DETROIT — LaFontaine Automotive Group, in a deal between two high visibility Detroit area auto dealers, has acquired Shuman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in suburban Detroit.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Bob Shuman, CEO and 2013 Detroit auto show chairman, sold the remaining family stake in the company his grandfather founded in 1955.
Shuman said he also has stepped down from his roles at the National Automobile Dealers Association as a board member and 2020 treasurer. He also represented Metro Detroit dealers on the NADA board.
Shuman’s 64 employees at the dealership in Walled Lake, Mich., will remain with the dealership under LaFontaine, which is now called LaFontaine Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Walled Lake, according to a Thursday statement.
However, LaFontaine is moving John Rossi, general sales manager of LaFontaine’s Fenton dealership, to lead the newly acquired Walled Lake store. Joe Zeigler, general manager under Shuman, will remain in some leadership capacity at the dealership, LaFontaine said in an email.
“We look to take that strong, customer-focused foundation and enhance it through our personalized service and ‘Family Deal’ experience we’ve been known for over the last 40 years of business,” Ryan LaFontaine, COO of LaFontaine, said in the statement. “On behalf of our entire team at LaFontaine Automotive Group and my family, we are extremely excited to expand and reinforce our presence in Oakland County and surrounding communities.”
Highland, Mich.-based based LaFontaine Automotive ranks No. 52 on the Automotive News list of the top 150 U.S. dealership groups with sales of 18,462 new retail vehicles in 2019. The group sold 35,081 total vehicles last year and generated $1.16 billion in revenue.
Automotive News contributed to this report.
