{"id":3623,"date":"2026-05-11T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stocks-future.com\/?guid=8f0ba69b481111c77e0a7c69dbda3f3a"},"modified":"2026-05-11T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T15:00:00","slug":"kerrigan-advisors-represents-plaza-ford-in-sale-to-bob-bell-automotive-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/?p=3623","title":{"rendered":"Kerrigan Advisors Represents Plaza Ford in Sale to Bob Bell Automotive Group"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nSale of historic Ford dealership marks Kerrigan Advisors\u2019 327th<\/sup> dealership sold since 2015 and 51st<\/sup> Mid-Atlantic franchise transaction<\/i><\/p>

BALTIMORE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#AutoRetail<\/a>--Kerrigan Advisors, the leading sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide, represented the Walls Family in the sale of Plaza Ford to Bob Bell Automotive Group. The sale of the Bel Air, Maryland dealership marks Kerrigan Advisors\u2019 327th<\/sup> dealership sold since the firm\u2019s inception and its 51st<\/sup> Mid-Atlantic franchise transaction. Notably, Kerrigan Advisors has transacted on the sale of more than $3 billion in dealership revenue across 13 states over the last 12 months.<\/p><\/a><\/a>

\nPlaza Ford was founded in 1933, and Ralph Walls started working as bookkeeper of the dealership in 1947 and rose to general manager in 1959. He eventually became an owner in 1962, and was recognized as Maryland\u2019s TIME Dealer of the Year in 1992. Ralph, alongside his wife, Betty, and two sons, Tom and Charlie, built a multi-decade family legacy in one of Maryland\u2019s most attractive auto markets. Over the years, the family developed Plaza Ford into a flagship operation on Bel Air\u2019s premier auto retail corridor, investing in a 24.5-acre site with prime visibility along Belair Road.<\/p>

\n\u201cKerrigan Advisors exceeded our expectations. Their proven track record in the Mid-Atlantic meant they were able to identify the most motivated and well-suited buyer for our dealership. They guided our family with care through every step of the sale of our multi-generation family-owned business.\u201d said Tom Walls, co-owner of Plaza Ford. \u201cTheir expertise gave us complete confidence throughout the entire sale, and we could not be more pleased with our transaction\u2019s outcome.\u201d<\/p>

\n\u201cOur family is proud of the legacy our team has built at Plaza Ford, and we are excited about the growth opportunities this transition creates for our employees,\u201d continued Walls. \u201cJoining a multi-franchise group like Bob Bell Automotive Group opens meaningful new doors for the people who have been at the heart of this dealership for decades. We are excited for our employees and their next chapter with Bob Bell.\u201d<\/p>

\n\u201cWe are grateful for the opportunity to represent the Walls family in this significant transaction,\u201d said Gabe Robleto, Director of Kerrigan Advisors. \u201cThe dealership\u2019s position in the center of the Mid-Atlantic region, combined with Ford\u2019s standing as a top domestic franchise in the US, made Plaza Ford an extraordinarily compelling opportunity for the Bob Bell Automotive Group. We congratulate the Walls Family on an exceptional outcome and a well-deserved retirement after decades of family ownership and dedication to one of Maryland\u2019s most enduring automotive businesses.\u201d<\/p>

\nBob Bell Automotive Group, led by J.P. Bishop, is one of Maryland\u2019s leading private dealership groups, operating six dealerships, including one Ford, two Chevrolet, one Hyundai, one Kia and one Nissan, across Baltimore, Glen Burnie and Bel Air. Plaza Ford becomes the group\u2019s seventh rooftop, deepening its Ford presence and expanding its footprint in high-growth Hartford County.<\/p>

\n\u201cWe congratulate J.P. Bishop and the Bob Bell Automotive Group on a strategic acquisition that further strengthens their Maryland portfolio and foothold in the Bel Air market,\u201d added Robleto. \u201cWe are also grateful for the legal advisory work of Barrie Charapp Beaty of Charapp & Weiss, whose expertise was invaluable to our client throughout this transaction.\u201d<\/p>

\nThis transaction demonstrates the attractiveness of a premier domestic franchise in a growing market in today\u2019s buy\/sell market. Ford stands as the top domestic franchise in the US, leading its peers in market share, franchise sales performance and overall brand strength \u2013 anchored by the iconic F-series, the best-selling truck in America for 48 consecutive years. With US light vehicle sales up 6.4% in 2025, Ford\u2019s growth rate nearly tripled the industry average and also outpaced both Chevrolet and CDJR. With 77% of its vehicles assembled in the US, Ford is uniquely positioned among domestic brands to benefit from the Trump administration\u2019s \u201cMade in America\u201d policies, resulting in significantly reduced tariff exposure relative to its competitors.<\/p>

\nHarford County is home to more than 265,000 residents with median household incomes of $107,000 \u2013 34% above the US average \u2013 and its population is projected to grow 11% to nearly 294,000 by 2045. With only two Ford points in Harford County, representing a population-per-Ford franchise of approximately 133,000 (50% higher than competing domestic brands), Ford holds a distinct advantage in the market. And Bel Air Auto Row, where Plaza Ford is located, is a high-volume non-luxury corridor, commanding 96% of non-luxury market share \u2013 17% above the US average.<\/p>

\n\u201cThis transaction is a perfect example of the momentum we are seeing in the buy\/sell market and the trends highlighted in our most recent Blue Sky Report<\/a>,\u201d said Erin Kerrigan, Founder and Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. \u201cToday\u2019s growing dealers are moving from playing checkers to chess \u2013 making precise, market-driven acquisitions that expand their local dominance, optimize their franchise portfolios and position their groups for long-term success with added geographic scale. Bob Bell Automotive Group recognized the exceptional opportunity Plaza Ford represented to expand their presence in a market in which they already have a presence and add a premier Ford franchise. These are exactly the kinds of acquisitions defining the most successful dealer groups today. Thank you to the Walls family for the honor of representing their esteemed legacy in auto retail, and congratulations to Bob Bell on this very strategic acquisition.\u201d<\/p>

\nBarrie Charapp Beaty of Charapp & Weiss, LLP served as legal counsel on the transaction.<\/p>

\nAbout Kerrigan Advisors<\/b><\/p>

\nKerrigan Advisors is the leading sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide. Since its founding in 2014, the firm has led the industry with the sale of over 325 dealerships generating more than $10 billion in client proceeds, including two of the largest transactions in auto retail history \u2013 the sale of Jim Koons Automotive Companies to Asbury and Leith Automotive to Holman. The firm advises the industry\u2019s leading dealership groups, enhancing value through the lifecycle of growing, operating and, when the time is right, selling their businesses. Led by a team of veteran industry experts with backgrounds in investment banking, private equity, accounting, finance and real estate, Kerrigan Advisors is the only<\/span><\/i><\/b> firm in auto retail exclusively dedicated to sell-side advisory<\/span><\/i><\/b>, providing its clients with the assurance of a conflict-free approach<\/span><\/i><\/b>.<\/p>

\nKerrigan Advisors monitors conditions in the buy\/sell market and publishes an in-depth analysis each quarter in The Blue Sky Report\u00ae, which includes Kerrigan Advisors\u2019 signature blue sky charts, multiples, and analysis for each franchise in the luxury and non-luxury segments. To download a preview of the report, click here.<\/b><\/a> The firm also releases monthly The Kerrigan Index\u2122<\/b><\/a> composed of the seven publicly traded auto retail companies with operations focused on the US market. The Kerrigan Auto Retail Index is designed to track dealership valuation trends, while also providing key insights into factors influencing auto retail. To read the 2025 Kerrigan Dealer Survey, click here.<\/b><\/a> To read the 2025 Kerrigan OEM Survey, click here.<\/b><\/a> Kerrigan Advisors also is the co-author of NADA\u2019s Guide to Buying and Selling a Dealership.<\/p> Contacts<\/b>

\nKerrigan Advisors Media Contact:<\/b>Crystal Hartwell , mWEBB Communications, 714-987-1016, crystal@mwebbcom.com<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sale of historic Ford dealership marks Kerrigan Advisors\u2019 327th dealership sold since 2015 and 51st Mid-Atlantic franchise transactionBALTIMORE, Md.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AutoRetail–Kerrigan Advisors, the leading sell-side advisor and thought partner to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-infos-businesswire"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3623"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3624,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3623\/revisions\/3624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stocks-future.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}