MD Johnson
MD Johnson Inc. is a privately held sell-side M&A advisory firm exclusively serving U.S. automotive dealership owners. Founded in 2001 and based in Enumclaw, WA, it manages full transaction lifecycles from valuation through onsite closing, with over $8 billion in cumulative deal work.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersEnumclaw, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What MD Johnson does
MD Johnson Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned sell-side M&A advisory firm exclusively serving automotive dealership owners in the United States. Founded in 2001 by Mark Johnson, a former Washington State new vehicle dealer with nearly 20 years of retail experience, the firm is headquartered in Enumclaw, WA and operates with a lean team of approximately 1–10 employees, including four named professionals covering founder/president, two sell-side transaction advisors, and a data management executive.
The firm's core offering is end-to-end sell-side advisory for automotive dealership transactions, spanning confidential initial consultation, honest valuation assessment, strategic timing guidance, negotiation support, and onsite transaction management from engagement through closing alongside client attorneys and CPAs. The service bundle is reinforced by pre-sale and post-sale onsite consulting with client staff, and by wholly-owned subsidiary MDJ Realty, which manages the real estate component of buy-sell agreements at no additional cost. The firm claims to have consulted with virtually all top 150 automotive groups and public companies and to have executed over $8 billion in cumulative transaction work across brands.
The business model is professional services fees tied to individual sell-side mandates, with no public pricing or subscription components. Distribution is direct and relationship-driven: the firm does not use resellers or channel partners and relies on industry visibility through Mark Johnson's role as Editor and Publisher of Automotive Buy Sell Report, plus selective media coverage and speaking engagements. Recent high-profile activity includes exclusively advising on Lithia Motors' 2025 acquisition of Porsche Beverly Hills and Santa Monica Audi, a transaction projected at nearly $450 million in annual revenues.
MD Johnson firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MD Johnson
- Legal name
- MD Johnson Inc.
- Website
- https://mdjohnsoninc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- MD Johnson Inc. is a privately held sell-side M&A advisory firm exclusively serving U.S. automotive dealership owners. Founded in 2001 and based in Enumclaw, WA, it manages full transaction lifecycles from valuation through onsite closing, with over $8 billion in cumulative deal work.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MD Johnson industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Dealership M&A Advisory
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sell-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAA)
Keywords
Where MD Johnson is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Enumclaw
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MD Johnson business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- M&A Advisory Services: Professional consulting fees for sell-side advisory services in automotive dealership M&A transactions. The firm manages the complete transaction lifecycle from engagement through closing, including negotiation support and coordination with attorneys and CPAs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
MD Johnson product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MD Johnson Inc. provides exclusive sell-side M&A advisory services to automotive dealership owners, managing the entire transaction lifecycle from initial engagement through onsite closing alongside attorneys and CPAs. The firm also delivers dealership valuation assessments, pre-sale and post-sale onsite consulting, and handles the real estate component of buy-sell agreements through its wholly owned subsidiary MDJ Realty at no additional cost to clients.
Product overview
MD Johnson Inc. operates as a specialized automotive dealership M&A advisory firm offering a unified service platform centered on sell-side advisory. The core offering comprises exclusive sell-side transaction management from engagement through closing, complemented by pre and post-sale onsite consulting services. The company extends its capabilities through MDJ Realty, a subsidiary that handles the real estate components of transactions at no additional cost. Additional offerings include dealership valuation services and the Automotive Buy Sell Report, an industry publication covering dealership M&A news.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sell-Side Advisory Services
Companies that use MD Johnson
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MD Johnson technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
MD Johnson partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Lithia Motors (Lithia & Driveway)coreMD Johnson Inc. exclusively advised on Lithia Motors' acquisition of Porsche Beverly Hills and Santa Monica Audi dealerships from seller Geoff Emery. The deal, valued at nearly $450 million in projected annual revenues, positions Lithia in the most prestigious luxury automotive market in the United States. CEO Bryan DeBoer expressed longstanding confidence in the relationship with MD Johnson, which has over $8 billion in transaction work across all brands.
- MDJ Realty (Real Estate Subsidiary)coreMDJ Realty is MD Johnson's real estate subsidiary that manages the real estate component of buy-sell agreements at no additional cost to clients. This integrated service ensures the integrity and continuity of dealership transactions by handling the real estate aspect alongside the business sale.
- Geoff EmerycoreGeoff Emery was the seller of the Porsche Beverly Hills and Santa Monica Audi dealerships. MD Johnson Inc. exclusively advised on this transaction as the sell-side advisor, facilitating the nearly $450 million deal with Lithia Motors.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
MD Johnson competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kerrigan Advisors: The most prominent direct competitor; an exclusive sell-side M&A advisory firm serving US auto dealers with blue-sky valuation, succession planning, and transaction management — directly comparable to MD Johnson's core offering.
- Haig Partners: A leading sell-side M&A advisory firm focused exclusively on US automotive dealerships; offers valuation, deal sourcing, and transaction execution — a near-clone of MD Johnson's service model.
- Stander Group: Auto dealership M&A advisory firm serving sellers and buyers, providing buy-sell representation and consulting across franchise groups — comparable niche focus on dealership transactions.
- George K. Baum & Company: Middle-market investment bank with an active automotive dealership M&A practice, providing sell-side advisory to franchised dealers — competes for similar middle-market dealership mandates.
- Performance Brokerage Services: Long-standing automotive dealership buy-sell brokerage serving franchised dealers in the US — direct overlap in target customer (US franchised auto dealers) and core service (sell-side representation).
Broad incumbents
- Stifel Financial: Full-service brokerage and investment bank with a dedicated auto retail and dealer M&A practice; broader platform competes on larger dealership and dealer group transactions.
- Houlihan Lokey: Global investment bank with automotive M&A coverage that occasionally competes for large auto retail and dealership mandates — broader financial services but overlapping on premium dealership sell-sides.
- BDO USA: Top-tier accounting and advisory firm with a dedicated Dealer Services practice serving franchised auto dealers on valuation, M&A, and succession — broader portfolio but competes for higher-end dealership mandates.
- Crowe LLP: Large accounting and advisory firm with an Auto Dealership Services group providing M&A advisory and valuation to franchised dealers — broader offering and national reach compete with MD Johnson on enterprise mandates.
Emerging players
- NCM Associates: Provider of 20 Group peer benchmarking and consulting to US auto dealers; tangential to M&A but with overlapping customer base and dealership operational advisory relationships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
MD Johnson social profiles
Digital presenceMD Johnson financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MD Johnson leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
MD Johnson subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
MD Johnson funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MD Johnson M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MD Johnson
What does MD Johnson do?
MD Johnson Inc. provides exclusive sell-side M&A advisory services to automotive dealership owners, managing the entire transaction lifecycle from initial engagement through onsite closing alongside attorneys and CPAs. The firm also delivers dealership valuation assessments, pre-sale and post-sale onsite consulting, and handles the real estate component of buy-sell agreements through its wholly owned subsidiary MDJ Realty at no additional cost to clients.
Is MD Johnson a public or private company?
MD Johnson is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MD Johnson founded?
MD Johnson was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is MD Johnson based?
MD Johnson is headquartered in Enumclaw, United States, in the North America region.
How does MD Johnson make money?
One revenue line is on record: M&A Advisory Services.
Who are MD Johnson's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kerrigan Advisors, Haig Partners, Stander Group, George K. Baum & Company and Performance Brokerage Services. Broad incumbents are Stifel Financial, Houlihan Lokey, BDO USA and Crowe LLP. NCM Associates is listed as an emerging player.
Does MD Johnson have an API?
No public API is recorded for MD Johnson.
What industry is MD Johnson in?
MD Johnson's product category is Automotive Dealership M&A Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAGAA, Sell-Side M&A Advisory. Its NAICS code is 54161.