Kerrigan Advisors, the leading sell-side advisory firm to auto dealers in the US, represented and advised the Ron Tonkin Dealerships, Portland's largest auto dealership group, in its sale to Gee Automotive Companies. This transaction will create one of the nation's top 50 dealership groups1. The Ron Tonkin Dealership Group, founded by Ron Tonkin in 1960, is ranked #93 on Automotive News' Top 150 Dealership Group list and is currently led by Ed and Brad Tonkin, co-presidents of the group and sons of Ron Tonkin.
"Kerrigan Advisors was instrumental to the sale process," said Brad Tonkin, who will remain with the company and serve as Platform President for Gee Automotive Companies. "The Kerrigan team identified the right buyer for our family's business. Kerrigan Advisors' responsiveness, client service and deep expertise was a key component to the success of this transition," said Ed Tonkin.
Kerrigan Advisors, headed by Erin and Ryan Kerrigan, has now represented three of the top 100 dealership groups in the last 12 months, and is currently engaged to sell two additional top 100 groups. Upon completion of this sale, Kerrigan Advisors will have advised on the sale of 42 dealership transactions since July 2015, representing over $800 million in client proceeds. "Our job is not simply to enable the best possible financial transactions for our clients, but to identify a buyer who will carry on the legacy of our clients' dealership business. This transaction is a perfect example of the fulfillment of those core goals," said Erin Kerrigan, Founder and Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. "We know that Gee Automotive's commitment to the Tonkin brand and high levels of service, as well as to Tonkin employees, ensures that the Ron Tonkin Dealerships will continue to be a successful and respected part of the Portland business community - as well of the automotive community at large. We are proud to have been part of this significant transaction," said Ryan Kerrigan, Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors.
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 275 dealerships representing $9 billion in client proceeds, including the third largest transaction in auto retail history – the sale of Jim Koons Automotive Companies to Asbury Automotive Group. 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 does not take listings, rather they develop a customized sales approach for each client to achieve their personal and financial goals. In addition to the firm’s sell-side advisory services, Kerrigan Advisors also provides a suite of consulting and investor services including growth strategy, market valuation assessments, capital allocation, transactional due diligence, open point proposals, operational improvement and real estate due diligence.
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 access The Kerrigan Index™, click here. To read the 2023 Kerrigan Dealer Survey, click here. To read the 2024 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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