Buy-Sell Market Outlook, Ford Welcomes New Media, In-N-Out Employee Satisfaction

February 24, 2025
On this last week of the month, we’re looking at the state of the automotive M&A market and what dealers can expect for the rest of the year. Plus, we cover how Ford is adopting a new media and press strategy, and look at how In-N-Out cracked the top 10 of Best Large Employers.
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Summary
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‍Show Notes with links:

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    • The dealership buy-sell market is expected to stay active in 2025. Normalizing store profits could make buyers more cautious in finalizing transactions, but top-performing stores in desirable markets will still fetch high valuations.
      • Political expectations, including Donald Trump’s presidency, along with lower dealership pricing and aging owners looking to sell, are fueling the market.
      • Last week, we reported on Asbury Automotive Group acquiring New England’s Herb Chambers Cos. for $1.34 billion in one of the largest deals in recent history.
      • The 2025 Dealer Outlook Survey found that 56% of respondents are not planning to buy or sell this year, while 19% plan to buy, and 4.4% plan to sell.
      • Automotive News tracked at least 349 buy-sell transactions in 2024, down from 382 transactions in 2021, a peak year.
      • “I’m definitely still getting as many offerings to look at as I’ve gotten the past two years,” said Randy Hoffman, COO of Ed Morse Automotive Group,

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    • Ford is shaking up its media strategy by replacing its traditional press center with "Ford From the Road", a new platform designed to cater to the growing influence of content creators over mainstream media.
      • The "From the Road" channel prioritizes videos, photos, and articles—some created by Ford, others sourced from digital creators and influencers.
      • Traditional press releases remain available but are now tucked away in a separate tab, signaling a major shift away from legacy media formats.
      • A Pew Research Center study found that 21% of U.S. adults regularly consume news from influencers—jumping to 37% among adults under 30.
      • Ian Cohen, Ford’s head of creative and content, explains: “We’re entering this era of [consumers] building [their] own niche content and channel ecosystems.”
      • This comes as the Trump administration is opening the White House briefing room to influencers and podcasters, with thousands of applicants to the “new media” seats.

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    • In-N-Out Burger has been named one of America’s Best Large Employers, ranking No. 8 on Forbes’ annual list, ahead of corporate giants like Apple and NASA. The ranking is based on employee surveys evaluating workplace satisfaction, compensation, and company culture.
      • In-N-Out’s strong workplace culture continues to set it apart in the fast-food industry.
      • The company is also making big moves geographically, consolidating its California HQ in Baldwin Park and expanding to Tennessee, where it will open 30+ locations.
      • Top 10 are Notre Dame, Trader Joes, Houston Methodist, NVIDIA, Navy Federal Credit Union, Google, Microsoft, In-N-Out, Delta, Raymond James Financial
      • Automotive in the top 100: 68 - Bridgestone, 71 - Toyota, 86 - Holman Enterprises.

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