O'Brien Auto Team

What O'Brien Auto Team does

O'Brien Auto Team (legal entity: O'Brien Team Illinois) is a privately held, multi-brand automobile dealership group founded in 1987 and headquartered in Normal, Illinois. The company operates five physical dealership rooftops across the Bloomington-Normal, Illinois metropolitan area, holding authorized franchise rights for Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Nissan, and runs six wholly-owned operating subsidiaries — one per brand except for shared locations. Its core products are new vehicle sales, certified pre-owned vehicles (across Genesis CPO, HondaTrue, and Nissan CPO programs), and used vehicle sales backed by the proprietary BEST guarantee (12-month/12,000-mile warranty, 2-week/500-mile exchange, 72-point ASE-certified inspection). Supporting revenue streams include parts and service departments at each rooftop, online trade-in valuation, financing facilitation, and F&I products such as extended warranties and vehicle protection plans.

The underlying technology is a conventional dealer-management and online retail platform: an inventory search and browsing system, online service scheduling, a trade-in valuation tool, and the O'Brien Express end-to-end online buying flow. Distribution is a hybrid of physical retail rooftops serving individual consumers in central Illinois plus a digital storefront for browse, finance pre-approval, and remote purchase. Customer segments are horizontal — general consumers across price tiers — with brand-specific addressable segments via the six OEM partnerships. Monetization is transaction-based across four streams (new vehicle sales, used/CPO sales, F&I/financing, and service-parts), with manufacturer incentives, OEM captive financing, and service-driven recurring revenue layered on top.

No venture capital, private equity, or institutional investor involvement has been disclosed. The leadership team, ownership structure, and corporate history are not detailed in available sources. The competitive positioning rests on multi-brand convenience within a single metro, multi-OEM certified pre-owned coverage, and an established regional dealer brand rather than on technology differentiation, AI capability, or geographic breadth.

Name

O'Brien Auto Team

Legal name

O'Brien Team Illinois

Website

https://obrienteamil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

O'Brien Auto Team is a privately held, multi-brand automobile dealership group founded in 1987, operating five rooftops in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois for Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Nissan, selling new, certified pre-owned, and used vehicles plus service, parts, and financing to individual consumers in central Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Normal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

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, certified pre-owned, and used vehicles across six automotive brands (Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan). Revenue generated through vehicle transaction prices, including financing arrangements facilitated through dealership partnerships.
2. Service and Parts: Vehicle maintenance and repair services, genuine parts sales, and service scheduling. Service departments at all dealership locations provide ongoing revenue from existing vehicle owners.
3. Financing and Insurance: Facilitation of vehicle financing through lender partnerships and F&I (Finance and Insurance) products including extended warranties, vehicle protection plans, and insurance products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

O'Brien Auto Team operates six multi-brand automobile dealerships in the Bloomington-Normal, Illinois area, selling new vehicles from Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Nissan along with certified pre-owned and used vehicles, manufacturer-backed warranties, and factory-trained parts and repair services. The company also facilitates vehicle financing through lender partnerships and operates an online express buying platform and trade-in valuation tool.

Product overview

O'Brien Auto Team is a multi-brand automotive dealership group operating six dealership locations in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, representing Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Nissan. The company offers new vehicle sales, certified pre-owned vehicles, and used vehicle sales backed by a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty with a 72-point inspection by ASE Certified Technicians. Additional services include parts and service departments, online vehicle purchasing (O'Brien Express), vehicle trade-in valuation, financing options, and the O'Brien Rewards loyalty program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Genesis of Bloomington-Normal: Genesis luxury vehicle dealership located at 308 Landmark Dr, Normal, IL 61761
• O'Brien Honda of Bloomington
• O'Brien Hyundai of Normal
• O'Brien Kia of Bloomington
• O'Brien Mitsubishi of Normal
• O'Brien Nissan of Bloomington

Products and services

• New Vehicle Sales
• Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles
• Used Vehicle Sales
• Parts and Service
• Vehicle Financing
• O'Brien Express Online Buying
• Vehicle Trade-In Valuation
• O'Brien Rewards Loyalty Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 72-point inspection by ASE Certified Technician
• +2 more outcomes

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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GenesiscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGenesis of Bloomington-Normal is an authorized Genesis dealership operated by O'Brien Auto Team, selling new Genesis vehicles including G70, G80, G90, GV70, GV80 models, as well as certified pre-owned and used Genesis vehicles.
• HondacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorO'Brien Honda of Bloomington is an authorized Honda dealership selling new Honda vehicles including Accord, Civic, CR-V, HR-V, Pilot, and others, plus certified pre-owned and used Honda inventory.
• HyundaicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorO'Brien Hyundai of Normal is an authorized Hyundai dealership selling new Hyundai vehicles including Elantra, Sonata, Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade, and others, plus certified pre-owned and used Hyundai inventory.
• KiacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorO'Brien Kia of Bloomington is an authorized Kia dealership selling new Kia vehicles including Forte, K5, Sportage, Sorento, Carnival, and others, plus certified pre-owned and used Kia inventory.
• MitsubishicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorO'Brien Mitsubishi of Normal is an authorized Mitsubishi dealership selling new Mitsubishi vehicles including Outlander, Eclipse Cross, and others, plus certified pre-owned and used Mitsubishi inventory.
• NissancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorO'Brien Nissan of Bloomington is an authorized Nissan dealership selling new Nissan vehicles including Altima, Rogue, Frontier, Armada, Murano, Kicks, and others, plus certified pre-owned and used Nissan inventory.
• Genesis Certified Pre-Owned ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGenesis CPO program provides 191-point inspection, 72-month/75,000-mile limited warranty, 120-month/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, 10 years roadside assistance, and Genesis Connected Services for qualifying certified pre-owned vehicles.
• HondaTrue Certified ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHondaTrue Certified program provides 182-point inspection, 24-month/100,000-mile limited warranty, 84-month/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, roadside assistance, and complimentary oil changes for qualifying certified pre-owned vehicles.
• Nissan Certified Pre-Owned ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNissan CPO program provides 167-point inspection, 84-month/100,000-mile limited warranty, 7-year/100,000-mile roadside assistance, and vehicle history report for qualifying certified pre-owned vehicles.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• AutoNation: Largest U.S. auto retailer operating ~300 franchises across dozens of brands and multiple states. Comparable in core activity (multi-brand new/used vehicle retail, F&I, and service) but vastly larger in scale and geographic footprint than O'Brien.
• CarMax: National used-vehicle retailer with a fixed-price, no-haggle model and on-site financing. Operates a Bloomington, IL store that competes with O'Brien's used vehicle and BEST guarantee offering on overlapping makes.
• Sonic Automotive: Multi-brand U.S. auto dealer group with EchoPark used-vehicle stores. Direct overlap in new-franchise retail of Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, and Genesis-adjacent luxury, plus a competing used-car digital channel.
• Asbury Automotive Group: Multi-brand U.S. auto retailer with stores across many regions, including franchises overlapping with O'Brien's brand portfolio (Honda, Nissan). Closely aligned business model of new/used sales plus F&I and service.
• Lithia Motors: One of the largest U.S. auto dealer groups with hundreds of stores across many OEM brands including Honda, Hyundai, and Nissan. Same multi-brand dealership business model as O'Brien but operating at national scale with public-market disclosure.
• Group 1 Automotive: Public U.S. and U.K. auto retailer with broad OEM representation including Honda, Hyundai, and Nissan. Operates the same franchise-based retail model with F&I and service revenue mix comparable to O'Brien.

Direct peers

• Ken Garff Automotive Group: Privately held, family-owned multi-brand dealer group of similar size to O'Brien, concentrated in the western U.S. Closely comparable structure: multiple franchises, F&I, service, and a regional dominance model that mirrors O'Brien's Bloomington-Normal footprint.
• Borton Automotive Group: Family-owned multi-brand dealer group of comparable scale operating franchise rooftops with F&I and service operations. Same privately held, regionally concentrated dealership business model as O'Brien Auto Team.

Emerging players

• Carvana: Pure-play online used-vehicle retailer with home delivery and vending-machine pickup. Competes with O'Brien for used-car shoppers in central Illinois by removing the dealership visit and offering a similarly transparent purchase experience to O'Brien Express.
• Rivian (Direct Sales Reference): EV manufacturer selling direct-to-consumer bypassing the franchise model. Represents the structural threat to traditional dealers like O'Brien; included because Bloomington-Normal is part of Rivian's manufacturing geography and O'Brien's customer base overlaps with EV-curious buyers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/obrienteamil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 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 O'Brien Auto Team