Hudson Automotive buys nine from Asbury.
The trend toward hybrid sales and finance managers shows no signs of slowing. Dealers who want to close the business office must be sure they don’t shut the door on their customers as well.
Total revenue and gross profit were down 5% and 2% from a year ago, respectively, with Hurricane Irma having a significant impact on sales in the group’s core Florida and Georgia markets. F&I was a bright spot, with total gross profit up 4% and the group’s per-copy average increasing by $142 from a year ago to $1,547.
Craig Monaghan will step down as Asbury's president and CEO on Jan. 1 after nine years as the group's chief executive. David Hult, the company’s COO since November 2014, was named his successor.
Certified public accountant Sean D. Goodman was appointed senior vice president and CFO of the group. He previously served as vice president, chief accounting officer and CFO for Unifi Inc., a textile solutions manufacturer and distributor listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Federal Trade Commission last week approved settlements with CarMax, Asbury Automotive, and West-Herr Automotive Group, which the regulator charged with failing to disclose that some pre-owned vehicles offered for sale had unrepaired safety recalls despite the companies' claims of rigorous vehicle inspections.
The group’s F&I operations posted a $60 increase in F&I profit per vehicle retailed during a quarter in which the nation’s eighth largest auto retailer chose volume over margin.
The three retailers agreed to settle FTC charges that they touted rigorous inspections while failing to disclose that some vehicles were subject to unrepaired safety recalls. The FTC also finalizes orders against GM and two other sellers in similar cases settled earlier this year.
Asbury Automotive COO David Hult called the group's F&I performance in the third quarter a "small setback" compared to previous quarters, noting that he remains hopeful for the coming quarter.
The public dealer group staged a grand opening for its new Nalley Nissan of Atlanta location on Sept. 29. It's the first U.S. dealership to feature the OEM's new Nissan Retail Environment Design Initiative, or NREDI 2.0.
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