Berman Auto Group

What Berman Auto Group does

Berman Auto Group is a family-owned automotive dealership group founded in 1987 by Michael Berman, operating eight wholly-owned retail locations across the Chicagoland metropolitan area (Chicago, Oak Lawn, Lincolnwood, and Niles). The group sells new vehicles under nine franchise brands — Nissan (two stores), Subaru, Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram, Kia, Hyundai, and INFINITI — and operates a dedicated pre-owned channel called the Berman Buying Center. The company employs 600+ people and has grown from a single Mid City Nissan store to its current eight-store footprint over nearly four decades of founder-led, bootstrapped expansion, with no disclosed private equity, venture capital, or corporate parent involvement.

The business generates revenue through four primary streams: new vehicle sales, pre-owned vehicle sales (including a trade-in buy-side operation), service and maintenance (with complimentary car washes and loaner vehicles as retention hooks), and vehicle financing facilitated through in-dealership finance departments. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is determined per dealership through in-person negotiation or call-based inquiry; the Berman Buying Center offers a fixed three-step online trade-in process (Get an Offer, Quick Inspection, Get Paid). The group operates under a group-wide Perfect Car Promise that bundles a 30-day exchange guarantee, complimentary service amenities, and a 15% accessories discount as customer assurance features. Distribution is exclusively regional across Chicagoland via physical showrooms, brand-specific subdomains, and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok).

From a technology standpoint, Berman Auto Group operates a traditional dealership model with no proprietary software platform disclosed; its technology stack includes a corporate website aligned to WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility standards, brand-specific subdomains per dealership, a separate used-vehicle e-commerce property, and SmartRecruiters as its ATS/HRIS. There are no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, patents, APIs, or mobile applications; the company's competitive positioning rests on physical distribution density, brand recognition built over 40+ years, multilingual staff serving diverse Chicago communities, and multi-generational customer relationships rather than on technology differentiation.

Name

Berman Auto Group

Legal name

Berman Auto Group

Website

https://berman.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Berman Auto Group is a family-owned Chicagoland automotive dealership group founded in 1987, operating eight retail stores selling new and pre-owned vehicles across nine franchise brands, plus service, parts, and financing for individual consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Retail

NAICS

Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441), New Car Dealers (44111), Used Car Dealers (441120), Used Car Dealers (44112)

SIC

Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500), Services-Automotive Repair, Services & Parking (7500), Retail-Auto & Home Supply Stores (5531)

akta.pro primary industry

New & Used Auto Purchase Loans (FSAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Auto & Vehicle Leasing (Personal Use) (FSAKANAA), Dealer-Sold & F&I Administered Service Contracts (Dealer Obligors) (FSAJALAD)

Keywords

• Automotive retail
• New vehicle sales
• Used vehicle sales
• Auto dealership services
• Vehicle financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Niles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. New Vehicle Sales: Sale of new vehicles from multiple franchises including Nissan, Subaru, Kia, Hyundai, INFINITI, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands through 7 branded dealerships.
2. Used Vehicle Sales: Pre-owned vehicle sales through Berman Buying Center and individual dealership used car lots. Customers can also sell their vehicles to the dealership.
3. Service and Maintenance: Vehicle service, maintenance, and repair services at each dealership location. Includes complimentary car wash with qualifying service visits and loaner vehicles.
4. Financing: Vehicle financing and loan arrangements for purchases, facilitated through dealership finance departments.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Family-owned automotive dealership group operating 8 stores in Chicagoland since 1987, selling new vehicles across Subaru, Nissan, Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram, Kia, Hyundai, and INFINITI brands, alongside a dedicated pre-owned Buying Center for used vehicles. Operations span new vehicle sales, used vehicle sales, manufacturer-certified service and parts, and customer financing.

Product overview

Berman Auto Group operates as a family-owned auto dealership network consisting of eight distinct dealership brands across Chicagoland, unified under the Berman family name and shared service commitments since 1987. The portfolio spans multiple vehicle brands: Berman Subaru of Chicago (Subaru), Berman Nissan of Chicago and Star Nissan (Nissan), Berman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram), Berman Kia (Kia), Berman Hyundai (Hyundai), Star INFINITI (INFINITI), plus the Berman Buying Center for pre-owned vehicles. All eight dealerships share group-level programs including the Perfect Car Promise (complimentary car wash, loaner vehicles, 15% accessories discount, and 30-day exchange). The group provides new and pre-owned vehicle sales, financing, and service across all locations, all grounded in a customer-first approach built on relationship-driven principles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Berman Subaru Dealership
• Berman Nissan Dealership
• Berman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Dealership
• Berman Kia Dealership
• Berman Hyundai Dealership
• Berman INFINITI Dealership
• Berman Pre-Owned Buying Center

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AutoNation: Largest U.S. franchised auto retailer (~250+ stores) operating across many of the same OEM franchises (Nissan, Hyundai, Subaru, CDJR) that Berman carries. Comparable in core new-and-used vehicle retail and F&I model, but operates at national scale versus Berman's single-metro footprint.
• Group 1 Automotive: Public, multi-brand franchised dealer group with overlapping OEM exposure (Nissan, Hyundai/Kia, Toyota, Honda, BMW). Comparable operating model — new, used, F&I, and fixed-ops — and is a likely acquirer profile for a multi-store independent like Berman.
• Lithia Motors (Driveway): Largest U.S. dealer group by store count with aggressive M&A roll-up strategy. Directly comparable franchise mix and acquisition appetite for independent groups like Berman, and represents a strategic exit buyer for the founder.
• Asbury Automotive Group: Public franchised dealer group with meaningful overlap in import and domestic brands and a similar Clicklane digital retail platform. Comparable in F&I and service strategy and a plausible consolidator of mid-sized independents.
• Sonic Automotive: Public franchised dealer group with EchoPark used-vehicle stores, overlapping import franchise mix and a similar dual new-and-used strategy. Provides a useful comp for how mid-sized dealer groups evolve omnichannel retail.

Direct peers

• Zeigler Auto Group: Family-owned, multi-brand dealer group also headquartered in the Chicago metro (Schaumburg) with overlapping brands (CDJR, Honda, Toyota, BMW, Nissan) and a similar independent, community-driven GTM. The most direct regional peer and a likely local M&A counterpart.
• Ed Napleton Automotive Group: Large privately held, family-operated multi-brand dealer group based in Oakbrook Terrace, IL with extensive Chicagoland presence across the same OEM franchises (Nissan, Honda, Toyota, CDJR, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, INFINITI). Operates the same independent-family model competing head-to-head with Berman in the same geography.

Emerging players

• CarMax: National used-vehicle retailer with multiple Chicagoland stores. Competes directly with the Berman Buying Center for pre-owned buyers and trade-in supply, but is a pure-play used model without new vehicle franchises.
• Carvana: Online used-vehicle retailer delivering nationwide including Chicagoland. Competes with Berman's pre-owned channel via a fully digital, no-haggle model that pressures both pricing transparency and trade-in acquisition.

Regional players

• McGrath Auto Group: Mid-sized multi-brand dealer group operating across the Midwest. Comparable independent, multi-brand retail model with overlapping franchise exposure (Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru) and similar size band, though operating in adjacent rather than the same Chicagoland geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bermanauto
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berman-auto-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/bermanautogroup
• TikToktiktok.com/@bermanautogroup

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Berman Auto Group