Haig Partners LLC, a leading buy-sell advisory firm to auto retailers, served as the exclusive advisor to Metropolitan Corp. (“Metropolitan”) on the sale of its Metropolitan Ford, Freeway Ford and Suburban Chevrolet dealerships to the Walser Automotive Group (“Walser”). The dealerships are all located in the Minneapolis, MN area.

Grossman Family Dealership Group started over 100 years ago and has served tens of thousands of customers since then. It also operated one of the largest wholesale parts operations in the US for GM. The sale has generated substantial cash for the owners that they can invest in other ventures. Metropolitan is not selling its Rosedale Chevrolet and Superior Ford dealerships as they will be operated by the current owners and their children.

Founded over 70 years ago, Walser is listed at #32 in Automotive News Top 150 Dealership Groups for 2025. Walser owns 35 dealerships in MN and KS representing Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick-GMC, Chevrolet, Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram, Honda, Hyundai, Genesis, Kia, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, and Toyota.

Alan Haig, President at Haig Partners, said, “Our work is built on relationships, and the most meaningful ones are with clients who trust us to help them make decisions that shape their families, their teams and their legacies. Metropolitan operated several of the most profitable domestic dealerships in the Midwest. When the owners came to us with clear goals, we knew our role was to listen carefully, give them honest counsel and stay focused on what success looked like for them, not simply on getting a deal done. In this case, it means selling most of the stores while retaining two for the next generation. We are proud to have represented them, and I'm proud to have worked alongside Derek Garber and Emily Bourne on this engagement. Their dedication, insight and care for our clients reflect the very best of what Haig Partners stands for. We also congratulate the Walser family, who proved to be an excellent counterparty. They are positioning their group for continued growth as the next generation of Walsers gains experience, and we look forward to watching them build on that momentum.

“The buy-sell market is robust for most brands as average dealership profits remain strong and there are many groups looking to grow. Healthy values attract sellers: those who are seeking retirement as well as those who want to distribute funds now to family members who don’t want a life in auto retail. The combination of strong demand and high supply makes for highly favorable conditions.”

Andrew Walser, CEO at Walser, stated, “It is rare to find this kind of alignment with established dealerships, great teams, and a market we know well. Bringing them in is a meaningful investment in the Twin Cities and in Walser’s long-term future.” According to a press release issued by Walser, the transaction represents the most significant acquisition in Walser’s history and will add nearly 300 employees to the organization.

The team at Haig Partners has been involved in the purchase or sale of 136 dealerships in the Midwest and 602 nationwide.

Assisting Metropolitan in the transaction was David Ezrilov of Stinson LLP providing legal services and Jen Moylan of Withum, Inc. providing accounting services. Moore & Van Allen provided legal services to Walser.

About Haig Partners
Haig Partners is a leading buy-sell advisory firm that helps owners of higher-value dealerships maximize the value of their businesses when they are ready to sell. The team at Haig Partners has advised on the purchase or sale of 602 dealerships and has represented 33 dealership groups that qualify for the Top 150 Dealership Groups list published by Automotive News, more than any other firm. Clients of Haig Partners benefit from the group's collective experience as previous executives with leading companies such as AutoNation, Bank of America, Deloitte, J.P. Morgan, Lexus, Porsche, Toyota Financial Services and Forvis Mazars. Leveraging its unmatched expertise and extensive relationships, Haig Partners guides clients to successful outcomes through a confidential and customized sales process. The firm authors The Haig Report®, the leading industry quarterly report that tracks trends in auto retail and their impact on dealership values, and co-authors NADA’s Guide, “Buying and Selling a Dealership.” Haig Partners team members are frequent speakers at industry conferences and are regularly quoted in reputable media outlets, including Reuters, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNBC, BBC, Automotive News, Wards and CarDealershipGuy. Haig Partners also hosts Maximizing Value Conferences that provide dealers with proprietary research about the auto retail industry and insights into dealership buy-sell trends, as well as content about how auto dealers can improve their operational performance. For more information, https://www.haigpartners.com.

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The buy-sell market is robust for most brands as average dealership profits remain strong and there are many groups looking to grow.