The Presidio Group Advises Flow Automotive Companies on Purchase of Eight Franchises in Charlottesville, Va., Market

By: The Presidio Group LLC via Business Wire

April 18, 2023 at 10:00 AM EDT

Flow Automotive expands footprint in region with acquisition of Umansky Automotive dealerships

The Presidio Group LLC (“Presidio”), an independent merchant banking firm focused on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and investments in the automotive retail and consumer mobility sectors, exclusively advised Flow Automotive Companies on the purchase of eight franchises in Charlottesville, Va., from Umansky Automotive Group.

The acquisitions include Mercedes-Benz of Charlottesville, Umansky Chrysler, Umansky Dodge, Umansky Honda, Umansky Jeep, Umansky Ram, Umansky Subaru and Umansky Toyota. Flow Automotive already operates Audi, BMW, Mazda, Porsche and Volkswagen dealerships in the Charlottesville market among the 53 franchises it now owns in North Carolina and Virginia.

“We love the Charlottesville market and knew – with the guiding hand of The Presidio Group – we could identify and execute our acquisition strategy while expanding our base in Virginia,” said Flow Automotive Chairman and CEO Don Flow. “This market is home to me. Having gone to school at the University of Virginia, this community means so much. With a strong base of operations already here, I’m thrilled to invest even more in Charlottesville and welcome our new team members who are already deeply involved here.”

“The Presidio team are real automotive experts,” Flow said. “The trust we place in Presidio flows from our long-standing relationship and their confidential approach to deal making. Their knowledge made this transaction smooth and positive for all parties involved.”

Said Dan Umansky, owner of Umansky Automotive: “Exiting a dynamic market like Charlottesville is never an easy decision. But what this exit does for Umansky Automotive is allow us to focus on other key markets that better fit into our strategic vision. Once again the experts at The Presidio Group facilitated a seamless and smooth transaction.”

As part of the transaction, Flow Automotive is also purchasing the owned real estate property.

“Every time we engage with Flow Automotive, one of the most iconic dealers in the U.S., it’s truly an honor,” said George Karolis, president of The Presidio Group. “Just like our previous transactions with Flow Automotive, we were confident we could help them with their growth objectives. The trust our clients place in us is never taken for granted.”

“The automotive industry is flourishing today, especially at the dealership level. We are honored to bring Flow Automotive and Umansky Automotive together on this transaction, which helped both parties further their strategic goals,” said Brodie Cobb, founder and CEO of The Presidio Group. “This deal also allows Flow the type of scale to dominate in the Charlottesville market where they already had such a strong presence.”

G. William Joyner of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP served as lead legal counsel for Flow Automotive. Michal A. Myers of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP represented Flow Automotive for the real estate aspect of the transaction. David Porteous of Evans Petree PC served as legal counsel to Umansky Automotive.

The Presidio Group provided exclusive M&A advisory services to Flow Automotive through its wholly owned investment bank, Presidio Merchant Partners LLC.

About Flow Automotive Companies: With 66 years in the automotive business, Flow Automotive Companies operates 53 franchises in North Carolina and Virginia. Flow Automotive employs more than 2,000 in nine cities. The company is defined by three principles: a covenant with our customers to be a place that keeps its promises and is worthy of their trust; a community of people who work together towards a common vision; and a commitment to work towards the common good of every city where we do business. For more information, visit www.flowauto.com.

About Umansky Automotive Group: The Umansky Automotive Group operates multiple brands with more than two dozen locations throughout California, Mississippi, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The group also operates a collision center in Milwaukee. The diverse, highly skilled team delivers world-class service, offering a luxury experience to customers while providing leadership in the communities they serve. The team at Umansky represents 10 countries and 13 languages from across the globe. For more information, visit umanskyautogroup.com.

The Presidio Group LLC was founded in 1998 with the simple mission to relentlessly put the interests of our clients first. By steadfastly adhering to this philosophy, the firm has earned the trust of clients throughout the United States. During their careers, the professionals at Presidio have collectively done more than 215 transactions for more than $15 billion. It also publishes Presidio’s Where the Rubber Meets the Road, a leading source of information about the automotive retail landscape and the automotive retail M&A environment. The Presidio Group is based in Denver and Atlanta. Presidio Merchant Partners LLC is a subsidiary of The Presidio Group LLC and is a member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information on Presidio, visit www.thepresidiogroup.com.