Dealer News Today Podcasts

The long game of value in the auto industry || Transactions with Dave Cantin

February 09, 2022 Dealer News Today Season 3 Episode 21
Dealer News Today Podcasts
The long game of value in the auto industry || Transactions with Dave Cantin
Show Notes

Today we talk about the true nature of value

Dave reflects on DCG Acquisitions’s recent announcement that, in 2021, the firm closed over $1B in total M&A transactions. (Read more in Business Wire.) But they didn’t do so by gunning for the billion dollar mark. Instead, the team was focused on more essential elements of value. 

Later in the episode, Dave talks about the long game of automotive acquisitions, explaining why a dealership purchase is not about immediate ROI. It’s at least a 5-7 year return, and in the long run, it’s a family asset, multiplying returns 5x or 10x over the course of generations. 

Episode Highlights:   

  • Dave and Derek look ahead to this Super Bowl Sunday, and how the big game’s automotive ads indicate important trends and sentiments in the industry.  
  • Dave explains the three most important values he emphasizes to his team at DCG (and why they aren’t centered around work).  
  • We hear several reasons why short-term ROI can be a distraction from a more important aspect of the automotive business — the long game.   

Episode Quote:  

“The automotive industry is not about ‘What am I gonna make this year and cash our next year?’ . . . The returns are impeccable, but this is about playing the long game.”  

— Dave Cantin   

|| Transactions is a DCG Media production