Bredemann Lexus sold to Fields Automotive Group

Irvine, CA, November 25, 2019 – Kerrigan Advisors, one of the leading sell-side advisory firms to auto dealers in the US, represented and advised Bredemann Lexus, located in Glenview, Illinois in its sale on November 18, 2019.  The buyer is Glencoe, Illinois-based Fields Automotive Group, ranked number 27 in Automotive News’ Top 150 Dealership Group List. Opened in 1990, Bredemann Lexus is one of the first Lexus franchises in the US and an award-winning dealership, receiving the Elite of Lexus Award 23 consecutive years from 1992 to 2015.   

“It’s never easy to decide to sell a dealership, especially one with such a long family history in the community,” said Joe Bredemann, dealer and co-owner of Bredemann Lexus and grandson of the Bredemann auto group founder, Joseph J. Bredemann II. “Joseph J. Bredemann II, a former blacksmith and wagon-maker, started working in the car business for the Busse Family in Park Ridge almost 100 years ago.  Buick was established in 1912, and we added the Toyota franchise in 1976, and Ford in Glenview in 1990.  That same year, we were proud to be awarded one of the first Lexus franchises in the US.  We will continue to provide the same high level of service to our valued clients at our three remaining dealerships, Bredemann Toyota in Park Ridge, Bredemann Chevrolet in Park Ridge, and Bredemann Ford in Glenview. I’d like to thank Kerrigan Advisors for doing an exceptional job managing a competitive national sale process on our behalf, ultimately leading to our successful sale to Fields Automotive, another Chicago-based, family-owned group. We are confident the Fields management team, together with our former Lexus employees, will continue to provide the same level of unparalleled customer service that our Lexus clients have become accustomed to. We also could not be more impressed with the professionalism and diligence of Kerrigan Advisors.”

This sale marks the 82^nd dealership sale Kerrigan Advisors has represented since 2015, and the 3^rd Lexus franchise sold in 2019. Kerrigan Advisors is the most active sell-side advisor in the auto retail industry.  The firm actively manages each client’s sale process from beginning to success, leveraging its expansive network of industry contacts to identify the best buyer for its clients’ businesses, ensuring its clients’ financial and personal goals are met.

“The Bredemann family has been an important employer and contributor in Chicago and the northern suburbs for over 150 years. Their Lexus franchise has been award-winning since its start, so we were honored to represent the dealership in the sale,” said Erin Kerrigan, Founder and Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. “The Bredemann name, and their auto dealerships, symbolize integrity, fairness, philanthropy and first-class service. Finding a buyer with the same values who would carry on the Bredemann family legacy was an important goal of our sale process.”

Through four generations, Bredemanns have served their community, with long-standing support to local charities and civic organizations, including Misericordia, the Park Ridge Rotary Club, The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, The A.C. Nielsen Tennis Tournament benefitting the North Suburban Special Recreation Association, North Shore Community Services, Park Ridge Little League Baseball and the Park Ridge, Glenview and Niles Chambers of Commerce.

“The Bredemann Family of Dealerships is one of Chicago’s most reputable,” said Ryan Kerrigan, Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. “They have a policy of service excellence in all aspects of their operations, and a sincere commitment to their community. We’re honored to have represented Bredemann Lexus in this important transaction.”

William Kelly and Ira Levin of Burke, Warren, Mackay & Serritella, P.C. served as legal counsel to the seller.  John J. Keating of Wipfli LLP served as accounting advisor to the seller.  Stephen Dietrich and Sarah Seedig of Holland & Knight LLP served as legal counsel to the buyer.

About Kerrigan Advisors

Kerrigan Advisors is the leading sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide.  The firm advises the industry’s leading dealership groups, enhancing value through the lifecycle of growing, operating and, when the time is right, selling their businesses.  Kerrigan Advisors has represented on auto retail’s largest transactions, including five of the Top 100 Dealership Groups in the US, more than any other firm in the industry. Led by a team of veteran industry experts, the firm does not take listings, rather develops a customized approach for each client to achieve their goals. In addition to Kerrigan Advisors’ sell-side advisory and capital-raising services, the firm also provides a suite of consulting services including growth strategies, capital allocation, transactional due diligence, open point proposals, operational improvement and real estate due diligence.

Kerrigan Advisors publishes The Blue Sky Report®, which is the auto industry's most comprehensive and authoritative quarterly report of dealership buy/sell activity and franchise values, received by over 9,000 industry recipients in 35 countries.  To access The Blue Sky Report®, click here Kerrigan Advisors also publishes The Kerrigan Index™, the only monthly report tracking the seven publicly traded auto retail companies. To access The Kerrigan Index™, click here

Kerrigan Advisors’ Founder and Managing Director, Erin Kerrigan, is a recognized expert on dealership valuation, real estate, and buy/sells, and is a frequent speaker at leading auto retail events and conferences, including NADA, JD Power Automotive Roundtable, Automotive News’ Canadian World Congress, AICPA, and NADC. She has also been quoted numerous times by the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Bloomberg and The Economist and has been a keynote speaker for events hosted by American Honda Motor Company, Audi of America, US Trust, Bank of America, Ohio Automobile Dealer Association, and SunTrust Bank. Kerrigan Advisors’ Managing Director Ryan Kerrigan is also a sought-after industry expert. He is featured in a monthly column for Dealer Magazine and has written Op-Eds for Automotive News.

Kerrigan Advisors Media Contact:
Melanie Webber (melanie@mwebbcom.com), mWEBB Communications, 949-307-1723