New York — December 19, 2025 — Dave Cantin Group today announced that it advised ZT Automotive, owned by the Badar Family Office and managed by ZT Corporate, in the acquisition of four Maus Family Automotive locations in the Tampa Bay area: Maus Acura | North Tampa, Maus Nissan | North Tampa, Maus Nissan | New Port Richey and Maus Nissan | Brooksville. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Dave Cantin Group (DCG), a leading mergers and acquisitions advisory company to retail automotive groups and their owners, represented ZT Automotive as the buy-side advisor in DCG’s ongoing work supporting ZT’s targeted national growth strategy.
“ZT Automotive is an extraordinary partner with a clear strategic vision and disciplined commitment to growth,” said Dave Cantin Group CEO Dave Cantin. “This acquisition reflects what’s possible when a buyer works with a strategic advisory team to identify and secure the right opportunities in the clients’ target markets. Florida is one of the most competitive automotive regions in the country, and this move demonstrates the successful partnership between DCG and ZT Automotive.”
ZT Automotive acquired the four-store dealership platform from veteran Florida auto dealer David Maus. The added franchises bolster ZT’s presence in Florida, which is widely regarded as one of the most desirable and dynamic markets in U.S. auto retail. This strategic expansion brings ZT Automotive’s total count to 16 rooftops across Texas, Florida, Georgia and Alabama.
“We’re grateful for partners like Dave Cantin Group as ZT Automotive continues to execute on our growth strategy,” Taseer Badar, Principal of the Badar Family Office and CEO of ZT Automotive. “Their insight and disciplined approach have been instrumental in accelerating our expansion in key markets.”
ZT’s acquisition of the Maus Family Automotive stores reflects the increasing industry trend of sophisticated investors and operating groups proactively hunting strategic dealership platforms rather than reactively reviewing opportunities as they come to market. Dave Cantin Group has excelled at working with its buy-side clients seeking strategic acquisitions, leveraging Jump IQ, its industry- leading data, intelligence and artificial intelligence- enabled software platform, which provides unprecedented visibility into all 18,000 dealerships in the US.
About Dave Cantin Group
The Dave Cantin Group is a leading automotive M&A advisory company 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 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.
For more information, visit www.davecantingroup.com.
