Automotive Technician

Holman assumes full ownership of ARIZA, unifying 30-year mexico business under the Holman brand. The acquisition of the former joint-venture business delivers a seamless fleet leasing and management solution for customers operating across North America MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. - Holman, a global automotive services leader, today announced it has acquired full ownership of ARIZA, its former 50/50 joint-venture with Corporacion Zapata. The acquisition expands Holman's industry-leading fleet management business...

Dealer group news: M&A + automotive technician training in California. Auto Remarketing Staff August 19, 2026 Sutherlin Automotive Group has acquired the top Kia dealership in Orange County, Calif.: Car Pros Kia Huntington Beach. The sale was announced by Kerrigan Advisors, which advised the seller, Car Pros Automotive Group, in the transaction. In addition to being the automaker's No. 1 store in Orange County last year, Car Pros Huntington Beach was one of Kia's top 100 dealerships in the U.S. Meanwhile, Sutherlin has also recently purchased Subaru and Volkswagen franchises in this market to go along with its stores in Tennessee and Alabama. "Given Sutherlin's recent expansion in the local market, this represented a good strategic option for Car Pros, adding Orange County's top volume Kia franchise to Sutherlin's Huntington Beach operations," said Ryan Kerrigan. "Kerrigan Advisors greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with Matthew and represent Car Pros again. "Car Pros has acquired and sold numerous dealerships over the last 20 years, including its acquisitions of Nick Alexander BMW & MINI and Honda of El Monte, and on the sell side, Kerrigan Advisors is proud to have represented Car Pros with the sale of Car Pros Kia Carson in 2018, Car Pros VW of San Bernardino in 2022, and Car Pros Kia Tacoma, Kia Renton and Hyundai Renton last year," Kerrigan said. Matthew Phlllips, the CEO of Car Pros Automotive Group, added: "Once again, thank you to Kerrigan Advisors for being my partner through all things buy/sell over the years. I appreciated the opportunity to work with Ryan and Chris Gempton again. "This sale made sense as it allows for the future growth of the dealership under an owner already committed to the Orange County market. I want to thank the Car Pros team in Huntington Beach for everything they have built there." Elsewhere, Kerrigan Advisors said Tuesday on LinkedIn that it also advised Holman on its sale of Honda of Fort Lauderdale to Len Stoler Automotive Group. This is the Stoler group's first store in South Florida. "The Miami MSA is one of the most desirable car markets in country, driven by the area's growth and Florida's strong economy," Kerrigan said in the post. "This transaction marks Kerrigan Advisors' 23rd Honda dealership sold and 147th franchise sold in the South since our founding, further cementing our position as the leading sell-side advisor to high-value dealerships nationwide." California new-car dealers among hosts of auto technician conference. The California Automotive Foundation is hosting a conference in October that's designed to help build a stronger pipeline for the state's automotive workforce. With a theme of "Shifting Gears: Preparing for the Next Era of Automotive," the majority of the event will be held Oct. 9 at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif., with supplemental training the following day at Palomar College in San Marcos. The conference is a partnership between the California New Car Dealers Association Foundation, the Automotive Service Councils Educational Foundation, SDTechs and Mobilize Summit. It comes at a time when there's a shortage of roughly 5,000 automotive technicians at California dealerships, organizers say. "The high turnout last year, and the feedback following that event, made clear that there is a strong need among stakeholders to meet regularly," said Kim McPhaul, president of the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) Foundation. "This conference brings together virtually anyone who has a stake in teaching and developing automotive workers in California," McPhaul said.

When fleet management falls down the list. By Jay Mudrick, Fleet Advisory Associates, LLC Ask most transportation operators what keeps them awake at night and you'll hear familiar answers: finding drivers, controlling insurance costs, managing claims, growing the business, and keeping customers happy. Rarely does someone answer, "my fleet". Yet fleet is one of the largest investments on their balance sheet. And acquiring and operating that fleet is one of the largest ongoing expenses most operators have. Every fleet decision carries consequences that extend far beyond the vehicle purchase price. Financing strategy influences cash flow. Replacement timing affects maintenance costs, reliability, and downtime. Vehicle selection impacts driver satisfaction and customer experience. Seemingly small decisions compound over time, quietly shaping profitability year after year. One reason such high impact decisions are overlooked is that no one truly "owns" fleet management. Those responsibilities fall to an owner, operations manager, controller, or CFO who already wears several hats. Fleet doesn't always receive the attention it deserves because owners don't care. It's because there are only so many hours in a day. TTA recognized that reality and asked a simple question: "How can we provide members with a practical benefit that delivers meaningful value today while helping them make smarter fleet decisions tomorrow?" The result is the TTA Fleet Advantage Program. Created by TTA and powered by trusted industry partners, Fleet Advantage was designed to become a lasting member resource. Fleet Advantage isn't built around a transaction. It's built around a philosophy - that transportation operators of every size should have access to the same fleet expertise, resources, and strategic thinking traditionally reserved for the largest organizations. Whether a member operates five vehicles or five hundred, the objective is the same: make better fleet decisions, improve financial performance, and strengthen the business over the long term. And Fleet Advantage is about more than a financial incentive. It reflects a broader philosophy: fleet should be managed strategically, not simply transaction by transaction. Better fleet decisions create stronger businesses. To bring that philosophy to life, TTA partnered with Holman Fleet - one of North America's leading fleet management organizations and Fleet Advisory Associates to create the TTA Fleet Advantage Program. The program launches with Holman's First Payment Waiver. Unlike a traditional "skip payment," nothing is added back later. The first payment is simply waived. For operators replacing multiple vehicles each year, the savings can be substantial. A fleet replacing five vehicles annually could realize savings of approximately $12,000 to $15,000 each year simply by taking advantage of this member-exclusive benefit. Those dollars remain available to invest in people, operations, growth, or simply to strengthen cash flow. By combining TTA's commitment to member value with Holman's century of fleet management experience, members gain access to fleet expertise, national resources, and strategic guidance that can help lower operating costs, improve cash flow, and simplify one of the most complex and costly parts of running a transportation business. And this is only the beginning. Holman perspective. "Holman is proud to partner with The Transportation Alliance on the TTA Fleet Advantage Program. Together, we're committed to helping TTA members improve fleet performance, reduce costs, and support long-term growth." * Dave Nemerofsky, Sales Channel Manager, Small Business Solutions, Holman Fleet The First Payment Waiver serves as the inaugural benefit of the TTA Fleet Advantage Program, establishing the foundation for what we believe will become an increasingly valuable member resource over time. As the program evolves, TTA will continue looking for meaningful opportunities that help members operate more efficiently, strengthen their businesses, and optimize the performance of their fleets. Programs don't become valuable because they're announced. They become valuable because members use them. We believe the strongest member benefits aren't one-time discounts. They're partnerships that continue creating value year after year. Fleet Advantage was designed with that objective in mind. Today's launch marks the beginning of what we hope will become one of TTA's most valuable member resources. We invite you to explore the program, learn more about its inaugural benefits, and join us as Fleet Advantage continues to evolve. Click below to learn more about TTA Fleet Advantage and First Payment Waiver and find additional program details, frequently asked questions, how to join TTA and capture these benefits, and more Today's launch is simply the first step, take it with us.