the difficult decision to sell these stores,” said Moody, who added her thanks to Presidio for helping “ensure a seamless transaction that honors our family’s automotive heritage and our father’s legacy. I am deeply grateful to our dedicated team members and loyal customers for their longtime support that made our business so successful.”

DCG’s Werley honored as emerging leader

Dave Cantin Group managing director Brandon Werley has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Emerging Leaders Award from M&A Advisor magazine.

The 16th Annual Emerging Leaders Awards celebrate the accomplishments of M&A, finance and turnaround professionals whose level of success before the age of 40 establishes them as the industry’s emerging leaders.

Brandon Werley

Werley is the second DCG staff member to earn the award, joining chief of staff Brian Traugott, a 2023 honoree.

CEO Dave Cantin called the recognition “a proud moment for all of us at DCG.”

“His rapid rise and the trust he’s earned from major clients reflect not only his deep industry knowledge, but also his relentless work ethic and integrity,” Cantin said. “Brandon embodies the next generation of leadership in automotive M&A, and we’re honored to have him helping shape the future of our company and our industry.”

Since beginning his professional career in 2018, Werley worked for Big Four accounting firm KPMG, Haig Partners and Withum before joining DCG, where he’s responsible for helping companies strategically grow through acquisitions and optimize their portfolios through divestitures.

In a news release, the company said Werley has advised on more than 70 completed transactions ranging from valuations and financial due diligence to negotiations and closings. They include deals involving with major dealership groups Lithia & Driveway, Asbury Automotive Group, Atlantic Coast Automotive and Open Road Capital.

He has also played “pivotal roles” in Apollo Global Management’s $585 million acquisition of 34 dealership properties from Capital Automotive Real Estate Services in 2019, and the sale of 17 Prime Automotive Group stores in six states in 2020 and ’21.

This year, Werley was the lead advisor for Lithia’s sale of three dealerships in West Virginia dealerships to Atlantic Coast Automotive, which DCG said was a “mid-eight-figure” transaction.

Performance Brokerage Services expands Southeast office

Performance Brokerage Services is expanding its Southeast office with the addition of industry veterans Jimmy Robinson, Weldon Mann and Geno Walsh as partners.

Robinson’s career includes more than 25 years of experience in automotive retail, specializing in financial reporting, accounting and mergers and acquisitions.

He most recently served as chief financial officer of Pohanka Automotive Group, overseeing financial operations and strategic planning for a 21-store dealership group. PBS said he’s the first CFO to serve as national chairman of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Dealership Conference.

Mann’s 20-plus years in the industry includes his role as vice president and chief operating officer of Donald Automotive Group, leading operational improvements and strategic initiatives.

Walsh is another 20-year veteran, with expertise in digital retailing and operations, most recently as executive manager of operations for Qvale Auto Group in West Palm Beach, Fla., overseeing dealership operations across the U.S. Walsh has been a speaker at industry events, including the NADA Show, the Automotive Analytics and Attribution Summit, and the Digital Dealer Conference.

His expertise in digital sales and service modernization will support the Southeast region in meeting the evolving needs of today’s buyers and sellers.

George Chaconas, senior partner for the Southeast office, said, “Each highly skilled professional brings a unique set of qualities and expertise that will help us better serve our clients in the growing Southeast market and enhance the value we provide to dealers in the region.”

Performance Brokerage Services said it has advised on the sale of nearly 400 dealerships in the past five years.