LaFontaine Automotive Group announced Tuesday its second acquisition of the year, a Chevrolet dealership in Plymouth, the latest instance of consolidation among Michigan auto sellers.
The purchase of Lou LaRiche Chevrolet in Plymouth brings the largest family-owned dealer group in Michigan, LaFontaine Automotive Group, to 34 retail locations.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Matthew Bailey, the general sales manager of LaFontaine Cadillac Buick GMC of Highland, will transition to general sales manager at the Plymouth Chevrolet dealership.
Following the closing, the dealership will be renamed LaFontaine Chevrolet Plymouth and Kelley LaFontaine will be the dealer operator.
“There is a rich sense of community in and around the Plymouth area and we will quickly align ourselves with the organizations and initiatives making a positive impact on fellow residents and business alike,” Kelley LaFontaine, vice president of the automotive group, said in a release Tuesday.
Keith Davey will oversee the new Plymouth location as general manager and was the previous general manager of LaFontaine’s Buick GMC and Ford locations in Lansing.
“I’m so excited to be back in Plymouth and have the opportunity to take this store to new heights and deliver a best-in-class guest experience,” Davey said in the release.
In January, LaFontaine acquired Pfeiffer Lincoln in Grand Rapids, which exemplifies its efforts to get ahead of a changing automotive industry.
“We are a family-focused business with an emphasis on our guests, family and the communities we serve. My family has had the opportunity to know the LaRiche family for many years and when this opportunity presented itself, we knew it was a perfect match,” Ryan LaFontaine, the CEO of LaFontaine, said in the release. “With a key location in Metro Detroit, we are very optimistic for the future growth of this dealership and see it quickly rising through the ranks to be one of General Motors’ top Chevrolet retail locations in the United States.”
The automotive group calls its recent business activity an “aggressive acquisition path” since it has added 17 retail locations in the last five years in the Great Lakes State.
Other Michigan dealerships have been active as buyers or sellers, including Lithia, which bought the Suburban Collection dealerships two years ago, connecting its 56 franchises to one of the largest auto retail networks in the country, and Matick Automotive Group, which acquired Art Moran Buick-GMC in Southfield earlier this year.