{"id":108154,"date":"2026-03-02T08:37:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T11:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automotive.einnews.com\/article\/896831193"},"modified":"2026-03-02T08:37:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T11:37:19","slug":"matt-bowers-buys-dealership-from-asbury-automotive-group-expanding-empire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/02\/matt-bowers-buys-dealership-from-asbury-automotive-group-expanding-empire\/","title":{"rendered":"Matt Bowers buys dealership from Asbury Automotive Group, expanding empire"},"content":{"rendered":"

In early February, Matt Bowers acquired<\/a> a Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership in Indiana \u2014 further building on the dealer\u2019s long-time strategy to target high-potential stores.<\/p>\n

It was his first dealership in the Midwestern state, but his third CDJR store. It was also his second CDJR acquisition in the past three months. In December, Bowers acquired a CDJR store in Dallas.<\/p>\n

Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram stores aren\u2019t at the top of many experienced operators\u2019 must-have lists. But buying franchises which aren\u2019t the most sought-after is part of Bowers\u2019 strategy to find value and leverage his skill as a dealer operator, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy only value is to add operational value to the store. That\u2019s it. So, I have to find something that\u2019s been overlooked,\u201d Bowers told WardsAuto in a Zoom call. Matt Bowers Automotive Group, headquartered in Louisiana, now includes 13 new-car franchises and one RV dealership. The automotive franchises include: three CDJR stores, three Hyundai stores, two Nissan and two Infiniti stores, two Chevrolet stores and one Ford store.<\/p>\n

They are located in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and now Indiana.<\/p>\n

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\"Matt<\/div>\n<\/div>
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Matt Bowers, owner of the Matt Bowers Automotive Group<\/p>\n

Permission granted by Matt Bowers<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Improvements coming<\/h3>\n

The just-acquired CDJR store was called Bill Estes Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Brownsburg, Indiana. Bowers bought it from publicly listed Asbury Automotive Group and changed the name to Indy CDJR.<\/p>\n

He sees many areas where he can add value. The store \u201cis in a position where I think I can improve just about everything that can be improved,\u201d Bowers said.<\/p>\n

His first move will be to bring in more inventory, he said. Then he will advertise the inventory. But advertising brings in more leads than actual customers, Bowers said.<\/p>\n

The key to bringing in more customers is having the right inventory at the right price, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I\u2019m gonna bring in more inventory and price it to the market very strongly, which should bring in more customers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As for staffing changes, Bowers generally tries to keep as much of the service staff as possible in a new acquisition. \u201cI really don\u2019t do a lot,\u201d he said, aside from letting the service and parts employees know his business philosophy.<\/p>\n

The sales side is another story. \u201cOn the sales side, it is very rare that you can go in there and keep everybody,\u201d Bowers said.<\/p>\n

Even if the sales staff stays, he changes the sales leadership, Bowers said. In both his recent CDJR acquisitions, he also changed the general manager.<\/p>\n

The building is image-compliant, so no changes were needed there, Bowers said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe store is a really nice store and, in my opinion I got a fair deal on it,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd so, you mix that together in the gumbo and you know, sometimes you can find a winner like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Major sports franchise a plus<\/h3>\n

Until his recent acquisitions, some 80% of Bowers\u2019 dealerships were located in Louisiana and Mississippi, \u201calong a 50-miles stretch of the interstate along the Gulf,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

That wasn\u2019t by design, Bowers said, but when a store became available in the area \u201cI would get the call first.\u201d<\/p>\n

He wanted to \u201cto diversify the revenue stream without changing my core business,\u201d Bowers said.<\/p>\n

His first thought was to look for brands that were \u201csort of down,\u201d he said. Most brands, with the exception of Toyota and Honda, have been cyclical in their performance, \u201cand I said, \u2018Who is at a low part of their cycle?\u2019\u201d Bowers said.<\/p>\n

As for location, he wanted the market to be fairly large, in a top 30 Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a National Football League or National Basketball Association team, where the economy is likely to be stable or growing.<\/p>\n

David Hacman, president of Hacman Financial, told WardsAuto on a Zoom call that Bowers approached him with these parameters in mind for an acquisition. Hacman advised Bowers on the transaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, let me talk to Asbury,\u201d Hacman said.<\/p>\n

Hacman had worked for Asbury Automotive Group in the past, including as senior director of mergers and acquisitions. \u201cI have multiple relationships within Asbury,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

CDJR on the rise<\/h3>\n

Besides the location and the fact that Indianapolis has both NFL and NBA teams, the franchises fit Bowers\u2019 strategy of buying value brands rather than high-flying ones, Hacman said.<\/p>\n

Hacman said he sees a lot of value in Stellantis, which owns the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicle brands. \u201cActually, a lot of owners and car dealers think that they\u2019re very bullish in the coming years, and what\u2019s coming down the pipeline, especially on the Ram side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bowers may continue to find more value-priced CDJR dealerships to acquire this year.<\/p>\n

According to the Kerrigan Dealer Survey 2025<\/a>, 50% of dealers surveyed expect the value of CDJR franchises to decrease this year. Only 15% expect it to increase.<\/p>\n