Matthew Sanderson closed the deal on his first dealership on Aug. 17. He purchased Auto Park Ford of La Porte at 1522 E. Lincolnway.
The 31,000-square-foot building, which has 17 service bays, sits on 12.6 acres. Sanderson plans to renovate the building further to meet manufacturer requirements.
He also plans to keep the entire staff, including Jonathon O'Dell who is the general manager. O'Dell was offered dealership equity for his continued service.
Ken Norris purchased Auto Park Ford of La Porte in November 2020 and renovated the inside in 2022.
Tim Lamb Group, an auto dealership sales and acquisitions firm based in Ohio, brought Sanderson and seller Norris together.
Norris was looking for a buyer so he could concentrate on his Ford and Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram dealership in Bremen, Indiana, and a Ford dealership in Sturgis, Michigan. He turned to Tim Lamb Group employee Bob Wolfbauer to help find a buyer who could meet manufacturer approvals.
“I chose to work with Bob as he understands the Ford approval process like no one else I have ever known,” Norris said. “I knew that once we had the right candidate, they would get manufacturer approval.”
The two have known each other for 15 years, including guidance through the Ford manufacturer approval process.
“I knew Bob would find the right buyer who held similar values and would in turn take care of all the employees at La Porte and represent Ford to the community as we have since we took over the dealership,” Norris said.
Chris Infantino represented Sanderson.
Sanderson is a native of Grand Rapids, Michigan. He plans to relocate to La Porte.
