John Carr, a lifelong Monroe, Michigan, resident and avid powersports enthusiast began Trojan Powersports in 2010 by adding the full range of Honda vehicles (motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs and scooters) to his thriving used powersports vehicle dealership. Within a few short years, Carr grew Trojan Powersports into a top Michigan Honda powersports dealership, selling over 500 vehicles per year.
After a decade of the fast-paced world as a Honda powersports dealership owner, Carr decided to explore the possibility of selling his business to spend more time with his family. Carr was familiar with the Powersports Listings M&A (PLMA) firm, having sold other powersports dealerships in his market area over the past many years, and contacted Jerry Szopinski, PLMA’s president of sales and networking, for an initial consultation on the market potential for a sale. PLMA has observed a current trend of more young entrepreneurs exploring business ownership in the powersports dealership market and Jerry explained that this could benefit Carr as a seller.
Within a few months, PLMA had identified several potential buyers. Robert Weir of Rochester, Michigan, a young and successful automotive executive whose background includes serving as head of motorsports for Subaru of America and performance brand manager at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, arose as the right fit at the right time to acquire Trojan Powersports.
As a new entrepreneur entering the arena of powersports dealership ownership, PLMA was instrumental in assisting Weir with the full gamut of the acquisition process including agreement structure, financing options, manufacturer applications and business planning.
Weir took over operations of Trojan Powersports the second week of January 2020 and is in full swing of applying his corporate-level marketing skillsets to take the Honda dealership to the next level. The acquisition included all of the operating assets of the dealership along with the real estate, including the 1.3-acre property with two facilities.
Weir stated, “I am excited to bring my automotive and racing experience to the powersports industry and will continue to keep Trojan Powersports as the No. 1 Honda dealer in Michigan. I appreciate the guidance and advice from the team at PLMA for making this acquisition a success.”
Carr commented at closing, “I hand-painted the red Honda stripe all the way around this showroom when I first moved into this facility. In thinking about all of the sweat and energy I have invested in this dealership, I am so appreciative of PLMA for delivering a great transition for Trojan Powersports.”
Powersports Listings Mergers & Acquisitions (PLMA), the professional powersports industry dealership brokerage, specializes in intermediary services to buyers and sellers of Harley-Davidson, powersports, RV and Green Industry implement dealerships. PLMA is centrally located in Dallas, Texas.
