Each of these sectors is being fueled by specific trends driving steady growth with strong margins, making these dealerships attractive acquisition targets for larger public and private dealership groups. Consolidation in the broader automotive industry is expected to continue and in order to maintain strong growth, larger groups are looking outside traditional automotive dealerships and in to adjacent sectors.
“Now is the opportune time for DCG to capitalize on our leading market position in the automotive dealership industry by furthering our services to other sectors and territories,” said Dave Cantin, Executive Chairman and CEO of DCG. “We believe our expanded services will help us better serve our top clients as they look to achieve growth through acquisitions of dealerships in sectors adjacent to their core automotive business.”
DCG has been active across the dealership landscape with notable transactions that include the sale of Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Harley-Davidson to Ed Morse Automotive Group; the sale of the Murray’s Freightliner Western Star to Berman Truck Group; and the sale of Longhorn RV to Fun Town RV Tyler.
DCG New Hire and Promotions
To support the company’s evolution into automotive-adjacent sectors, DCG also announced today the hiring of its first Chief Marketing Officer and promotion of two executives to co-Executive Vice President of North American Sales for DCG.
Brian Gordon joins the Dave Cantin Group as Chief Marketing Officer. He will be responsible for leading the company’s marketing and communications with a focus on developing strategies to fuel core business growth and penetrate the new sectors. Gordon has more than 25 years of experience across branding, media, advertising, digital, PR and experiential marketing.
Prior to joining DCG, Gordon held various executive-level roles including CMO of a multi-billion-dollar wholesale distributor, and CEO of two leading marketing agencies where he worked with global brands including American Express, Anheuser-Busch, Delta Airlines, Diageo, ESPN, General Motors, Hilton, Mercedes-Benz, Microsoft, Motorola, and Sony.
Brian Traugott promoted to Executive Vice President. He previously served as Vice President of Operations for DCG and prior to joining the company, Traugott led the marketing and buy/sell processes for General Motors Northeast Region.
Tony Karabon promoted to Executive Vice President. He previously served as a Managing Director for DCG and prior to joining the company, was general counsel for multiple auto groups including RFJ Auto Partners (a top 25 dealer group), and The Boucher Group (a top 100 dealer group). Before entering the automotive industry, Karabon practiced corporate, real estate, and transactional law.
Together, Traugott and Karabon will lead DCG’s expanded North American sales operations.
“Promoting two executives from our current team is an important part of our growth strategy,” said DCG President and COO Brian Brown. “Their industry expertise, company knowledge, and proven track record make them the perfect candidates to lead our expanded sales operations as we move into this next chapter of our business.”