Bommarito Automotive Group Acquires Fourth Hazelwood Dealership

Many of the new vehicles driving around Hazelwood these days have one thing in common: the Bommarito logo on the back. The has long held a strong presence in Hazelwood; but last month, it acquired its fourth dealership in town—the former Valley Ford, now called Bommarito Ford Superstore.

Bommarito first outsold area competitor Lou Fusz in 2009 by 1,800 vehicles. This made Bommarito the top selling auto group in the St. Louis area, stated a press release from the City of Hazelwood.

Then, in 2010, Bommarito held on to its spot at the top by selling a combined total of nearly 22,000 new and used vehicles, according to information obtained from the Missouri Department of Revenue. Bommarito reported $834.3 million in revenue last year, up from $804 million in 2009.

Hazelwood Bommarito general manager Jerry Eickel said that the acquisition was “huge” for the Bommarito group because it added a high-volume franchise to the group’s portfolio.

“The -- stores in Hazelwood represented approximately 50 percent of the Bommarito Automotive Group’s sales, which is a direct reflection of the vitality of Hazelwood for Bommarito,” Eickel said. “The addition of Ford could represent upwards of 70 percent of the group’s sales.”

Eickel said the group is always looking for opportunities to grow in the community. In fact, in the last several years, Bommarito has added a number of franchises to its ranks, including Honda, Volkswagen and Audi.

In Hazelwood, Bommarito employs more than 150 people and has invested more than $20 million building three dealerships in recent years.

The group has also built and renovated a number of other area dealerships during that time, spending $3.5 million improving its Chevrolet and Mazda dealerships in 2010. In 2009, the group spent $10 million on other dealerships in the area.

“We love the Hazelwood geographic area, as it is only 10 minutes from St. Charles and the airport, 15 minutes from Clayton and Des Peres and 20 minutes from Chesterfield and Illinois,” he said.

Bommarito’s fourth franchise in Hazelwood brought its greater St. Louis area presence to 16 dealerships total. Eickel said that Bommarito Automotive Group is proud to be part of the community.

“We love the North County residents and thank them for our success,” he said.

The Bommarito Automotive Group is led by CEO Frank Bommarito and his son, John, who serves as president. The younger Bommarito said in a press release that the group made minor renovations to the former Valley Ford facility.

Though former Valley Ford owner and operator Gene Sprich, Jr. reportedly joined Bommarito as a consultant following the sale, a Bommarito spokesperson would not comment on the matter.