Penske Automotive Group Acquires Bill Brown Ford in Livonia

Penske Automotive Group Inc. in Bloomfield Township today announced the acquisition of Bill Brown Ford in Livonia . While terms of the deal were not disclosed, the acquisition is expected to add $550 million in estimated annualized revenue.

As part of the acquisition, Penske will acquire more than 200,000 square feet of existing facilities across 29 acres, including the main dealership premises, a pre-owned facility, a fleet maintenance center, and a collision center (the dealership is at 32222 Plymouth Road).

Year-to-date 2024, Penske Automotive Group has completed acquisitions representing nearly $2 billion in estimated annualized revenue.

The Presidio Group, an independent merchant banking firm focused on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and investments in the automotive retail and consumer mobility sectors, exclusively advised the Brown family on the sale of Bill Brown Ford to Penske Automotive Group.

“After nearly a century in the greater Detroit community, it was essential to find a buyer who values the culture we’ve created at Bill Brown Ford and would carry on our family’s legacy as a top-notch employer and a trusted provider of vehicle sales and service to customers throughout southeast Michigan,” says Tom Brown, owner of Bill Brown Ford.

“We found just that steward in Penske Automotive Group. We could not have done this without the Presidio team, which guided us through this entire process and exceeded our expectations.”

Bill Brown Ford was founded in 1940 and has received numerous accolades over the decades. It most recently has tallied an impressive streak winning Ford’s most prestigious dealership awards — the automaker’s Triple Crown Award — for the last seven years straight and its President’s Award for the last 17 consecutive years. It has been part of the Livonia community since 1952.

For 50 years, Bill Brown Ford was led by Ed Brown, who passed away in March 2023. The dealership cemented its customer-first approach under Ed Brown’s leadership, and he handed those values down to his children, current owners Tom Brown and Ruth Ann Brown.

“To say that Ford Motor Co. has been transformational to our family and all the employees at Bill Brown Ford would be an understatement,” says Ruth Ann Brown. “There is no better organization than Penske Automotive Group to lead Bill Brown Ford into the future and represent Ford Motor Co.”

She added: “We appreciate the care and expertise that the Presidio team brought to the process of selling the business. The guidance from Presidio was exemplary, and we believe they helped us find the perfect buyer in Penske Automotive Group to carry our father’s vision forward and take the best possible care of our employees and customers.”

The transaction is one of the industry’s most notable dealership buy-sell deals so far in 2024.

“Bill Brown Ford is an innovative retailer that has built a strong presence in Southeast Michigan over the decades, and Penske Automotive is pleased to add the dealership to our network,” says Roger Penske, CEO of Penske Automotive Group. “We welcome Bill Brown Ford employees to the Penske family and look forward to carrying on the family’s legacy.”

Jeff G. Roberts and Emily K. Dillow, partners with Underwood & Roberts, provided legal counsel to Bill Brown Ford.

The Presidio Group provided exclusive M&A advisory services to Bill Brown Ford through its wholly owned investment bank, Presidio Merchant Partners.

For more information about Bill Brown Ford, visit billbrownford.net .

Penske Automotive Group operates dealerships in the United States , the United Kingdom , Canada , Germany , Italy , Japan, and Australia. It is one of the largest retailers of commercial trucks in North America for Freightliner.

The company has more than 28,500 employees worldwide. Additionally, PAG owns 28.9 percent of Penske Transportation Solutions, a business that employs more than 44,000 people worldwide; manages one of the largest, most comprehensive and modern trucking fleets in North America with over 442,000 trucks, tractors, and trailers under lease, rental, and/or maintenance contracts; and provides transportation, supply chain, and technology solutions to its customers.

For more information, visit penskeautomotive.com .

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