#1 Cochran acquires former Kenny Ross dealerships in Butler County
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Two Zelienople-area dealerships are again locally owned, as #1 Cochran announced its purchase of the Kenny Ross Chevrolet and Nissan stores on Perry Highway.
The dealerships have been renamed #1 Cochran Chevrolet and #1 Cochran Nissan Cranberry. Both are on Perry Highway (Route 19) on the border of Zelienople and Cranberry.
The Chevrolet location will be #1 Cochran’s first dealership to sell the iconic brand.
“We are thrilled to now represent Chevrolet in this market. #1 Cochran started selling General Motors vehicles 53 years ago,” #1 Cochran President and CEO Rob Cochran said in a news release. “Despite all of our GM success, we always knew that if we could add the prestigious bow-tie brand, we would bring a potent offering to our customers and our business. I am delighted that this is now a reality.”
A collision center also was acquired in the deal, which will become the auto group’s eighth regional Body by Cochran Collision/Customization location.
The terms of the purchase weren’t released.
Most of the 100 people employed at the newly acquired stores will become #1 Cochran employees, increasing the company’s employment total to more than 1,250, #1 Cochran said in the news release.
The Kenny Ross locations had been owned by a New York-based private equity firm since 2017.
“We are extremely proud that the Kenny Ross North businesses are back in local hands, and we can’t wait to share our Clearly Better Car Buying experience with more of our neighbors,” Cochran said in the news release.
With the Chevrolet and Nissan acquisitions, #1 Cochran has added five stores in 10 months to its lineup of automotive brands. In April 2018, the company acquired Pittsburgh East and West Hills Nissan. In July, it bought Bob Massie Toyota in North Huntingdon.
Founded in 1965 in North Braddock as a Pontiac dealership, the company operates 29 new-vehicle franchises representing 18 domestic and imported brands. It has the largest geographic footprint of any dealer in the region, with showrooms in Monroeville, Robinson Township, the Allegheny Valley, South Hills, North Hills, and Butler and Washington counties, according to #1 Cochran.