Sale of Gosch Ford Escondido to Aaron Automotive Group represents the 203rd dealership sold by Kerrigan Advisors since 2015; The sale confirms the strong interest of buyers in high volume markets with leading brands

Kerrigan Advisors, the premier sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide, represented Hemet-based Gosch Auto Group in the sale of Gosch Ford Escondido to Aaron Automotive Group, led by Vikas Mehandroo. The transaction marks the 203^rd dealership sold by Kerrigan Advisors since 2015 and the 32^nd franchise sale in 2023, making the firm the most active in the industry.

“Kerrigan Advisors was honored to represent the Gosch family in this strategic divestiture of Ford Escondido,” said Gabe Robleto, Vice President, Sell-Side Advisory of Kerrigan Advisors. “It’s a complex business decision to sell a high performing dealership in a growth market. We’re pleased to have been able to identify a buyer who understood the value proposition of Ford Escondido and the attractive growth dynamics of Escondido and the San Diego market.”

The Gosch family opened their first Ford dealership in Southern California almost 60 years ago, when family patriarch Jack Gosch opened Jack Gosch Ford in downtown Hemet. His timing was impeccable, as it was just three months after the Ford Mustang was introduced. The Gosch family currently owns auto dealerships in Hemet, Temecula and Escondido. Over the years, the larger team grew to over 620 employees; collectively they have sold over 400,000 vehicles to local customers — and have serviced millions of cars.

“We’ve been successful in Escondido and in all of our locations because we know the communities we serve and our employees care about our customers, which is critical to a thriving dealership business,” said Marc Gosch, Co-Owner of Gosch Auto Group. “Kerrigan Advisors’ team offered that same level of commitment to us as their customer. The firm’s professionalism, deep industry knowledge and their team’s dedication to client service showed throughout this transaction. They understood our needs and expertly guided us through the sales process.” Eric Gosch, Co-Owner of Gosch Auto Group continued, “The Kerrigan Advisors’ team knew how to find the right buyer and meet the strategic transaction goals of our group. We were in excellent hands with Erin Kerrigan and Gabe Robleto leading the way. That’s why we chose them — we knew they would deliver the results we expected.”

Located in San Diego, one of the highest volume auto retail markets in California and ranked as the 12^th best place to live in the U.S., Gosch Ford Escondido is a thriving image-compliant dealership representing the top domestic brand in California, Ford, which has one of the most popular lineups of trucks and SUVs. In 2022, the Ford Bronco ranked one of the top large SUVs sold in California and was named North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year. Escondido is a growing San Diego suburb, home to 153,000 residents, with a high-volume auto market and a population increase of 15% since 2000. The dealership has an expansive real estate footprint of over 9 acres in a high-traffic location, making it an optimal dealership to buyers.

“Buyers are attracted to high-volume markets that sell top brands like Ford, which is one of the leading non-luxury franchises in California,” said Erin Kerrigan, Founder and Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. “This sale demonstrates the value proposition of Kerrigan Advisors’ professional sale process in identifying the best buyer at the highest blue sky value on behalf of our clients. We are thrilled for the Gosch family and grateful for the opportunity to represent them on this valuable transaction.”

Kerrigan Advisors is the most active sell-side advisor on larger transactions in the auto retail industry. The firm attributes its success to its team’s laser focus on fulfilling each client’s personal and professional goals. In addition to its sell-side advisory work, the firm offers strategic consulting services to dealers and their families, including growth planning, capital raising, and acquisition valuation analysis, creating value for their clients at every stage of the auto retail lifecycle.

About Kerrigan Advisors

Kerrigan Advisors is the premier sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide. The firm advises the industry’s leading dealership groups, enhancing value through the lifecycle of growing, operating and, when the time is right, selling their businesses. Kerrigan Advisors has represented some of auto retail’s largest transactions and advised more of the largest dealership groups in the U.S. than any other buy/sell firm in the industry. Led by a team of veteran industry experts with backgrounds in investment banking, private equity, accounting, finance and real estate, the firm does not take listings, rather they develop a customized approach for each client to achieve their personal and financial goals. In addition to Kerrigan Advisors’ sell-side advisory and capital raising services, the firm also provides a suite of consulting services including growth strategy, market valuation assessments, capital allocation, transactional due diligence, open point proposals, operational improvement and real estate due diligence.

Kerrigan Advisors monitors conditions in the buy/sell market and publishes an in-depth analysis each quarter in The Blue Sky Report®, which includes Kerrigan Advisors’ signature blue sky charts, multiples, and analysis for each franchise in the luxury and non-luxury segments. To download a preview of the report, click here. The firm also releases monthly The Kerrigan Index™ composed of the seven publicly traded auto retail companies with operations focused on the US market. The Kerrigan Auto Retail Index is designed to track dealership valuation trends, while also providing key insights into factors influencing auto retail. To access The Kerrigan Index™, click here. To read the 2022 Kerrigan Dealer Survey, click here. To read the 2023 Kerrigan OEM Survey, click here. Kerrigan Advisors also is the co-author of NADA’s Guide to Buying and Selling a Dealership.

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