Nancy Phillips Associates Announces Sale of Pelletier Automotive Group to Neal Griffeth.

The founder of the group, Steve Pelletier, came from the lumber industry in Northern Maine, and had been famously featured on the Discovery Channel in a series on American Loggers, when he acquired his first dealership through Nancy Phillips Associates in 2011. Since Steve had no prior automotive experience, the original owner remained in place as Dealer allowing for an approval from Ford Motor Company. Within a year the dealership’s performance had improved significantly, resulting in Pelletier’s appointment as Dealer Principal.

In 2012 the General Motors dealership in Fort Kent burnt to the ground and Steve stepped up to acquire the franchises and build a new facility allowing him to open within a year of the devastating fire. With Nancy Phillips as his advisor, he went on to acquire additional dealerships building a strong group in Northern Maine. After 15 years in the industry, Pelletier, a serial entrepreneur, decided to expand his commercial real estate holdings. This strategy led to his decision to sell the group to another Northern Maine dealer, Neal Griffeth.

During the course of the sale, the Seller worked co-operatively with Ford Motor Company to streamline the dealer network. As a result, one of Pelletier’s two Ford dealerships ceased operating as a franchised outlet while its real estate remained part of the transaction. Griffeth converted the property into a used vehicle center, making it his southernmost automotive location and extending his reach toward Bangor.

With the acquisition of the Pelletier Group, Neal Griffeth now controls an automotive empire that services the entire northern sector of Maine representing all three domestic franchisors, two Japanese automakers and multiple powersports lines.