Hickman Automotive Group

What Hickman Automotive Group does

Hickman Automotive Group is a fourth-generation, family-owned automotive dealership group headquartered in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, founded in 1905 by Albert E. Hickman. The group operates 13+ retail locations across Newfoundland and Labrador and into Nova Scotia, employing approximately 500 people and representing 15+ original equipment manufacturer (OEM) franchises spanning mass-market (Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Nissan, Honda, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, Fiat), luxury (Cadillac), commercial trucks (Volvo, Mack, Isuzu), and motorcycles (Harley-Davidson). Core revenue is generated through new vehicle sales, pre-owned and certified pre-owned vehicle sales (via the Hickman Select network), vehicle financing and insurance (F&I) arranged through captive and third-party lenders, after-sales service and parts, vehicle detailing (Hickman Autospa), and car rentals (NL Car Rentals).

The company's go-to-market is a traditional enterprise field sales / physical showroom model with no direct-to-consumer online vehicle sales — all purchases culminate in-person at a dealership. The technology stack is built around the Convertus Achilles CMS and Tadvantage platform (powered by AutoTrader.ca), which provides the website's inventory search, filtering, financing calculator, trade-in appraisal, and competitive pricing badges. Digital marketing extends across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, and an EV-focused content blog, with community engagement (Janeway Telethon fundraising, Tuition for a Year scholarship, organ donation awareness, distracted driving campaigns) reinforcing brand trust in the region.

Customer segments are primarily individual retail consumers in Newfoundland and Labrador, with a secondary commercial/fleet segment served through the Hickman Truck Centre. The group is family-controlled with Bert Hickman as President & CEO and Jonathan Hickman as Vice President; no external institutional investors, private equity backing, or parent company is present. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Recent strategic activity has been incremental and expansion-oriented, including the 2025 acquisition of Privateers Harley-Davidson in Halifax, Nova Scotia (the group's first major move outside Newfoundland and Labrador), the launch of the EV Essentials Kit positioning the group as a regional EV authority, and ongoing franchise additions such as Hickman Honda in Grand Falls-Windsor.

Name

Hickman Automotive Group

Legal name

Hickman Automotive Group

Website

https://hickmangroup.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hickman Automotive Group is a fourth-generation, family-owned automotive dealership group operating 13+ locations across Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia, retailing 15+ OEM brands to retail consumers and commercial fleet buyers, with complementary financing, service, detailing, and rental services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

St. John's

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. New Vehicle Sales: Sale of new vehicles from multiple franchised brands including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, Nissan, Honda, Fiat, Volvo, Mack, Isuzu, and Harley-Davidson. Revenue recognized at point of sale with financing arranged through captive or third-party lenders.
2. Used Vehicle Sales: Sale of pre-owned and certified pre-owned vehicles. Revenue recognized at point of sale. Hickman Select Certified Pre-Owned network operates across all locations.
3. Vehicle Financing and Insurance Products: Arrangement of vehicle financing through banks and captive lenders. Finance income likely earned as spread or fee. Additional revenue from vehicle protection products, extended warranties, and insurance.
4. Vehicle Service and Parts: After-sale service, maintenance, and parts sales. Not explicitly detailed on main pages but implied by 'after-sales services will exceed your expectations' and Autospa detailing service.
5. Vehicle Rental (NL Car Rentals): Car rental operations through affiliated NL Car Rentals brand.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels15 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Hickman Automotive Group operates a multi-brand automotive retail dealership business, selling new vehicles from 15+ franchised manufacturers across 13+ locations in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. The group also retails certified and pre-owned vehicles through the Hickman Select network, arranges vehicle financing and leasing through captive and third-party lenders, provides after-sales service and parts, and operates car rental (NL Car Rentals) and vehicle detailing (Hickman Autospa) services.

Product overview

Hickman Automotive Group is a fourth-generation family-owned automotive business established in 1905, comprised of multiple automotive franchises operating across Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia with 13 locations. The company's product portfolio centers on vehicle sales (new, pre-owned, certified pre-owned, and demo vehicles) from brands including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, Nissan, Honda, and Fiat, along with truck brands (Volvo, Mack, Isuzu) and motorcycle brands (Harley-Davidson). Supporting the core vehicle sales are complementary services including vehicle trade-in appraisals, car rentals through NL Car Rentals, professional vehicle detailing via Hickman Autospa, and an EV Essentials Kit providing information on electric vehicle ownership. The company employs approximately 500 people across its dealership locations and is headquartered in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hickman Select: Certified Pre-Owned vehicle network operating out of all locations
• EV Essentials Kit

Products and services

• New Vehicle Sales Retail sale of new vehicles from 15+ franchised brands including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, Nissan, Honda, Fiat, Volvo, Mack, Isuzu, and Harley-Davidson across dealership locations in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia. For individual consumers and commercial buyers.
• Hickman Select Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Sales Sale of certified pre-owned and pre-owned vehicles through the Hickman Select network operating across all dealership locations, offering quality-assured used vehicles.
• Vehicle Financing and Leasing Arrangement of vehicle financing and leasing through captive and third-party lenders, with advertised promotional rates including 0.99% to 4.99% APR financing over 84 months and 2.9% to 6.9% APR leases over 48 months.
• Hickman Truck Centre Commercial Truck Sales Sale of commercial trucks from Volvo, Mack, and Isuzu at Hickman Truck Centre in St. John's, serving fleet and commercial vehicle buyers.
• CASH 4 KEYS Trade-In Program Program enabling customers to sell their current vehicle directly to Hickman as a trade-in, with online trade-in appraisal available via the website.
• Vehicle Service and Parts After-sales vehicle maintenance, repair, and parts services at dealership service departments across the group's locations.
• NL Car Rentals Car rental service operated under the NL Car Rentals brand (nlcarrentals.ca), providing vehicle rentals to consumers.
• Hickman Autospa Vehicle Detailing Professional vehicle detailing and cosmetic cleaning services operated at the Hickman Autospa center in St. John's.
• EV Essentials Kit Free downloadable information guide for prospective electric vehicle owners in Newfoundland and Labrador, covering cost savings, government rebates, charging information, and EV misconceptions.

Quantifiable outcome

• $10,948.26 raised for Janeway Telethon in 2022 through employee fundraising.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AutoTrader.ca / TadvantagecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHickman Automotive Group's entire vehicle inventory is listed on and powered by AutoTrader.ca via the Tadvantage platform. The website footer and inventory listings display AutoTrader branding and use their pricing intelligence (Great Price / Good Price badges). This is the primary digital distribution channel for online vehicle discovery.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lithia Motors: Largest US dealership group by revenue, with hundreds of rooftops and a strong digital retail platform (Driveway). Comparable in multi-brand franchised retail model and emphasis on omnichannel customer experience.
• Group 1 Automotive: US/UK publicly listed dealership group with a multi-brand franchise model, commercial truck operations, and meaningful F&I and service revenue — comparable in business mix, though at much larger scale.
• Asbury Automotive Group: US publicly listed dealership group operating ~150+ rooftops across multiple states. Comparable in multi-brand franchise model, F&I Clicklane digital platform, and emphasis on used vehicle and service revenue.
• Sonic Automotive: US publicly listed dealership group with franchised dealerships and a captive F&I product company (EchoPark). Comparable in franchise breadth, F&I attach economics, and exposure to ICE-to-EV transition.

Direct peers

• Steele Auto Group: Largest multi-franchise dealership group in Atlantic Canada, headquartered in Halifax, NS. Directly comparable: multi-brand, multi-province footprint, family-owned origins, overlapping OEM franchises (GM, Stellantis, Honda, Nissan), and full F&I/service operations.
• OpenRoad Auto Group: Large Western Canadian multi-franchise dealership group. Comparable in multi-brand franchise mix, luxury brand representation (BMW, Audi, Porsche, Volvo), and integrated service and F&I operations.
• Dilawri Group: One of Canada's largest privately held dealer groups, operating multi-brand franchises across multiple provinces. Comparable in multi-OEM portfolio, family/private ownership structure, and full-service retail model.
• AutoCanada: Publicly listed Canadian multi-franchise dealership group. Comparable in multi-brand retail model, OEM franchise breadth, and F&I/service attached revenue, though at materially larger scale and with US dealerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hickmanautomotivegroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/HickmanAutomotiveGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hickmanautomotivegroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/hickman_automotive
• TikToktiktok.com/@hickman_automotive

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries15 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 Hickman Automotive Group