Sommer's Automotive

What Sommer's Automotive does

Sommer's Automotive is a family-owned, multi-brand franchised automobile dealership group operating from a single showroom at 7211 W Mequon Road in Mequon, Wisconsin. The group is organized around two wholly-owned operating sub-brands — Sommer's Subaru and Sommer's Buick GMC — holding authorized franchises with Subaru of America and General Motors (Buick and GMC), and has been family-owned for approximately 60 years, with the original Buick GMC operation dating to 1946 and the broader group formalized in 1966. The business serves individual consumers in southeastern Wisconsin, including the Milwaukee, Mequon, Waukesha, and Brookfield markets, and claims a customer base of "tens of thousands" accumulated over its operating history.

The company's revenue is generated through three streams: (1) new vehicle sales of Subaru, Buick, and GMC models, plus a diversified used-vehicle inventory across multiple non-franchised brands; (2) finance and insurance products including financing arranged through GM Financial and US Bank, extended warranties, and lease arrangements; and (3) service and parts operations for Subaru and GM vehicles, including OEM-certified maintenance and a genuine parts department. Pricing is set via manufacturer-suggested retail with a $395 dealer fee; lease and finance offers (e.g., 0.9%–3.9% APR depending on term) are publicly advertised. Distribution is conducted through a traditional physical showroom supported by an online inventory and service-scheduling website.

There is no proprietary technology platform; core operations rely on standard franchised-dealer systems and OEM-supplied tooling. Ownership remains with the Sommer family (Wally Sommer, Grant Sommer, and listed founder Don Sommer) with no external institutional capital, no parent company, and no disclosed M&A activity. Strategic posture is that of a mature, community-anchored, single-rooftop retailer rather than a consolidator or technology-led operator.

Name

Sommer's Automotive

Legal name

Sommer's Automotive

Website

https://sommerscars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sommer's Automotive is a family-owned, multi-brand franchised auto dealership in Mequon, Wisconsin, selling new Subaru, Buick, and GMC vehicles alongside used cars, with finance, service, and parts operations serving individual consumers across southeastern Wisconsin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mequon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales: Sale of new Subaru, Buick, and GMC vehicles along with used vehicles. Revenue generated from the markup over dealer invoice pricing.
2. Finance and Insurance Products: Financing arrangements, extended warranties, and vehicle protection products sold alongside vehicle purchases.
3. Service and Parts: Maintenance, repairs, and genuine parts sales for Subaru and GM vehicles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Sommer's Automotive is a family-owned franchised car dealership group operating Sommer's Subaru and Sommer's Buick GMC from a single location in Mequon, Wisconsin. It sells new Subaru, Buick, and GMC vehicles alongside pre-owned and certified pre-owned cars, and offers in-house vehicle service and parts, trade-in appraisal, and finance and leasing arrangements through partner lenders.

Product overview

Sommer's Automotive is a family-owned automotive dealership group operating as a multi-brand dealer offering new Subaru, GMC, and Buick vehicles alongside a diverse selection of used vehicles. The core offering consists of new vehicle sales across three distinct sub-brands (Sommer's Subaru, Sommer's Buick GMC) supported by certified pre-owned programs. The business also encompasses vehicle service and parts operations, finance and leasing services, and trade-in appraisal capabilities. The dealership has served customers for over 60 years, operating from a single location in Mequon, Wisconsin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sommer's Subaru: Subaru automobile dealership offering new Subaru vehicles including Outback, Crosstrek, Forester, Ascent, Impreza, WRX, BRZ, and Legacy, as well as certified pre-owned and used vehicles.
• Sommer's Buick GMC

Products and services

• New Subaru Vehicles Sale of new Subaru vehicles including Outback, Crosstrek, Forester, Ascent, Impreza, WRX, BRZ, and Legacy models, offered to individual consumers in southeastern Wisconsin through the Sommer's Subaru dealership.
• New GMC Vehicles Sale of new GMC vehicles including Sierra 1500, Canyon, Acadia, Terrain, Yukon, and Yukon XL models, offered to individual consumers through the Sommer's Buick GMC dealership.
• New Buick Vehicles Sale of new Buick vehicles including Encore GX, Envista, Envision, and Enclave SUVs and crossovers, offered to individual consumers through the Sommer's Buick GMC dealership.
• Used Vehicle Sales Sale of pre-owned vehicles from multiple manufacturers including Subaru, GMC, Buick, Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevrolet, Jeep, Kia, Hyundai, Cadillac, BMW, Nissan, and Acura, priced with the dealership's "Simplified Price" approach that includes documentation fees.
• Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles Subaru Certified Pre-Owned and GM Certified Pre-Owned vehicles that meet manufacturer standards and include extended powertrain warranty coverage (e.g., 7-year/100,000-mile) plus 3.99% APR financing offers.
• Vehicle Service & Parts Full-service automotive repair and maintenance for Subaru and GM vehicles, including scheduled maintenance, tire service, and major repairs, with complimentary rental vehicles offered during major service work.
• Finance & Leasing Vehicle financing and leasing services arranged through partner lenders including GM Financial and US Bank, with credit applications and lease special offers available on new vehicles (e.g., 0.9%–3.9% APR, $199–$499 monthly lease specials).

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Subaru of AmericacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Subaru franchise dealer. Offers new Subaru vehicles, certified pre-owned program, and dedicated Subaru service department with genuine parts.
• General Motors (Buick, GMC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Buick and GMC franchise dealer. Offers new Buick and GMC vehicles, GM certified pre-owned program, and dedicated GM service with genuine parts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• AutoNation: Largest U.S. franchised auto retailer with broad multi-brand strategy. Useful benchmark for public-company operational and valuation benchmarks for the franchised dealer model.
• CarMax: National used-vehicle retailer with no-haggle pricing model. Represents the most significant structural competitive threat to traditional franchise dealers' used vehicle operations.

Emerging players

• Carvana: Online used-car retailer pioneering direct-to-consumer vehicle delivery. Disruptive channel competing with traditional dealers for used-vehicle market share.

Regional players

• Heiser Automotive Group: Milwaukee-area multi-brand dealership group with comparable franchise mix. Direct geographic overlap with Sommer's in the Milwaukee metro.
• Eric von Schledorn Auto Group: Wisconsin-based family-owned dealership group with multiple rooftops. Comparable family-owned profile and franchise mix, though serving somewhat different regional markets (e.g., West Bend area).

Direct peers

• Boucher Auto Group: Wisconsin-based multi-brand dealership group serving the Milwaukee metro with multiple franchise rooftops. Comparable multi-brand mix, similar mid-size family-style operations, and overlapping geographic market.
• Van Horn Automotive Group: Wisconsin-based family-owned dealership group with multiple rooftops. Comparable family-ownership profile and multi-brand strategy, serving similar regional markets in Wisconsin.
• Russ Darrow Group: Multi-brand auto dealership group headquartered in southeastern Wisconsin (Menomonee Falls). Operates multiple rooftops across the Milwaukee metro with similar Subaru, GM, and other franchises — the most direct geographic and operational peer to Sommer's.
• Bergstrom Automotive: Large Wisconsin-based multi-brand dealer group (Neenah/Milwaukee area). Similar multi-franchise model including GM brands, serving overlapping Wisconsin markets with comparable service-and-parts operation.
• Lynch Auto Group: Wisconsin-based multi-brand dealership group operating in the Milwaukee metro. Similar mid-size family/dealer group operating model with overlapping Subaru/GM franchise footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SommersSubaru

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Sommer's Automotive