LaFontaine Automotive Group

What LaFontaine Automotive Group does

LaFontaine Automotive Group is a family-owned automotive dealer group headquartered in Highland Charter Township, Michigan, operating 36 retail locations statewide and representing 30+ vehicle brands including mass-market names (Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Toyota), premium brands (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Genesis, Cadillac, Lincoln, Volvo), luxury/exotic names (Aston Martin), and electric/commercial lines (BrightDrop). The company's core products are organized into five lines: new vehicle sales, pre-owned and certified pre-owned sales, a dedicated commercial/work truck division (Ford, GMC, Chevrolet, Ram) with fleet and upfit consultation, full-service maintenance and parts, and collision repair. Ancillary revenue comes from in-house auto financing and leasing, F&I products, trade-in appraisal, mobile service, classic car sales via a separate channel, and a Luxury Lineup sub-brand. Revenue is generated across four streams — vehicle sales (one-time transactions), service and parts (transaction-fee based), F&I (transaction-fee based), and commercial fleet sales — distributed through a direct-to-consumer retail model with a separate direct sales channel for fleet customers.

The commercial truck business is supported by participation in manufacturer networks (GM Business Elite, Ram Business Link, Ford Business Preferred), which grant access to fleet buyers, upfit solutions, and business financing. LaFontaine's go-to-market combines physical dealerships with a website (familydeal.com) offering inventory search, test-drive scheduling, finance pre-approval, and trade-in valuation, plus dedicated websites for commercial trucks and classic cars. All locations are interconnected to share inventory across Michigan. The company markets through the family-owned "The Family Deal" brand and operates the U CAN-CER VIVE cancer-research foundation as a community engagement pillar.

The company was founded in 1980 by siblings Ryan and Kelley LaFontaine and remains privately held with no disclosed external or institutional ownership. Its growth strategy has been concentrated in Michigan, executed primarily through dealership group acquisitions — most notably the January 2024 acquisition of the Orrin B. Hayes Group in Kalamazoo, which added Mercedes-Benz/Sprinter dealerships and cemented LaFontaine's position as Michigan's largest family-owned dealer group. No public APIs, proprietary AI/ML capabilities, or developer-facing platforms are documented; the underlying technology stack is a standard dealership management and consumer e-commerce system.

Name

LaFontaine Automotive Group

Legal name

LaFontaine Automotive Group

Website

https://familydeal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

LaFontaine Automotive Group is a family-owned automotive dealer group operating 36 retail locations across Michigan, selling new, pre-owned, and certified pre-owned vehicles from 30+ brands alongside service, parts, collision, financing, and a dedicated commercial/fleet division serving individual consumers and business fleet customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Retail Dealership

NAICS

Used Car Dealers (441120)

SIC

Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500), Services-Automotive Repair, Services & Parking (7500)

akta.pro primary industry

Fleet Lifecycle Management (Acquisition-to-Disposal) (TLABAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Service Fleet Management (Outsourced Fleet Programs) (THADAKAA), Maintenance Management Programs (Preventive Maintenance, Vendor Networks) (TLABAIAG), Dealer-Sold & F&I Administered Service Contracts (Dealer Obligors) (FSAJALAD)

Keywords

• Automotive retail
• Vehicle dealership
• Commercial fleet sales
• Auto service
• Vehicle financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Highland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales: New, pre-owned, and certified pre-owned vehicle sales across 30+ brands through dealership network
2. Service and Parts: Vehicle maintenance, repairs, parts sales, and collision services through service departments
3. Finance and Insurance: Auto financing, leasing, and trade-in services
4. Commercial Fleet Sales: Commercial vehicle sales to business customers with fleet consultation, upfitting, and financing solutions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LaFontaine Automotive Group operates a 36-location multi-brand automotive dealership network across Michigan, selling new, certified pre-owned, and used vehicles from 30+ brands. The group also runs a dedicated commercial/work truck division with fleet consulting, full-service maintenance and collision repair departments, and in-house auto financing and leasing services.

Product overview

LaFontaine Automotive Group is a multi-brand automotive dealership network operating as Michigan's largest family-owned dealer group. The company offers a unified platform spanning new and pre-owned vehicle sales across over 30 vehicle brands, specialized commercial/work truck sales with dedicated fleet consulting, full-service maintenance and collision repair, and auto financing. Key product lines include the core retail vehicle sales (new, pre-owned, certified pre-owned), a dedicated Work Trucks & Commercial division (Ford, GMC, Chevrolet, Ram commercial vehicles), Service & Parts departments, Collision Centers, Luxury vehicle sales, and Classic Cars. The group also operates the U CAN-CER VIVE cancer research foundation. All locations are interconnected to share inventory across Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Family Deal: Customer service and sales program emphasizing family values and personalized vehicle purchasing experience.
• U CAN-CER VIVE

Products and services

• New Vehicle Sales Sale of new vehicles from over 30 automotive brands including Chevrolet, Ford, Ram, Jeep, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and others at 36 retail dealership locations across Michigan.
• Pre-Owned Vehicle Sales Sale of certified pre-owned and used vehicles, including a dedicated certified pre-owned program, vehicles priced between $15,000-$30,000, and a broad selection of late-model used inventory from multiple brands.
• Work Trucks & Commercial Vehicles Specialized commercial truck sales featuring Ford, GMC, Chevrolet, and Ram commercial vehicles including flat bed trucks, service body trucks, box trucks, dump trucks, pickup trucks, chassis cabs, cargo vans, and transit vehicles, with upfit consultation and fleet financing through GM Business Elite, Ram Business Link, and Ford Business Preferred dealer networks.
• Service & Parts Vehicle maintenance and repair services including oil changes, tire rotations, brake pad replacements, alignments, and scheduled maintenance across all locations, with mobile service options and dedicated parts ordering.
• Collision Center Collision repair and auto body services that restore vehicles to pre-accident condition, using genuine OEM parts and serving all makes and models. Includes the Collision Care+ program.
• Auto Finance & Leasing Financing solutions including auto loans, leasing options, and trade-in appraisal services, with finance professionals at every dealership to structure payment packages.
• Luxury Lineup Dedicated luxury vehicle sales featuring premium brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Genesis, Cadillac, Lincoln, Aston Martin, and Volvo, including a dedicated luxury vehicle search experience.
• Classic Cars Specialized sales channel for vintage and classic automobiles through familydeal.classiccars.com, offering a curated selection of collector vehicles.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• General Motors Business ElitecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLaFontaine Fleet & Commercial team participates in the General Motors Business Elite network for commercial vehicle sales and consultation.
• Ram Business LinkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLaFontaine Fleet & Commercial team participates in the Ram Business Link network for commercial vehicle sales and consultation.
• Ford Business Preferred NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLaFontaine Fleet & Commercial team participates in the Ford Business Preferred Network for commercial vehicle sales and consultation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AutoNation: Largest US auto retailer with ~250+ new and used vehicle franchises across multiple brands. Direct peer on multi-brand franchised dealer model, F&I, and parts/service operations.
• Sonic Automotive: ~140-store US franchised dealer group with EchoPark used-vehicle standalone brand. Comparable multi-brand franchised model with parallel used-car and F&I streams.
• Ken Garff Automotive Group: Largest privately held US dealer group (~60+ stores across multiple states). Closest structural analog as a family-controlled multi-brand private dealer.
• Group 1 Automotive: ~200-store multi-brand franchised dealer group with material US footprint. Directly comparable on multi-brand new/used sales, F&I, and parts/service revenue mix.
• Holman Enterprises: Family-owned automotive services group operating franchised dealerships and a significant commercial fleet management business—direct overlap on private family-owned model and fleet services.
• Lithia Motors: Massive US franchised dealer group with ~300 stores across dozens of brands and omnichannel (Driveway) digital retail. Closest pure-play comparable on growth-by-acquisition strategy.
• Asbury Automotive Group: ~150-store US franchised dealer group comparable in scale, brand mix, and service/parts revenue. Heavy overlap in customer financing, F&I, and click-to-deal digital retailing.

Regional players

• Suburban Collection: Large Michigan-based family-owned dealer group competing head-to-head with LaFontaine for the same regional brands and customers within the state.

Broad incumbents

• CarMax: Largest US used-vehicle retailer with captive financing (Carmax Auto Finance). Adjacent/competing on used-car and F&I where LaFontaine's pre-owned and finance arms compete for the same consumer.
• Penske Automotive Group: Premium-heavy US/international franchised dealer group (~300+ stores), including luxury brands also carried by LaFontaine (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Volvo). Overlaps on premium brand franchising and commercial truck operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lafontaineauto
• Facebookfacebook.com/LaFontaine.Automotive.Group
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lafontaine-automotive-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LaFontaine Automotive Group