Ohio Auto Dealerships Sold
Major U.S. group sells three stores to refocus on other markets as acquiring family makes its first major expansion.
The Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store sits next-door to the Chevrolet GMC dealership and across the street from a Ford store.
Germain Automotive Group
An Ohio auto retail family has acquired three dealerships north of Dayton in the western part of the state.
Chesrown Automotive, operated by father and sons Jim, Ryan and Joseph Gill, picked up Germain Chevrolet-GMC, Germain Ford and Germain Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, all on Michigan Street in the Shelby County seat of Sidney, from Germain Motor Co.
It’s Chesrown’s first major expansion under the Gills, which also operate the Chesrown Chevrolet GMC dealership in the central Ohio city of Delaware.
The transaction, brokered by the Tim Lamb Group, was followed by the rebranding of all three stores to the Chesrown name.
Germain Motor sold the stores in order to focus on expansion in other markets. It still operates about 20 other dealerships in Ohio, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Montana and Pennsylvania.
The group bought the Chevrolet and Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram stores in 2021 from Dan Hemm, who’d operated them since 1984. It acquired the Ford store in 2023 from Buckeye Auto Group, which bought it in 2007.
Combined, the three stores cover almost 20 acres and have more than 50 service bays. Ryan and Joseph Gill will oversee them.
More Industry
Toyota Financial Services Adds to HQ
The subsidiary says the new Texas facility is designed to foster collaboration and innovation with the aim of future growth.
Read More →
Four-Figure Loan Payments on the Rise
A LendingTree analysis found that location, age and credit score play a role in the rising amount of auto loan borrowers who make monthly payments of $1,000 or more.
Read More →
Dealer Debrief: New-Vehicle Sales Update
In this week's debrief, host Lauren Lawrence discusses the state of new-vehicle sales.
Read More →
Color Your Ride
The first vehicles by startup automaker Slate will come with the option of a medley of wraps in five colors familiar from your childhood.
Read More →
China Leads Global EV Sales
Globally, electric-vehicle sales are continuing their upward trajectory, buoyed by Chinese exports, as the North American region continues to lag behind.
Read More →
How Defection Data is Bridging the Dealership Conversion Gap
Lead volume is flat, cross-shopping is up and brand loyalty is in retreat. As confident sales teams keep losing buyers they thought they had, daily industry sales data is showing dealers exactly where their funnel is breaking and how to fix it without buying a single new lead.
Read More →
Optimized Charging Could Reduce Costs
According to an Alliance for Automotive Innovation analysis, optimized EV charging could cut costs for drivers and improve grid infrastructure - potential adoption incentives.
Read More →
June Automotive Boon?
A forecast for this month’s new-vehicle sales tells a familiar 2026 story: Year-over-year comparisons must be made in light of last year’s aberrations.
Read More →
Safety Improvements Save Lives
Over the past 30 years, automakers have made many safety tweaks to their vehicles. An insurance industry testing group says that's largely thanks to its crash-worthiness program and that prevented fatalities are the clear result.
Read More →
Indiana Dealership Changes Hands
The Chicago-area CDJR store has been in business for nearly 70 years and is now part of a fast-growing automotive group spread across six states.
Read More →