The Drewing family announced Wednesday the sale of the local Joe Machens automotive dealership group to McLarty Automotive Group of Little Rock, Arkansas. Under the terms of the agreement, the dealerships will continue to operate under the Joe Machens brand name.
"As a participant in the automotive industry since 1921, the McLarty Automotive Group understands the key importance of people and relationships to the success of dealerships," said Gary Drewing, president of Joe Machens Dealerships, in a news release. "We are delighted that the 46-year-old Joe Machens heritage, as well as its commitment to exceptional customer service, will continue under the proven leadership of McLarty Automotive Group, and that our valued employees will remain core to the team within the dealerships."
The dealerships include Joe Machens Capital City Ford Lincoln on Southwest Boulevard in Jefferson City, as well as Columbia dealerships including Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, FIAT, Ford Lincoln, Hyundai, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota Scion and Volkswagen.
The Drewing family will continue to own the Joe Machens BMW and Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Columbia, renaming them BMW of Columbia and Mercedes-Benz of Columbia.
"Gary and Rusty Drewing have developed an outstanding team and one of the leading dealership groups in the Midwest," said Mark McLarty, chariman of McLarty Automotive Group. "We are honored to continue that tradition of excellence which depends on so many talented employees, and we are committed to ensuring a smooth transition that enables the dealerships to continue to serve the community and customer base."
The Joe Machens brand was founded when its namesake purchased a Columbia Ford franchise in 1969, according to the Joe Machens website. Gary Drewing joined the company as partner and manager in 1983, and became the company's sole owner in 2006.
Joe Machens Dealerships purchased the Jefferson City dealership, then called Mike Kehoe Ford Lincoln, in 2011.
McLarty has built dealership groups in the United States, Brazil, China and Mexico.