Lithia is tackling Dallas expansion with the help of a former New York Giants linebacker. 

In an update Tuesday, Lithia & Driveway said it added two open points in Texas, including one in which it teamed with former NFL star Jesse Armstead.

For its new Grapevine Honda store in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, Lithia partnered with Armstead, a DFW-native and longtime all-pro linebacker who played for the Giants and what’s now known as the Washington Football Team (ironically, two of the biggest rivals to the hometown Dallas Cowboys).

In the release, Lithia also said it bought Kia of Frisco, a newly opened store.

“Our track record of high performance underpins our relationships with our manufacturer partners, and we appreciate their continued trust in our ability to meet customer needs and grow market share,” Lithia & Driveway president and chief executive officer Bryan DeBoer said in a news release.

Beyond its Texas growth, Lithia also shared some recent statistics around its Driveway e-commerce program.

Last month, there were 800 Driveway transactions, up from 550 in June. Lithia says it is on track to reach nearly 10,000 Driveway transactions for 2021.  The eventual target rate is 15,000 annually.

“Our omni-channel approach is proving to be a welcome solution providing consumers choices of when, where and how they transact,” DeBoer said in the release.

“With Driveway, we gain an incremental channel to reach consumers seeking a more convenient, shop, sell and service online and in-home experience,” he said. “Driveway leverages our existing strengths of the network, inventory and personnel to a whole new level, translating into more sales and robust customer loyalty through our first national brand.”