Sale of premier Baton Rouge, Louisiana dealerships represents the 2nd largest completed transaction in 2025; marks 80th franchise sold since 2024 in the South by Kerrigan Advisors pushing client proceeds past $10 billion since 2014.
BATON ROUGE, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kerrigan Advisors, the leading exclusive sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide, represented Louisiana-based All Star Automotive Group in the sale of its 15 franchises to the Hudson Automotive Group. The sale of the highly desirable Baton Rouge dealerships represents the second largest transaction completed in 2025 to date based on number of franchises sold, is one of the highest value transactions in Louisiana history, and marks Kerrigan Advisors’ 80th franchise sold in the Southern region since 2024.
With this transaction, Kerrigan Advisors’ total client proceeds generated since 2014 now exceed $10 billion, establishing a new milestone that reinforces the firm’s position as the industry’s leading sell-side advisor.
We engaged Kerrigan Advisors because of their outstanding track record handling some of the industry’s largest transactions, their deep expertise in the South, and their one-on-one dedication to service.
— Matt McKay, Founder of All Star Automotive Group
Founded in 1987 by Matt McKay, All Star Automotive Group grew from a single store in Baton Rouge to the area’s leading dealership group representing some of the strongest brands in the industry – Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan, Chevrolet, Ford, Kia, CDJR, Genesis, Volvo and Lincoln. Together, these stores are within a 10 mile radius and command 17% of new vehicle sales in the market.
“Matt McKay built an incredibly valuable business in Louisiana that reflects decades of operational excellence and community leadership,” said Gabe Robleto, Senior Vice President of Sell-Side Advisory at Kerrigan Advisors. “It was an honor to work with the McKay family and we sincerely appreciate them entrusting us with the sale of their company and shepherding their family’s legacy.”
McKay has also been a respected philanthropic leader in Baton Rouge, championing education and workforce development. In 2017, he partnered with the Baton Rouge Community College to open the McKay Automotive Technology Center, a $51 million public-private workforce training facility that expands career opportunities for students across the region.
“This was an important and emotional transaction for our family,” said Matt McKay, Founder of All Star Automotive Group. “We engaged Kerrigan Advisors because of their outstanding track record handling some of the industry’s largest transactions, their deep expertise in the South, and their one-on-one dedication to service. Their team guided us through every step of the process with care and professionalism and, importantly, identified the right out-of-market buyer to carry our legacy forward.”
Headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, the buyer, Hudson Automotive, is the 12th largest dealership group in the US, with $5.1 billion in revenue and 51 dealerships1. The acquisition establishes Hudson as one of Louisiana’s leading dealership groups.
“Hudson Automotive is a well-established, highly respected organization, and we have no doubt that our employees, customers and community will benefit from their commitment to excellence,” McKay continued. “We are profoundly grateful to the Baton Rouge community and to our incredible team members who built All Star into what it is today. Baton Rouge has provided so much to our family over the last four decades, that giving back to this community – from supporting local nonprofits to investing in workforce training through the McKay Automotive Technology Center – has been one of the most meaningful parts of our journey. We are pleased to have found a buyer like Hudson who shares that core value of community involvement and enrichment.”
“To be able to enter a high growth Southeast market like Baton Rouge with turn-key dealerships representing some of the industry’s strongest brands and a legacy like All Star is rare. We appreciate Kerrigan Advisors bringing us this opportunity and are deeply grateful to the McKay family for entrusting us with the stewardship of their remarkable organization,” said David Hudson, CEO of Hudson Automotive Group. “We are thrilled to welcome 700 new employees and an exceptional customer base into the Hudson Automotive family. We look forward to honoring All Star’s legacy, serving the Baton Rouge community, and continuing the tradition of excellence that has defined these dealerships for decades.”
All Star Automotive Group is well positioned in Baton Rouge, which was ranked the 8th fastest growing metro in the US by employment in recent years. Home to Louisiana’s state capitol, the area boasts a low cost of doing business, strong consumer spending and a resilient labor base that underpin its thriving economy. Major employers include Ochsner Medical, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Turner Industries, ExxonMobil, as well as Hyundai, whose new steel plant is expected to create more than 5,000 jobs.
“Baton Rouge’s exemplary market dynamics, combined with All Star’s scale, premium franchises and image compliant facilities, resulted in a tremendous outcome for our client,” said Erin Kerrigan, Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. “These advantages – including highly sought-after brands such as Toyota, Kia, Hyundai, Chevrolet and Ford – as well as the market insights gained from our recent work in Louisiana with Moffitt Automotive, Bohn Brothers Automotive Group and Holmes Auto Group were key to the success of this transaction. It was Kerrigan Advisors’ privilege to represent the McKay family in this momentous sale. Congratulations to Matt McKay and Hudson Automotive Group!”
The dealerships included in the sale were All Star Toyota Baton Rouge, All Star Kia of Baton Rouge, All Star Kia East, All Star Nissan Denham Springs, All Star Hyundai Baton Rouge, All Star Genesis of Baton Rouge, All Star CDJR Denham Springs, All Star Ford Denham Springs, All Star Ford Lincoln Prairieville, All Star Volvo Cars of Baton Rouge, All Star Isuzu and All Star Pre-Owned Super Center.
Kerrigan Advisors is the leading sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide. Since its founding in 2014, the firm has led the industry with the sale of more than 300 dealerships generating more than $9.5 billion in client proceeds, including two of the largest transactions in auto retail history – the sale of Jim Koons Automotive Companies to Asbury Automotive Group and Leith Automotive to Holman. The firm advises the industry’s leading dealership groups, enhancing value through the lifecycle of growing, operating and, when the time is right, selling their businesses. Led by a team of veteran industry experts with backgrounds in investment banking, private equity, accounting, finance and real estate, Kerrigan Advisors is the only firm in auto retail exclusively dedicated to sell-side advisory, providing its clients the assurance of a conflict-free approach.
Kerrigan Advisors monitors conditions in the buy/sell market and publishes an in-depth analysis each quarter in The Blue Sky Report®, the industry authority on dealership buy/sell market trends and valuations and includes Kerrigan Advisors’ signature blue sky charts, multiples and analysis for each franchise in the luxury and non-luxury segments. To download a preview of the report, click here. The firm also releases The Kerrigan Index™ comprised of the seven publicly traded auto retail companies with operations focused on the US market. The Kerrigan Auto Retail Index is designed to track dealership valuation trends, while also providing key insights into factors influencing auto retail. To access The Kerrigan Index™, click here. To read the 2024 Kerrigan Dealer Survey, click here. To read the 2025 Kerrigan OEM Survey, click here. Kerrigan Advisors also is the co-author of NADA’s Guide to Buying and Selling a Dealership.
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