CarHeroes in Tampa, Florida, founded by Matthew Nunlist, acquired Friendship Ford of Lenoir. Following the acquisition, the dealership will now operate under the name CarHeroes of Lenoir.
This transaction marks Matthew’s first franchised dealership acquisition, a major milestone achieved through patience, preparation, and a strategic partnership with the DSMA team over the past year.
Matthew worked closely with Mike Funk, Regional Director of Midwest, and Rob Schlicht, Regional Director of East, through DSMA’s Paid Buyer Agreement Program, a tailored advisory platform designed to help buyers identify, evaluate, and pursue the right dealership opportunities in an increasingly competitive acquisition environment.
This opportunity was uncovered through seller relationships by Casey Evans, Director of Business Development, while Mike Funk and Rob Schlicht played instrumental roles in facilitating and structuring the transaction on the buy side. In this case, DSMA successfully introduced the buyer into a transaction sourced directly through our network and industry relationships.
DSMA’s work with buyers goes far beyond sourcing opportunities. Through our Buyer’s Agreement Program, we provide market insight and demographic analysis to help buyers target markets aligned with their goals and strategy. We also analyze transaction activity, identify potential sellers, and outline dealership performance trends, opportunities, and market positioning.
In today’s environment, becoming a first-time franchised dealer is more difficult than ever. OEM approval standards continue to tighten, making preparation, positioning, and market selection critical to success. DSMA’s Buyer’s Agreement Program was built to help buyers navigate that process through a structured and data-driven approach.
Congratulations to Matthew Nunlist and everyone involved in bringing this transaction to a successful close.
