Sale of Mazda and CDJR dealerships in Asheville, located in one of the fastest-growing metros in the country, marks Kerrigan Advisors’ 455th franchise sold since the firm’s founding and its 149th franchise sold in the South.
ASHEVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kerrigan Advisors was pleased to represent Fields Auto Group, one of the largest privately-held dealership groups in the US, in the sale of Fields Mazda and Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Asheville, North Carolina. The sale represents Kerrigan Advisors’ 455th franchise sold since the firm’s founding in 2014 and its 149th franchise sold in the South, as well as the firm’s second announced transaction in the Carolinas market this year.
Family-owned and operated, Fields Auto Group began as a single Cadillac dealership in Evanston, Ill., in 1971 and is now one of the country’s leading luxury retailers, with 31 of its 34 dealerships representing luxury franchises across Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, Washington and North Carolina. Since its founding, the company has made philanthropy a central part of its mission, supporting organizations including The Earl and Betty Fields Foundation, the March of Dimes and Make-A-Wish.
The buyer, Dobbs Family Automotive, is a third-generation, family-owned dealership group based in Memphis that traces its roots in auto retail to 1921, when James K. Dobbs opened his first Ford dealership. With this acquisition, the group now owns 14 dealerships across Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. The acquisition marks the group’s entry into the Asheville, North Carolina market.
“It was an honor to once again work with the Fields family, this time on the sale of two of its Asheville dealerships,” said Erin Kerrigan, Founder and Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. “As the top private luxury dealership group in the US, Fields has acquired and sold numerous dealerships over the years, including the sale of four Florida dealerships we were proud to represent: Volvo and Volkswagen in Daytona, and Land Rover and CDJR in Orlando. Kerrigan Advisors has a strong track record advising family-owned dealership groups on the sale of non-core stores as they refocus their portfolios. Dobbs Family Automotive is gaining two well-positioned dealerships in a growing market, and we wish them continued success.”
Fields Mazda of Asheville is one of the more protected import points in the Southeast, with the nearest competing Mazda dealership more than 60 miles away. Fields CDJR of Asheville has been the top-selling CDJR dealership in the market over the past five years and is the only CDJR dealership within Asheville proper, where the majority of the metro’s population resides. Together, the dealerships operate from newly built and newly renovated image-compliant facilities totaling more than 64,000 square feet on over 11 acres, with 32 combined service bays.
“Kerrigan Advisors has been our trusted partner on all things buy/sell for years, and every experience with their team has been exceptional,” said John Fields, owner of Fields Auto Group. “Their professionalism, market knowledge and disciplined sell-side process are why we continue to turn to them, and this transaction was no different. We’re grateful to the Kerrigan team for their guidance throughout and for identifying the ideal buyer for our Asheville non-luxury franchises. We know these stores are in great hands with the Dobbs family, another family-run dealership group that is committed to growing in the Southeast. This sale also lets us sharpen our focus on our luxury dealerships in the Asheville market, namely BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover.”
“We are excited to expand the Dobbs Family Automotive platform into Asheville and Western North Carolina,” said John Dobbs Jr., President of Dobbs Family Automotive. “We believe in the growth of the Mazda and CDJR brands and their product lineups, and in the future of the Asheville market. Our family has been part of auto retail for more than 100 years, and we look forward to bringing that legacy to Asheville. Thank you to Kerrigan’s team for shepherding a successful transaction from start to finish.”
North Carolina was named the #1 Best State for Business by CNBC in 2025 and has one of the lowest corporate tax rates and strong franchise laws in the country. One of the fastest growing areas in the state and the US is Asheville, driven by the area’s high quality of life. Asheville’s population surpassed 422,000 in 2024 after growing 38% faster than the national average since 2020, and its move-in-to-move-out ratio of 1.89 ranks seventh highest in the US. The metro’s $31 billion economy has grown 43% over the same period, supported by billions of dollars in infrastructure investment, including a new terminal at Asheville Regional Airport and the $2 billion-plus I-26 Connector project.
“The Southeast continues to command a record share of the national buy/sell market, with buyers drawn to high-growth states like North Carolina and their favorable business and regulatory climates,” said Chris Gempton, Senior Vice President, Sell Side Advisory of Kerrigan Advisors. “As our latest Blue Sky Report shows, geography is one of the most impactful drivers of franchise value, and North Carolina is one of those states where we see premium prices as a result of its business-friendly environment and outsized population growth. Asheville is a prime example, with a rapidly growing population and a franchise landscape that buyers are eager to enter.”
“This transaction builds on our leading presence in the Southeast buy/sell market and our dominant position in the Carolinas, where we have sold over 50 franchises since 2023 alone,” added Erin Kerrigan. “In the Carolinas, our recent transactions include the sale of Paramount Automotive’s Foreign Cars Italia dealerships in Charlotte earlier this year, as well as MCE Automotive Group’s dealerships in Greenville in 2023 and Raleigh-based Leith Automotive to Holman in 2024. Buyers and sellers alike turn to Kerrigan Advisors first when a Carolina dealership comes to market, and we are proud to continue advancing that record for our clients in these states.”
Shermin Pelinski of Fields Auto Group and Stephen Dietrich and Kyle Gaughan of Holland & Knight LLP served as legal counsel to Fields. Brian Nolen of Anderson Nolen, PLLC served as legal counsel to Dobbs.
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 over 450 franchises generating more than $11 billion in client proceeds, including three of the largest transactions in auto retail history – the sale of Jim Koons Automotive Companies to Asbury Automotive Group, Leith Automotive to Holman, and Hennessy Automotive Companies to Group 1 Automotive (planned and expected to close in Q4 2026). 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 with 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®, which 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 monthly The Kerrigan Index™ composed 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 read the 2025 Kerrigan Dealer Survey, click here. To read the 2026 Kerrigan OEM Survey, click here. Kerrigan Advisors is also the co-author of NADA’s Guide to Buying and Selling a Dealership. Additionally, Kerrigan Advisors publishes a podcast, Beyond Blue Sky – A Kerrigan Conversation, where Kerrigan Advisors’ clients and industry leaders share the mindset, strategy and personal stories behind a once-in-a-generation transaction.
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