The California New Car Dealers Association has selected the Dave Cantin Group as the association’s exclusive licensed vendor in the mergers and acquisitions advisory category for 2025.

DCG president and CEO Dave Cantin called the timing of the partnership “significant,” noting the recent release of the 2025 Dave Cantin Group Market Outlook Report and CNCDA’s Year-End 2024 California Auto Outlook Report. The company said it will integrate its Market Outlook Report with CNCDA’s market intelligence communications, including the association’s educational content.

“Our newly announced collaboration with the California New Car Dealers Association underscores Dave Cantin Group’s commitment to advancing market insights and fostering shared learning initiatives within the California dealer community,” Cantin said. “We’re also excited to further engage with California dealers through CNCDA’s key events, such as its annual convention and Dealer Day, as well as welcoming CNCDA leadership to DCG’s events, including its exclusive, upscale party during NADA, where we bring together industry leaders for the most sought-after event of the week.”

DCG said its exclusive licensed vendor status represents a “significant opportunity” to advise California franchised dealers on the state of the industry, changing business drivers, the competitive landscape around them and the strategies that can help them achieve business success through mergers and acquisitions, using real-time data insights from its proprietary AI platform, Jump IQ.

CNCDA President Brian Maas said the new collaboration is the evolution of a longstanding relationship between the association and DCG.

“DCG has built a stellar reputation as a trusted advisor in dealership M&A nationwide,” Maas said, “with a deep understanding of the automotive retail regulatory and economic landscape. This partnership reinforces our commitment to delivering actionable market intelligence and educational resources to our members, ensuring that California’s new car dealers remain at the forefront of the industry.”

DCG will be part of the agenda lineup at the Auto Intel Summit, where for the first time, the event will have a panel that includes both automotive venture capital firms and auto retail buy-sell advisories.

The Automotive Investment & Buy-Sell Landscape panel will include representatives from DCG, Kerrigan Advisors, Haig Partners, The Presidio Group, Automotive Ventures and Autotech Ventures. They will discuss:

  • Buy-sell activity among dealers/dealer groups
  • Investment in automotive technology from both the VC/investment and dealer communities
  • M&A activity across the entire automotive ecosystem

Learn more here: Home | AIS & NRC 2025.

Pittsburgh-area Toyota store changes hands

Jim Shorkey Auto Group has acquired Toyota of Greensburg in the Pittsburgh suburb of Greensburg, Pa., from Ascent Automotive Group, according to Kerrigan Advisors, which represented the seller in the transaction.

Pittsburgh-based Jim Shorkey Auto Group, founded in 1974, is a family-owned dealership group with 17 stores in the Northeast. Ascent Automotive, which operates five dealerships in Ohio and Nevada, is part of The Friedkin Group, a privately held company that includes brands and investments in the luxury, hospitality, entertainment and automotive industries, including Gulf States Toyota.

Toyota of Greensburg, Greensburg’s highest-volume dealership, won six consecutive Toyota President’s Awards from 2018-2023.

Kerrigan Advisors said Toyota is the top volume import franchise in the Pittsburgh market, leading the industry with 15% sales growth in 2024, and has led all brands in sales per franchise for the past 15 years.

“Not surprisingly, Toyota franchises are among the most sought after in the industry,” Kerrigan Advisors founder & managing director Erin Kerrigan said.