DCG Facilitates Succession-Driven Dealership Transition in Scranton Market
Dave Cantin Group advised on the acquisition of Sylvester Chevrolet in Peckville, Pennsylvania by Matthews Auto Group. Talon Fee advised on this transaction, contributing to the ongoing growth in the greater Scranton, Pennsylvania area. The dealership has been rebranded Matthews Chevrolet of Peckville and will remain in its current location. All employees, including members of the Sylvester family, are expected to remain with the business, ensuring continuity for customers and the surrounding community.
The transaction reflects a succession-driven transition, with a strong emphasis on preserving the dealership’s people, culture, and local presence. Derek Sylvester and family members will continue working within the business under Matthews Auto Group.
The acquisition highlights two accelerating trends in automotive retail: succession planning among family-owned dealerships, and the continued rise of regional consolidators acquiring strong local operators. Matthews Auto Group, which operates in New York and Pennsylvania, continues to expand its regional footprint through disciplined growth and strategic acquisitions. Large regional operators are increasingly able to invest in leadership, technology, and infrastructure in ways that are more difficult for smaller, single-point or two-store dealerships.
“We’re seeing more family-owned dealers think carefully about succession, and more regional groups step in to carry those businesses forward. This transaction protects a legacy while positioning the store for long-term growth,” remarked Brian Gordon, President of Dave Cantin Group.
“This is a clear example of where the industry is headed. Regional, privately held groups are growing with intention, investing in their operations and building platforms that can compete long term. At the same time, family-owned dealers are thinking more strategically about succession,”
said Talon Fee, Managing Director of Dave Cantin Group.
The buyer was identified through DCG’s network and long-standing industry relationships. The transaction was marked by strong alignment between buyer and seller on culture, employees, and long-term vision.
The decision to sell Sylvester Chevrolet was not an easy one, but because of my long-term and trusted relationship with Talon Fee, I knew he was the perfect fit to advise me through the process. During our conversations, I made it clear to Talon that the impact to my employees, including many Sylvester family members was my highest priority.
After many productive conversations, Talon found the perfect buyer for my family business in Rob Matthews and his Automotive Group. So much so that all our employees and many of our family members will continue to serve our Chevrolet community under the banner of Matthews Auto Group.
As a family, we’re incredibly grateful to Talon and the entire Dave Cantin Group team for advising us through the most important transaction of our careers.
Derek Sylvester
President, Sylvester Chevrolet
Talon Fee and the team at Dave Cantin Group were exceptional partners throughout our recent acquisition of Sylvester Chevrolet. Talon was highly responsive, proactive, and solution-oriented—ensuring every question was addressed and every detail handled with precision. This was, without question, one of the smoothest transactions we’ve completed.
We also want to extend our sincere appreciation to Derek and Neil Sylvester. Both were outstanding to work with—true professionals and gentlemen who made the entire process seamless from start to finish.
Overall, a first-class experience. We highly recommend Talon and the Dave Cantin Group to any dealer looking to buy or sell a store.
Rob Matthews
CEO, Matthews Auto Group
About Dave Cantin Group
Dave Cantin Group is a leading automotive M&A advisory firm specializing in acquisitions, divestitures, platform management, business evaluations, and other corporate development services. The new retail reality requires automotive dealers to seek DCG’s collective best thinking, deep experience and extensive industry relationships to effectively leverage M&A as a core business strategy.
Clients choose DCG because we are a trusted advisor focusing on long-term relationships, investing in data and research, and engaging our entire team on every client project. Clients benefit from our industry-leading market intelligence – our Market Outlook Report – and JumpIQ, our proprietary AI-enabled platform delivering unprecedented visibility into automotive retail.
Our nonprofit initiative, DCG Giving, funds child and adolescent cancer research and treatment across the United States and supports other charitable causes important to the automotive retail community. To learn more, visit davecantingroup.com.
Sylvester Chevrolet
Matthews Auto Group
Brian Traugott
Brian Gordon
Tony Karabon
Talon Fee
