INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – Kerrigan Advisors, a sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide, represented Shreveport, Louisiana-based Holmes Auto Family in the sale of Holmes Honda Shreveport and Holmes Honda Bossier City, among the highest volume dealerships in Louisiana, to Houston, Texas-based Community Auto Group, and Mercedes-Benz and Sprinter of Shreveport, Jaguar Land Rover Shreveport and Holmes Volvo Cars of Shreveport to Group 1 Automotive (NYSE: GPI). The sale of the Holmes group marks the 160th dealership sale led by the Kerrigan Advisors team since its founding in 2015. Kerrigan Advisors, which focuses exclusively on sell-side representation, is the most active sell-side advisor on the highest value transactions in the auto retail industry and has advised on the sale of 17 Honda dealerships and 29 multi-dealership transactions since 2015.
“Holmes Auto Family’s dealerships are among the highest performing dealerships in Louisiana, a success that was carefully built by the Holmes family over four generations,” said Erin Kerrigan, Founder and Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. Holmes Honda Shreveport has consistently been the highest volume dealership in Shreveport and one of the highest volume in the state of Louisiana, while Mercedes-Benz of Shreveport has been one of the top luxury dealerships in the market. “When the family decided that the time was right for a sale, we were honored to assist them in identifying the right buyers to continue their family’s generational legacy in the Shreveport market and appreciated the opportunity to work with Holmes’ exceptional team,” said Kerrigan. “We were pleased to facilitate a seamless transaction with Community Automotive Group and Group 1 Automotive, companies that share Holmes’ dedication to customer service and community outreach.”
Charlton Holmes, President of Holmes Auto Family, has served as the Chairman of the American Honda National Dealer Council and is the third generation of Holmes family members to lead the group, along with his daughter Paige Holmes, Vice President of Holmes Auto Family. “My great-grandfather Claude Holmes opened his first Louisiana dealership in 1937, and every day since my family and I have worked hard to make it easy for our customers to buy a car or get one serviced,” said Charlton Holmes. “That starts with our superlative team and extends to our commitment to give back to local organizations and non-profit groups. After 85 years of Holmes serving the Shreveport community, the time was right to transition our business to new owners, and Kerrigan Advisors proved the ideal advisor to help secure the best possible transaction for our group and family. We were especially impressed with Kerrigan’s deep market insights and expertise in every aspect of the buy/sell process and their team’s commitment to client service throughout the process.”
The transaction occurred in a time of high activity in the buy/sell space, especially regarding import franchises, according to Ryan Kerrigan, Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors.
“Import franchises have increased their buy/sell market share to 64% in 2021, a trend that’s particularly pronounced in high demand markets in the Southern US, like the Ark-La-Tex region. These areas are generally more business-friendly and economically robust, resulting in a growing pool of buyers seeking to acquire dealerships in these markets, particularly top import franchises like Honda and Mercedes,” said Ryan Kerrigan. “Holmes Auto Family represented a very strong brand in Louisiana. That made these five dealerships especially attractive. We are proud to have been able to use our extensive market intelligence and analytics to assist the Holmes Auto Family in this transaction and to match them with two buyers who will continue the Holmes track record of success.”
