Growing Great Lakes Auto Group made its first acquisition of 2023 with the purchase of three Ohio dealerships.
The group on July 19 bought Dennis Hyundai of Dublin, Dennis Hyundai East in Columbus and Genesis of Columbus from Dennis Automotive, said Great Lakes President Joey Huang.
The dealerships were renamed Great Lakes Hyundai of Dublin and Great Lakes Hyundai of Columbus The Genesis store is keeping its name.
For Huang, the acquisition was an opportunity to grow with Hyundai, a brand he’s been with since 2005, he said. Huang said he previously served on the Hyundai National Dealer Council.
Huang described Columbus, Ohio’s capital and home of Ohio State University, as a good, growing market.
“I wanted to be more in Columbus,” Huang told Automotive News. “Hyundai has been a great brand, and I’m excited to keep growing with them.”
With the acquisition, Great Lakes now has three Hyundai stores. In 2017, Great Lakes bought a Columbus dealership representing sibling brand Kia, also from Dennis Automotive.
The July acquisition included a collision center.
Huang said Richard Sox, a partner in the Bass Sox Mercer dealership law firm, represented Dennis Automotive in the transaction.
In December, Great Lakes bought a Honda dealership in New York, the group’s first acquisition outside of Ohio.
Great Lakes also was awarded an open-point Honda dealership in Short Pump, Va., northwest of Richmond. That dealership is set to open in 2024.
Great Lakes, of Akron, Ohio, ranks No. 101 on Automotive News‘ list of the top 150 dealership groups based in the U.S., retailing 8,843 new vehicles in 2022.
