New York — March 31, 2026 — The Dave Cantin Group (DCG), a leading automotive mergers and acquisitions advisory firm, today announced it was the exclusive representative for Ghreiwati Auto Group in its acquisition of Hello Auto Group’s Kia store in Valencia, California. The transaction marks the third Hello sale revived by DCG after an earlier effort led by its sell-side broker stalled. DCG’s efforts ultimately delivered an approximately 30% higher transaction price for the company’s Valencia stores and a full slate of satisfied dealer owners.
- Ghreiwati Auto Group purchased Hello Auto’s Kia store in Valencia on March 30. The store has been rebranded Kia of Valencia.
As previously announced:
- Ghreiwati acquired the Hello Mazda of Valencia store in a deal that closed March 17. That store has been rebranded Mazda of Valencia.
- Chris Hemmersmeier, President and CEO of Jerry Seiner Dealerships acquired Hello Subaru of Valencia in a deal that closed on March 16. That store is now Jerry Seiner Subaru.
In all three cases, Hello Auto Group was unable to reach definitive agreements with buyers introduced by its sell-side broker of record. Hello founder and President Karl Schmidt turned to his longtime trusting relationship with DCG Managing Director Alex Covino. Covino, with extensive market knowledge and deep connections in this region, quickly identified Ghreiwati as an ideal buyer for Hello’s Valencia stores.
Ghreiwati is expanding its retail presence in Southern California.
“Alex understands my personal vision for our auto group,” said founder and CEO Sam Ghreiwati. “So, when the opportunity arose, it made sense that Alex called me. Alex and his team exceeded my expectations. I can’t recommend him and the Dave Cantin Group team highly enough.”
DCG was the exclusive buy-side advisor for all three transactions.
The DCG team is known for its long-term advisory outlook, strong ethics, deep industry and market knowledge, proprietary real-time data, and established professional network.
About Dave Cantin Group
The Dave Cantin Group is a leading automotive M&A advisory firm specializing in acquisitions, divestitures, intelligence and other advisory services. The company is the M&A services provider of choice for North America’s top automotive dealership groups, advising on approximately 40 transactions annually. DCG is differentiated by its advisory approach, long-term client relationships and commitment to investing in market intelligence tools that inform client strategy.
Through its M&A intelligence division, DCG produces automotive insights and delivers timely market intelligence including the Market Outlook Report (MOR) and the Inside M&A studio show and podcast with CBT News. DCG’s proprietary AI-enabled software platform Jump IQ anchors its advisory services to help retail automotive dealers make smarter, data-driven M&A decisions.
The company’s nonprofit initiative DCG Giving funds child and adolescent cancer research and treatment across the United States and supports other charitable causes
