Sale of the second highest volume Kia dealership in the largest car market in the US marks Kerrigan Advisors’ 20^th Kia rooftop sold and 287^th dealership sold since inception

CERRITOS, CA – March 19, 2025 – Kerrigan Advisors, the premier sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide, represented Lou Sobh Automotive Group in the sale of its Kia of Cerritos dealership in California to Trophy Automotive Dealer Group. This transaction represents Kerrigan Advisors’ 287^th dealership, and the 20^th Kia franchise the firm has sold since 2015, including five of the top 15 volume Kia stores nationwide. Kia of Cerritos is the second highest volume Kia dealership in the US and is located in the country’s largest auto mall, Cerritos Auto Square.

The Lou Sobh Automotive Group, owned by Lou and Mike Sobh, operates nine dealerships representing Honda, Kia, Volkswagen and Mazda across Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. Kia of Cerritos was the family’s only dealership in California. LA-based Trophy Automotive Dealer Group was founded in 2013 and has six award-winning dealerships in Southern California.

“We were honored to represent the Lou Sobh Automotive Group in the sale of Kia of Cerritos, consistently one of the top five-volume Kia dealerships in the US,” said Ryan Kerrigan, Managing Director and Head of Real Estate Advisory at Kerrigan Advisors. “The Sobhs have been outstanding stewards of the Kia brand in this vitally important Southern California market and continue their strong partnership with Kia with multiple dealerships in the Southeast. It was a privilege to collaborate with the entire Sobh team in this significant transaction.”

Although the Sobh family has been rooted in the greater Atlanta area for over 20 years, in 2010, recognizing the appeal of the Los Angeles County car market – the US’ largest car market – and with a foundation of great success with the Kia brand in the Southeast, the Sobhs acquired Kia of Cerritos and built it into one of California’s highest volume Kia dealerships. With this milestone achieved, the Sobh family - which has been expanding their dealership network across the Southeast - made the decision to sell the Cerritos dealership so they could direct their efforts on projects in the Southeast.

“The Sobh family’s long-standing commitment to the Kia brand and loyal base of employees and customers, coupled with its incredibly strong performance, generated strong buyer interest, which in turn drove up the value of this franchise,” said Ryan Kerrigan. “Our entire team, which has deep knowledge and expertise in the Southern California market, worked closely with the Sobhs to pinpoint a buyer who not only demonstrated commitment to the community, but also a deep understanding of the market and a track record of success with the Kia brand. Trophy Automotive ticked all these boxes, and more, including offering opportunities for Kia of Cerritos employees to grow within the region, as they also operate Kia of Carson, Kia of Downtown LA, and several other locations.”

Los Angeles is the second largest metro area in the US with 12.8 million residents, and has a thriving economy rooted in transportation, technology, defense and entertainment, with major employers like Google, SNAP, Northrop Grumman, Walt Disney and Live Nation. A top-performing Kia market, with 15 Kia dealerships, Los Angeles has seen the brand’s market share grow by 35% since 2018 – the highest increase among all volume non-luxury import franchises.

“We knew choosing Kerrigan was the right decision, given their deep knowledge of the California dealer market and the Kia brand, not to mention an advisory process that engaged every Kerrigan team member, from accountant to principal, focused on the success of our sale,” said Mike Sobh, Co-owner of Lou Sobh Automotive Group. “As our team focuses its efforts on growing our footprint in the Southeast, it was so important to be able to depend on Kerrigan to identify a capable buyer – one that will continue to provide new career opportunities for our fantastic employees and further enhance the legacy of Kia of Cerritos. We extend our gratitude to all our employees and the community for the nearly 15 years of support.”

Kia franchises are highly sought after due to strong sales growth, high and growing throughput per franchise, an award-winning product lineup and expected increases in franchise valuation. In 2023, the brand recorded 782,000 vehicle sales—a 186% increase since 2008—doubling its non-luxury market share to over 6% and achieving the third-highest ranking based on annual sales per franchise among non-luxury brands. Kia also leads in growth, with a 25% sales per franchise increase since 2019, and 86% of dealers expect franchise values to rise or remain steady in 2024. Recognized for quality and value, Kia earned the most awards of any OEM in J.D. Power’s 2023 APEAL study, with the Telluride, Sportage, and Soul named Best Cars for the Money in 2024.

“This transaction not only highlights the power of the Kia brand overall, and particularly in the buy/sell market, but also the strong interest today’s auto dealership buyers have in acquiring marquee, high-volume franchises like Kia of Cerritos,” said Erin Kerrigan, Founder & Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. “We are proud to have utilized our extensive sell-side expertise with Kia—completing our 20^th Kia transaction since 2015. It was a privilege to assist the Sobh family and their executive team in achieving this significant milestone.”

About Kerrigan Advisors

Kerrigan Advisors is the leading sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide. Since its founding in 2014, the firm has led the industry with the sale of over 285 dealerships generating more than $9 billion in client proceeds, including two of the largest transactions in auto retail history – the sale of Jim Koons Automotive Companies to Asbury Automotive Group and Leith Automotive to Holman. 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. Led by a team of veteran industry experts with backgrounds in investment banking, private equity, accounting, finance and real estate, Kerrigan Advisors is the only firm in auto retail exclusively dedicated to sell-side advisory, providing its clients the assurance of a conflict-free approach.

Kerrigan Advisors monitors conditions in the buy/sell market and publishes an in-depth analysis each quarter in The Blue Sky Report®, which includes Kerrigan Advisors’ signature blue sky charts, multiples, and analysis for each franchise in the luxury and non-luxury segments. To download a preview of the report, click here. The firm also releases monthly The Kerrigan Index™ composed of the seven publicly traded auto retail companies with operations focused on the US market. The Kerrigan Auto Retail Index is designed to track dealership valuation trends, while also providing key insights into factors influencing auto retail. To access The Kerrigan Index™, click here. To read the 2024 Kerrigan Dealer Survey, click here. To read the 2024 Kerrigan OEM Survey, click here. Kerrigan Advisors also is the co-author of NADA’s Guide to Buying and Selling a Dealership.

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