Darwish, formerly a minority lover in a New Jersey Audi dealership and a system manager for Napleton Automotive Team, reported that immediately after getting into into an arrangement with Fuccillo in August 2020, he ran into several delays. His lawyer’s business shut down simply because of COVID-19, and Darwish contracted the disease.
“I practically died,” he instructed Automotive News. “I was in the medical center for 19 times.”
Darwish mentioned he was on oxygen for two months but recovered. Then in June 2021, Fuccillo Automotive CEO Billy Fuccillo Sr. died.
Darwish reported he had minimal sleep over people 20 months as he labored to fulfill with a number of suppliers and banks to wrap up the offer.
He now has a workers of far more than 400 men and women, whom Darwish described as “very great staff.”
“The staff members that arrived together with this deal is breathtaking,” he mentioned. “The crew is a huge crew.”
Fuccillo Automotive Team just a handful of decades in the past boasted far more than 20 dealerships, but it has marketed a lot of retailers in the past year-additionally. In early 2021, the team marketed 5 New York dealerships to Matthews Car Team. Then in March 2021, it sold two Kia dealerships in Florida to LMP Automotive Holdings Inc. In August final calendar year, it offered a Nissan dealership in Clearwater, Fla., to Morgan Automotive Team.
Billy Fuccillo Jr., president of the Fuccillo group, didn’t answer to requests for remark from Automotive Information. The group’s web page continue to lists seven franchised rooftops in New York.
Two of Fuccillo Automotive’s Common Motors dealerships in New York shut all around the time of the Darwish transaction: Fuccillo Chevrolet-Buick at the Vehicle Mall in Adams and Fuccillo Chevrolet of Nelliston. A GM spokesman confirmed the franchises ended up terminated in late April and early May perhaps. As component of his transaction, Darwish acquired the genuine estate for each areas.
He strategies to use the internet sites as employed-car or truck merchants and hopes to implement to reopen the Chevrolet retail outlet in Adams.
Darwish, 50, who claimed he is a school dropout, has wanted to own a automobile dealership given that he was 21.
“I sacrificed every thing to get here,” he said. “I risked anything to get in this article.”
And he would like extra. Darwish said he would like by year’s finish to search for a lot more dealerships to purchase, as he hopes to personal 90-plus retailers in the following seven years.
“After I get going, I want to maintain likely,” he explained.
Bob Morris with Tim Lamb Team, a purchase-market business in Columbus, Ohio, represented the vendor in the transaction, Darwish explained.