Owner of Norm Reeves Superstore Dealerships Acquires New Stores
11 November 1998
Owner of Norm Reeves Superstore Dealerships Acquires Three New Stores; Dave Conant Purchases Ford, Lincoln-Mercury/ Isuzu and Infiniti Dealerships in Cerritos
CERRITOS, Calif.--Nov. 10, 1998--Dave Conant, the owner of the Norm Reeves Honda Superstore Dealerships in Cerritos and Huntington Beach, Calif., has purchased Cerritos Ford, Cerritos Lincoln-Mercury/Isuzu and Cerritos Infiniti, all of which are located in the Cerritos Auto Square.
Together, the dealerships to be acquired sit on nine acres and employ 227 employees. Combining these with the Norm Reeves Honda store in Cerritos will mean that more than one-third of the cars purchased in the Cerritos Auto Square, the largest auto mall in the nation, will be sold by Conant's dealerships.
"Honda has been a very successful brand for us. These dealerships represent an effort to expand into new brands and to reach a broader market," said Conant.
"Our growth will create new opportunities for our employees and increase our influence in the marketplace. We have built a reputation on providing exceptional customer service. We look forward to expanding our product line and to being an ever larger influence in this very dynamic California market."
The newly acquired dealerships will maintain their current names. However, Conant and his management team are putting plans together and entering into the permit process in order to make substantial changes to the current buildings. This will involve modernizing the facilities as well as expanding the size of the showrooms.
Mark Murray, who served as the general manager of the Norm Reeves Honda Superstore in Cerritos from 1992 to 1997, has been an integral member of Conant's acquisition team. He will now serve as executive vice president and general manager for the newly acquired stores.
In addition to the Norm Reeves Superstore dealerships in Cerritos and Huntington Beach, Conant also owns and operates the Norm Reeves Auto Care Supercenter in Irvine, the Norm Reeves Used Car Outlet in Norwalk, and a reconditioning and preparation center, also in Norwalk.
"By acquiring these new dealerships, we will increase the average monthly sales of the Conant Auto Retail Dealerships from 1,325 to 1,825," said Murray. "We feel that, by changing the focus of these new dealerships to a more customer-driven approach, we will see substantial growth, which will push these numbers much higher."
Earlier this month, schools in Los Angeles and Orange counties received approximately $250,000 through the Norm Reeves Superschools program. The money, which was raised through a special educational foundation, will help provide computers, books and other curriculum material much needed amid the current strains on our local schools.
The Conant Family Educational Foundation was established in May 1997 by Dave Conant and his wife, Cassie. Beginning May 1997, a donation has been made to this foundation each time a new or used vehicle has been sold. The newly acquired dealerships also will participate in this ongoing program.
For more information on the Conant Auto Retail Dealerships, contact Dave Conant at 562/402-3844.