The Presidio Group LLC Advises on the Sale of Heller Ford and Heller Hyundai, Escondido, California

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Presidio Group LLC, through its subsidiary Presidio Merchant Partners LLC, is pleased to have advised the Heller family on the sale of its Ford and Hyundai dealerships located in Escondido, California. The purchaser, Group 1 Automotive, Inc. GPI owns and operates 148 automotive dealerships, 188 franchises and 37 collision centers in the United Stated, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. The transaction was completed on January 17, 2014. Terms were not disclosed.

Homer and Helen Heller started Heller Ford in 1941 in Escondido, California. The Heller family acquired the Hyundai franchise in 2004. Heller Hyundai is now the highest volume Hyundai dealership in the San Diego market and Heller Ford is one of the top volume Ford dealerships in the region. Three generations of the Heller family have managed the family's dealership businesses.

“The Heller Family is proud of its auto retail heritage in San Diego County. We have appreciated the hard work of our many employees who helped to make our dealerships a success,” said DJ Heller. “It has been a rewarding experience to grow our family's business. When we decided to sell, it was very important to select a buyer with a strong reputation in the industry, like Group 1. We appreciate the hard work of Erin Kerrigan and the Presidio Automotive team in helping us to do that. We could not have done this transaction without them.”

Erin Kerrigan, Managing Director at Presidio and co-head of the firm's automotive practice stated, “We are pleased to have represented the Heller family on their sale to Group 1. The market for high-volume dealerships in major metros, particularly in California, is very strong and deals are coming together very quickly. Buyers are eager to put capital to work and sellers are pleased with the prices being offered.”

Kerrigan will be presenting her workshop on “Buy/Sell Do's and Don'ts in Today's Market” at the 2014 NADA (National Association of Auto Dealers) Convention in New Orleans on January 24^th, 25^th and 26^th. The Presidio Automotive team will also be presenting at the Auto Team America Buy/Sell Summit in New Orleans on January 23^rd and 24^th.

Presidio's automotive practice focuses on dealership transactions over $10 million in value. Presidio's professionals have closed more than 150 auto retail related purchases, sales, and capital raises totaling more than $4.5 billion. They also publish Presidio's Automotive Retail Buy-Sell Report, a leading source of information on auto retailers and acquisition activity, write for Dealer Magazine on current buy/sell trends, and speak at industry conferences, including NADA, NADC, NAMAD, and AIADA.

About The Presidio Group LLC. The Presidio Group LLC is a personal and corporate financial services firm with approximately $4 billion in client assets. Through its interconnected investment banking, private equity, and wealth advisory units, Presidio is uniquely capable of addressing the lifecycle challenges of wealth from its creation, through its retention and growth, to its transfer to successive generations. The firm's principals have extensive experience running businesses, creating wealth of their own, and understanding and managing risk. Presidio and its subsidiaries currently serve clients throughout the United States, through its professionals in San Francisco, Dallas, Newport Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Presidio Merchant Partners LLC is a member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information on Presidio's auto retail practice, visit www.thepresidiogroupllc.com .