BALTIMORE -

Sonic Automotive has expanded its EchoPark standalone used-car store network, and once again done it through acquisition.

The retailer announced the purchase of the Carbiz dealership group on Tuesday, bringing EchoPark into the Baltimore-Washington market.

The two-store Carbiz group has a Baltimore location and a Laurel, Md., store, which have been renamed EchoPark Baltimore and EchoPark Laurel, respectively.

With the addition of these stores, EchoPark now has 21 locations. That sum includes retail hubs and delivery/buy centers.

“We are excited to add Carbiz to the EchoPark family, expanding EchoPark’s footprint into the Baltimore-Washington area and offering new guests in this market the inventory selection, exceptional pricing and extraordinary guest experience that has become synonymous with the EchoPark brand,” Sonic and EchoPark president Jeff Dyke said in a news release.

“This latest addition, coupled with the recent acquisition of Used Car King, marks EchoPark’s entry into the mid-Atlantic and northeast markets as we continue the expansion of our nationwide distribution network,” Dyke said.

Sonic has retained the 65 associates of Carbiz as EchoPark employees. The retailer is looking to fill 30 EchoPark positions immediately and aims to have 150 within the first year.

Carbiz was a family-owned business started in Baltimore in 2003.

In a news release, Carbiz chief executive officer Evan Burney said: “We are thrilled to have Carbiz join EchoPark Automotive. For years, we have been expanding our online footprint. At the same time, we believe customers should have the ability to shop how they want to shop, including completing transactions online or coming into the dealership.

“With its progressive model and similar company culture, EchoPark was a clear match for us and I’m excited for my team and I to join an accelerating industry disruptor. I want to thank all of our customers for their patronage over the years and look forward to continuing to serve them as part of the EchoPark family,” he said.

Last month, Sonic announced it had opened an EchoPark location in the Phoenix suburbs.

A few days earlier, the retailer said it brought two Used Car King locations in New York State into the Echo Park fold. That move expanded the EchoPark program into the Northeast for the first time.

Sonic opened four EchoPark locations in the fourth quarter.