Halifax, Nova Scotia — Steele Auto Group, which has more than 40 dealerships and eight bodyshops in Eastern Canada, has expanded into the United States with the acquisition of Luling Chevrolet Buick GMC in Luling, Texas.
On Tuesday, the dealership group announced it had purchased the Texas facility, which is about 100 kilometres east of San Antonio. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
This may be Steele Auto Group’s first rodeo in the United States market, but the company has plans for further expansion opportunities.
“While this is our first venture into the United States, our plan is to continue to seek out opportunities in the San Antonio-Austin area in the near term,” said Rob Steele, CEO of Steele Auto. “We would like to create some critical mass in Texas and are open to opportunities in the U.S. that fit our acquisition criteria.”
Steele Auto has yet to say whether its expansion plan includes acquisitions of U.S. bodyshops.
Luling is a small city of 5,400 people, but Luling Chevrolet serves customers from the Greater San Antonio-Austin area. Carroll Barron, the longtime owner of Luling Chevrolet, said he wanted to thank his customers and employees for their loyalty over the years.
“We are confident the Steele team will continue to deliver quality customer service,” said Barron. “We’re impressed with their professionalism and their track record. They will be good for the dealership and for our part of Texas.”
In 2019, Steele Auto Group became the first Canadian dealership to be awarded the GM Canada Innovation award, which is given to top-performing GM dealerships. According to Kim Day, president of Steele Auto Group, it plans to take the same innovation to Texas.
“As an example, we would intend to roll out real-time video updates from service technicians while customers’ vehicles are being repaired,” said Day. “We pride ourselves on creating new and innovative ways to enhance the experience for our customers.”
Steele Auto Group is comprised of 41 dealerships, two Powerhouse Equipment stores and eight collision centres. The company is headquartered in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
For more information on Steele Auto Group, visit steeleauto.com.
