Dave Cantin Group Revives Stalled Sale of Hello Auto Group Dealerships, Unlocks 30% Higher-Value Outcome in Complex Southern California Transactions

NEW YORK, March 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Dave Cantin Group (DCG), a leading automotive mergers and acquisitions advisory company, applied its extensive market and dealer knowledge to revive a stalled effort by Hello Auto Group and its sell-side broker to sell its Valencia, California, dealerships. 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.

• Chris Hemmersmeier, President and CEO of Jerry Seiner Dealerships acquired Hello Subaru of Valencia, now Jerry Seiner Subaru, in a deal that closed on March 16.
• Sam Ghreiwati, the owner of Ghreiwati Auto Group, acquired Hello Mazda of Valencia in a deal that closed March 17. The store has been rebranded Mazda of Valencia.

Hello Auto Group was unable to reach definitive agreements with buyers introduced by its sell-side broker of record. Based on Hello founder and President Karl Schmidt’s long-term relationship with, and trust in, DCG’s Alex Covino, Schmidt reached out for help. With Covino’s extensive market knowledge and deep connections in this region, he was able to quickly identify the ideal buyers for Hello’s Subaru and Mazda stores in Valencia.

“I want to express my respect and appreciation to Alex Covino and the Dave Cantin Group for their support on the closing of the transaction between Hello Auto Group and the Jerry Seiner Group,” said Hello Auto Group’s Schmidt. “We just concluded our sale of Hello Subaru of Valencia. Alex was responsive, professional, knowledgeable and creative in his approach. Although Alex represented the buyer in this transaction, his balanced focus on being equitable to both sides of the transaction was refreshing. I would gladly work with Alex again and recommend the Dave Cantin Group.”

Ghreiwati, who is growing his auto retail presence in Southern California, agreed. “Over the years, I've shared our growth plans and very specific investment criteria with Alex Covino. He leaned in and took the time to truly understand our organization and my personal vision for the group,” Ghreiwati said. “So, when the opportunity arose, and he was given the chance to make that one call, he called me. We negotiated a deal in short order. Alex and his team were relentless from start to finish. They exceeded my expectations. I can’t recommend him and the Dave Cantin Group team highly enough.”

Closing the complex, multi-party transactions with 30% higher deal value and dealers who are all happy and satisfied with the outcome reflects the benefit of working with the DCG team, known for its long-term advisory outlook, strong ethics, deep industry knowledge, proprietary real-time data, and established professional network.

“We invest in our clients’ success,” DCG CEO Dave Cantin said. “That means having real-time market knowledge and the ability to identify not just any buyer, but the right buyer. This acquisition demonstrates how DCG’s targeted outreach, deep industry partnerships, and nuanced, diplomatic communication can materially improve both deal certainty and value.”

Dave Cantin Group exclusively represented buyers Ghreiwati and Hemmersmeier in the transactions.

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 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

For more information, visit www.davecantingroup.com.

Media Contact:
Katie Merx
Dave Cantin Group
katiemerx@gmail.com
+1 313.510.5090

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