Clift

What Clift does

Clift Buick GMC is a family-owned and operated automobile dealership founded in 1983 and headquartered at 1115 S Main Street, Adrian, Michigan. The company is an authorized franchisee for General Motors' Buick and GMC brands, selling new vehicles across the Buick lineup (Envista, Encore GX, Envision, Enclave) and the GMC lineup (Canyon, Sierra 1500, Sierra HD, Terrain, Acadia, Yukon), alongside a multi-brand pre-owned inventory. The business operates a full ancillary stack including a GM-certified service and parts department using GM Genuine Parts and ACDelco components, a body shop and collision repair facility, a professional detail center, and in-house vehicle financing with guaranteed credit approval. Clift also offers upfitted GMC trucks through a partnership with Rocky Ridge Trucks and participates in GM's CarBravo certified pre-owned digital marketplace.

The revenue model combines one-time new and used vehicle sales with recurring service, parts, and collision repair revenue plus F&I transaction fees from financing and trade-in programs. Pricing is unit-based and quote-driven, with advertised lease offers ranging from $253 to $598 per month and oil change services starting at $74.95. Go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer through the single Adrian retail showroom, supported by digital channels including the cliftauto.com website, Google paid search and remarketing, Facebook organic social, email marketing, and limited-time promotional events such as the Red Tag Event. The customer base consists of individual consumers and families across southern Michigan and northwest Ohio, including Adrian, Hillsdale, Jackson, Ann Arbor, Monroe, Dundee, Manchester, Tecumseh, Blissfield, Clinton, and Hudson, as well as Toledo, Perrysburg, and Sylvania in Ohio. The technology layer consists of standard dealer systems: online inventory management, service scheduling, digital marketing platforms, and Google Analytics, with no disclosed proprietary technology, AI/ML capability, or data assets. Ownership remains with the founding family under Garry Clift as Founder and President, with no institutional capital, parent company, or franchise group affiliation.

Name

Clift

Legal name

Clift Buick GMC

Website

https://cliftauto.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clift Buick GMC is a family-owned Buick and GMC dealership founded in 1983 in Adrian, Michigan, selling new and pre-owned vehicles, service, parts, body shop, and financing to individual consumers and families across southern Michigan and northwest Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Adrian

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales: Sales of new Buick and GMC vehicles, as well as pre-owned vehicles from multiple manufacturers including Buick, Chevy, Dodge, GMC, Nissan, Ram, and more
2. Service and Parts: Maintenance services including oil changes, brake service, battery service, tire services, transmission service, and multi-point inspections. Parts sales including GM Genuine Parts and ACDelco products
3. Body Shop and Collision Repair: Expert collision repair, body shop services, auto repair, and detailing services
4. Financing Services: In-house financing options, guaranteed credit approval programs, credit applications, and financing partnerships
5. Trade-in Programs: Red Tag Event offering additional $500 on trade values; instant cash offers for trade-in vehicles

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clift Buick GMC operates a family-owned authorized Buick and GMC automobile dealership in Adrian, Michigan, selling new Buick and GMC vehicles along with pre-owned vehicles from multiple brands. The dealership also provides vehicle service and parts using GM Genuine Parts and ACDelco products, body shop and collision repair, a detailing center, and in-house financing with guaranteed credit approval.

Product overview

Clift Buick GMC is a Buick and GMC automobile dealership offering new and pre-owned vehicle sales along with comprehensive automotive services. The core offering consists of new Buick vehicles (Envista, Encore GX, Envision, Enclave) and new GMC vehicles (Canyon, Sierra 1500, Sierra HD, Terrain, Acadia, Yukon) complemented by pre-owned vehicles from multiple brands. Supporting services include a full-service department with maintenance and repairs using GM Genuine Parts and ACDelco components, body shop and collision repair services, professional detailing, vehicle financing with credit approval options, and online parts ordering through manufacturer portals. The dealership also offers modified trucks through Rocky Ridge Trucks upfitting partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rocky Ridge Trucks: Uplifted/modified GMC pickup trucks including GMC XP and K2 models, offered through partnership with Rocky Ridge Trucks
• CarBravo

Products and services

• New Buick Vehicles Sale of new factory-fresh Buick-brand vehicles through the authorized Buick franchise, available to individual retail buyers in Adrian, Michigan and surrounding areas.
• New GMC Vehicles Sale of new factory-fresh GMC-brand vehicles through the authorized GMC franchise, including trucks and SUVs, available to individual retail buyers.
• Pre-Owned Vehicles Sale of used vehicles from multiple brands stocked on the dealership lot, offered to retail buyers seeking lower-priced alternatives to new vehicles.
• CarBravo Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles GM-backed certified pre-owned vehicle program offering inspected and reconditioned used vehicles with manufacturer-backed limited warranty coverage.
• Rocky Ridge Trucks Specialty upfit GMC trucks customized through a partnership with Rocky Ridge Trucks, offering premium suspension, wheels, tires, and exterior packages built on new GMC platforms.
• Vehicle Service and Parts Maintenance, diagnostics, and repair services for Buick, GMC, and other vehicles using GM Genuine Parts and ACDelco products, staffed by GM-certified technicians, with same-day service appointments available.
• Body Shop and Collision Repair Collision repair, body work, and paint services for damaged vehicles, restoring vehicles to pre-accident condition.
• Detail Center Vehicle detailing services including interior and exterior cleaning, waxing, and reconditioning for retail customers.
• Vehicle Financing In-house auto finance and lease origination for vehicle purchases, providing loan arrangements through dealer-arranged lenders with a guaranteed credit approval commitment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 years of service to the Adrian community

Named customers2 records

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• General Motors (GM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAuthorized Buick and GMC dealership operating under GM's dealer network. Has access to GM's vehicle lineup, certified parts, GM Genuine Parts, ACDelco products, and GM's financing programs. GM collects personal information and vehicle purchase data from this dealership.
• Rocky Ridge TrucksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDealership partners with Rocky Ridge Trucks to offer upfitted/modified GMC pickup trucks including models like the GMC XP and K2. These are lifted trucks with custom modifications sold at the dealership.
• CarBravocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGM's certified pre-owned vehicle program allowing the dealership to sell quality pre-owned vehicles through the CarBravo marketplace platform. Links to CarBravo inventory at buy.cliftauto.com and carbravo.cliftauto.com.
• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle provides advertising and analytics services including AdSense, AdWords, Google Analytics, and DoubleClick for remarketing and interest-based advertising to drive customer acquisition.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carvana: Online used-vehicle retailer with home delivery and 7-day returns. Increasingly competes with Clift's used-car business as consumer adoption of online car-buying grows in Michigan and Ohio.
• CarMax: National used-vehicle retailer with omnichannel inventory browsing and reconditioned vehicles. Directly competes with Clift's pre-owned vehicle business for used-car buyers in the broader Michigan/Ohio region.
• Betten Baker Auto Group: Western Michigan family-owned dealer group operating multiple franchises with new/used sales and service. Closely comparable to Clift as a regional, family-influenced multi-franchise dealer serving Michigan communities.
• Suburban Collection Holdings: Large Michigan-based dealer group with multiple new and used vehicle franchises plus service and collision operations. Comparable franchise dealer model and regional Michigan footprint, though at significantly greater scale than Clift.
• LaFontaine Automotive Group: Family-owned Michigan dealer group offering new and pre-owned vehicles across multiple franchises with service and parts. Comparable to Clift in family-ownership structure, regional Michigan focus, and full-service dealership model.
• Feldman Automotive Group: Michigan-based, family-influenced multi-rooftop dealer group selling new and used vehicles with full service operations. Highly comparable to Clift in terms of regional Michigan presence and franchise-dealer business model, though materially larger in scale.
• Todd Wenzel Automotive Group: Michigan-based regional dealer group offering new and used vehicles from multiple franchises plus service. Comparable regional Michigan dealer model with similar franchise mix to Clift.

Broad incumbents

• AutoNation: Largest U.S. auto retailer operating hundreds of franchises nationwide with full-service operations. Represents the consolidated dealer model that Clift competes against at the broader market level.
• Lithia Motors: One of the largest U.S. dealer groups with aggressive acquisition strategy across multiple states and franchise brands. Sets the consolidation benchmark against which small independents like Clift are valued.

Others

• CarGurus: Online automotive marketplace that drives significant lead flow to dealers including Clift (which lists inventory on its platform). Functions as an enabling channel for Clift's new and pre-owned sales rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Cliftbuickgmc1
• Xx.com/cliftbuickgmc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clift-buick-gmc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Clift