Haig Partners Serves as the Exclusive Advisor on the Sale of Lexus of Westport, Toyota of Westport, and Audi Hawthorne to Keeler Motor Car Company and Open Road Capital – Located in One of the Best Luxury Markets in the U.S.

The team at Haig Partners has been involved in 34 transactions for 41 Toyota dealerships, more than any other buy-sell advisory firm. Haig Partners also has extensive experience in the purchase and sale of Lexus dealerships. With this closing, the team at Haig Partners has advised on the purchase or sale of over 100 dealerships in the Northeastern U.S., well in excess of any other buy-sell advisory firm.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Haig Partners LLC, a leading buy-sell advisory firm to auto retailers, served as the exclusive advisor to New Country Motor Car Group (“New Country”) on the sale of its Lexus of Westport, Toyota of Westport and Audi Hawthorne dealerships to Jesse Hord of Keeler Motor Car Company and his capital partner, Open Road Capital. The Lexus and Toyota dealerships are located on the “Gold Coast” in CT, and the Audi dealership is located in Westchester County, NY, both wealthy areas outside of New York City.

“We decided to reposition capital to another one of our core markets, the Washington, DC area,” said Jared Cantanucci, President of New Country. “We love these brands and continue to own and invest in them. In fact, we just acquired five luxury dealerships in DC that included Audi, BMW, Jaguar-Land Rover and Porsche dealerships. We remain highly interested in acquiring higher-volume luxury and import dealerships in our core markets.”

“We are grateful for the advice and services of Alan Haig, Derek Garber and Markus Haig from Haig Partners. This was not a simple transaction, but Haig Partners ran a disciplined, confidential process that brought forward a well-capitalized, high-quality buyer and helped us work through several challenging issues. Their experience and judgment were evident throughout, and we are very pleased with the outcome. We congratulate Jesse Hord and Open Road Capital and wish them well.” Founded in 1983, New Country owns 26 dealerships in CT, FL, MD, NY, PA and VA, representing Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar-Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Porsche and Toyota.

Alan Haig, President at Haig Partners, said, “New Country is one of the pre-eminent auto groups in our industry, and it was an honor to represent them on the sale of these dealerships. Most groups only think about divesting stores that are losing money, but New Country understands there are more ways to optimize their portfolio, and this is advice we provide to other large groups as well. We knew there would be strong demand for these dealerships. Lexus and Toyota remain two of the most desirable brands thanks to their strong profits per location and close partnerships with dealers. Audi is a bit slow at the moment due to tariffs, but with many new products coming, we expect it to regain its position in the market.

“Overall, the buy-sell market is very active as dealership profits remain strong and there are many groups looking to grow. Dealership valuations are near their all-time high, which is attracting sellers into the market. The combination of strong demand and high supply makes for highly favorable conditions.”

Jesse Hord added, “The transaction went smoothly, thanks in part to Haig Partners as well as the Cantanucci family.” Eric Chelline of Open Road Capital echoed Jesse’s remarks, “This was a very cooperative and cohesive transaction thanks to the professionalism and familiarity shared by all parties.”

About Haig Partners

Haig Partners is a leading buy-sell advisory firm that helps owners of higher-value dealerships maximize the value of their businesses when they are ready to sell. The team at Haig Partners has advised on the purchase or sale of 575+ dealerships and has represented 32 dealership groups that qualify for the Top 150 Dealership Groups list published by Automotive News, more than any other firm. Clients of Haig Partners benefit from the group's collective experience as previous executives with leading companies such as AutoNation, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, FORVIS, J.P. Morgan, Lexus, Porsche and Toyota Financial Services. Leveraging its unmatched expertise and extensive relationships, Haig Partners guides clients to successful outcomes through a confidential and customized sales process. The firm authors The Haig Report®, the leading industry quarterly report that tracks trends in auto retail and their impact on dealership values, and co-authors NADA’s Guide, “Buying and Selling a Dealership.” Haig Partners team members are frequent speakers at industry conferences and are regularly quoted in reputable media outlets, including Reuters, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNBC, BBC, Automotive News, Wards and CarDealershipGuy. Haig Partners also hosts Maximizing Value Conferences that provide dealers with proprietary research about the auto retail industry and insights into dealership buy-sell trends, as well as content about how auto dealers can improve their operational performance. For more information, https://www.haigpartners.com.