NEW YORK, December 17, 2025 – Franchise Equity Partners (FEP), a private investment firm on a mission to create long-term partnerships with quality franchisees and franchisors, today announced a minority investment in Roger S. Penske Jr.’s SoCal Penske Dealer Group, which includes ten franchises representing a mix of leading foreign and domestic brands.
The dealer group consists of the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Honda, Land Rover, Toyota, and Volvo. The transaction provides investment capital positioning the business for future growth with a permanent, strategic partner.
This transaction marks FEP’s first automotive investment in California, bringing valuable geographic diversification to its existing automotive portfolio, which currently includes dealerships in the greater New York metropolitan area, Pennsylvania, the Carolinas and Virginia. It also expands FEP’s presence within the Honda and Toyota networks, while establishing a presence in California, the biggest market for automotive sales.
“Partnering with Roger S. Penske, Jr. represents a significant step forward for FEP as we expand into California, the most dynamic automotive market in the country,” said Mark LaNeve, automotive partner at FEP. “Roger is one of the most respected operators in the industry and has built a well-diversified dealership group with a strong track record. This investment provides us with exposure to high-growth brands while deepening our commitment to supporting exceptional operators in franchise-driven industries.”
“FEP’s partnership with Roger reflects our core strategy of supporting industry leading operators with permanent capital to simplify their ownership structure and position their organizations for future growth,” added Scott Romanoff, Co-Managing Partner at FEP.
“This partnership with FEP provides our dealer group with a stable, long-term investor who understands the retail automotive industry,” said Roger S. Penske, Jr. “FEP’s capital and strategic support will allow us to continue delivering the best possible experience for our customers while positioning our dealerships to grow and adapt as the California market evolves.”
FEP is invested across 15 automotive brands generating approximately $2.0 billion in revenue annually. Overall, FEP is approaching $1 billion in investments across automotive dealerships, automotive after-market services and franchise related sectors including residential home services, fitness and other consumer related businesses.
Stephen Dietrich and Brooke Sizer of Holland & Knight represented FEP in the transaction.
For more information about Franchise Equity Partners, please visit https://www.fep-us.com/.
About Franchise Equity Partners:
Franchise Equity Partners is a private investment firm specializing in providing capital to franchise businesses and their owners. Its differentiated approach combines extensive corporate finance and operating experience with $1 billion of committed capital to facilitate investment in growth, ownership simplification, succession and estate planning, and other strategic business opportunities. To learn more about Franchise Equity Partners, please visit www.fep-us.com or follow the firm on LinkedIn.
