Latest news with #JohnDavis
Business Wire
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Wire
Haig Partners Serves as the Exclusive Advisor on the Sale of Fullerton Auto Group Located in Somerville, New Jersey
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Haig Partners LLC, a leading buy-sell advisory firm to auto, heavy truck, and RV dealers in the US, served as the exclusive sell-side advisor on the sale of Fullerton Auto Group in Somerville, New Jersey to Performance Auto Group. The transaction involved the franchises for Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati. John Davis, Managing Director with Haig Partners, shared, 'It was an honor to serve as the exclusive advisor on the sale of Fullerton Auto Group. Fullerton Auto Group represented a unique opportunity in a prime market and an iconic location along Route 22—one of New Jersey's most well-known and heavily traveled commercial corridors. My colleague Derek Garber and I worked diligently to ensure a smooth process from start to finish. Closings are always bittersweet for me. You spend months speaking with clients every day, forming close relationships, and then, suddenly, the mission is complete.' Eric Pridgen of Underwood & Roberts, PLLC, served as legal representation to the seller, and Jen Moylan of Withum, CPAs, provided accounting services. Joseph S. Aboyoun and Will Salerno of Fox Rothschild served as legal counsel to the buyer. With this transaction, the team at Haig Partners has now advised on the purchase or sale of 24 dealerships in the state of New Jersey, a testament to our deep relationships and experience in the region. As highlighted in the Q1 2025 Haig Report®, we believe dealers remain confident in the long-term strength of the auto retail business model. Buyers and investors continue to show strong interest in acquiring the right stores in the right locations, like Fullerton. Notably, this transaction also included Stellantis franchises, which aligns with insights from our Q4 2024 Haig Report®, where we noted that Stellantis appears to be regaining momentum with consumers and is increasingly viewed as a growth opportunity by investors and buyers alike. About Haig Partners Haig Partners is a leading buy-sell advisory firm that helps owners of higher-value auto, heavy truck and RV dealerships maximize the value of their businesses when they are ready to sell. The team at Haig Partners has advised on the purchase or sale of more than 510 dealerships with a total value of over $10 billion. It has represented 30 dealership groups that qualify for the Top 150 Dealership Groups list published by Automotive News, more than any other firm. Clients of Haig Partners benefit from the group's collective experience as previous executives with leading companies such as Ally Financial, AutoNation, Bank of America, Credit Suisse, Deloitte, FORVIS, J.P. Morgan, the Sewell Automotive Companies and Toyota Financial Services. Leveraging its unmatched expertise and extensive relationships, Haig Partners guides clients to successful outcomes through a confidential and customized sales process. The firm authors The Haig Report®, the longest-published quarterly report that tracks trends in auto retail and their impact on dealership values, and co-authors NADA's Guide, 'Buying and Selling a Dealership.' Haig Partners team members are frequent speakers at industry conferences and are regularly quoted in reputable media outlets, including Reuters, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNBC, BBC, Automotive News, Wards, CarDealershipGuy and CBT News. For more information, visit
The Province
6 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Province
The most beautiful block in Vancouver is for sale
The Davis family restored several heritage homes in the 100-block of West 10th in the 1970s, helping to spark the revitalization of Mount Pleasant. John Davis in front of one of the heritage houses his family restored in the 100-block of West 10th in Vancouver. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG In 1976, the City of Vancouver handed out its first-ever heritage plaque to an 1891 house at 166 West 10th in Mount Pleasant. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 'We received that from Art Phillips, who was mayor at the time,' recounts John Davis, whose family restored the house. 'We got (a plaque) ahead of the Marine Building. That's how enthusiastic the city was then.' John Davis with two of the houses his family owns in the 100 block of West 10th Avenue in Vancouver. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG The Davis family had purchased the house in 1973 for $30,000 and did an immaculate restoration. When four more old homes went for sale on the same block for $177,000, the family bought them, as well. 'They were being sold as a development site,' he explains. 'And we thought, 'Wow, let's just buy them, redo them and restore them and carry on.'' The Davis family's heritage homes helped spark a revitalization of Mount Pleasant, which was a bit rough in the 1970s. Over time, more homeowners restored their old homes, turning their part of Mount Pleasant into Vancouver's most acclaimed heritage neighbourhood. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When the Vancouver park board had a contest for the city's most beautiful street in 1999, the winner was the 100-block of West 10th, where the Davises had restored nine homes. What makes it special? The homes may date to the 1890s and early 1900s, but they look brand new, with colourful paint jobs that evoke San Francisco's famous 'painted ladies' and heritage touches like elaborate Victorian lattice work, dentil mouldings, large verandas, bay windows, wood windows, steep gabled roofs and an arched upper floor balcony. But times have changed. With the city's Broadway Plan and the province's transit-oriented density legislation, Mount Pleasant has been earmarked for high-rise towers. A rezoning application sign for 121-129 West 11th in Vancouver has been defaced with graffiti. An 18-storey tower in the proposed development is near the Davis family houses. One proposal is for an 18-storey building at 121-129 West 11th, a stone's throw away from the four homes the Davis family owns at 140, 144, 148 and 150 West 10th. If the tower is built, the Davis homes will literally be in its shadow. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. So John Davis and his brother Geoff have decided to sell and retire, after a half a century of heritage preservation. 'They want to build an 18-storey tower back there, which we just see as a huge insult,' said Davis, 77. 'It's an insult to us, it's an insult to the entire neighbourhood. It's unacceptable they (would) even think of it.' The 100-block of West 10th is an oasis of heritage houses, giant chestnut trees and gardens, as much like a park as a street. Sign outside four houses in the 100-block of West 10th in Vancouver that were restored by John Davis and his family. 'It's kind of like the lungs of the city,' said Davis, who sees the tranquillity on West 10th as 'a little pocket of sanity' is the rush and non-stop construction of contemporary Vancouver. The asking price for the four homes is $13.8 million. They come as a single 128.5 by 132 ft. lot, which could make it tricky to sell. The houses all have heritage designation, and are divided into 15 apartments. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But they could still be torn down with council approval, although the city said in an email 'demolition is usually not supportable, and designated properties generally must be appropriately conserved at all times.' Davis had hoped any future owner might be able to take the undeveloped 'air rights' on the site to another property, but the city email said 'we don't 'sell' air rights, nor is 'density transfer' applicable in this case.' John Davis in his living room, which brims with heritage touches such as restored wood and an art deco chandelier. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG Retired Vancouver planner Sandy James said the Davis family's 'stewardship' of the neighbourhood has been exemplary. 'At a time when you could sell your single-family house and do a three-storey walk-up, they chose to make apartments inside a house,' she said. 'They also were the first people to look at a laneway house and redevelop that. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'That became the pattern language for what happened in west Mount Pleasant. It became a way to show what an Edwardian and Victorian street looked like, but at the same time, provide housing where people could actually have the amenity of having a yard, being able to sit out and be in a neighbourhood.' The Davis family has had some run-ins with authority. Davis notes that his late mother Pat fought with the city and B.C. Hydro when they wanted to cut part of the street's giant Chestnut trees into a U shape for power lines. (There are no lanes in the 100-block of West 10th.) 'My mother came out here and asked them not to cut until we could sort out a solution to the problem,' he recalls. 'But they wouldn't stop. They were up in their bucket, and she got in the cab of the truck and got the keys, and the guy was stuck up in the bucket. The crew phoned the police, and there was a big kerfuffle.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hydro wound up installing taller poles so the power lines were out of the tree canopy, and one of Vancouver's leafiest streets is the result. Two of the Davis houses in the 100-block of West 10th Ave. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG Pat Davis seems like a force of nature. 'My mother stripped and refinished the wood in all of these houses by herself,' said her son. 'She worked like a tiger, but she loved it.' The Davis family did all their restoration without any economic help from the city — they financed everything through mortgages, rents and selling off some of the houses they restored. They haven't even received any heritage grants for painting their houses. 'The city now has the True Colors (heritage paint) program, and you can get a grant to paint your house,' he said. 'But we don't qualify because we won't paint it their colours.' jmackie@ Read More Dick Chan (right) and his wife Donna Chan (left) ran Mike's Grocery at East 24th and Knight Street from 1970 to 1988. After the store closed, the neon sign that stood outside their store ended up at an antique store, until John Davis (middle) bought it and displayed it at his house on West 10th Ave. The Chans and the sign were reunited in July of 2021 at Davis' house. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG Vancouver Canucks Crime Local News Vancouver Canucks Local News Page 2
Vancouver Sun
7 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
The most beautiful block in Vancouver is for sale
In 1976, the City of Vancouver handed out its first-ever heritage plaque to an 1891 house at 166 West 10th in Mount Pleasant. 'We received that from Art Phillips, who was mayor at the time,' recounts John Davis, whose family restored the house. 'We got (a plaque) ahead of the Marine Building. That's how enthusiastic the city was then.' The Davis family had purchased the house in 1973 for $30,000 and did an immaculate restoration. When four more old homes went for sale on the same block for $177,000, the family bought them, as well. 'They were being sold as a development site,' he explains. 'And we thought, 'Wow, let's just buy them, redo them and restore them and carry on.'' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Davis family's heritage homes helped spark a revitalization of Mount Pleasant, which was a bit rough in the 1970s. Over time, more homeowners restored their old homes, turning their part of Mount Pleasant into Vancouver's most acclaimed heritage neighbourhood. When the Vancouver park board had a contest for the city's most beautiful street in 1999, the winner was the 100-block of West 10th, where the Davises had restored nine homes. What makes it special? The homes may date to the 1890s and early 1900s, but they look brand new, with colourful paint jobs that evoke San Francisco's famous 'painted ladies' and heritage touches like elaborate Victorian lattice work, dentil mouldings, large verandas, bay windows, wood windows, steep gabled roofs and an arched upper floor balcony. But times have changed. With the city's Broadway Plan and the province's transit-oriented density legislation, Mount Pleasant has been earmarked for high-rise towers. One proposal is for an 18-storey building at 121-129 West 11th, a stone's throw away from the four homes the Davis family owns at 140, 144, 148 and 150 West 10th. If the tower is built, the Davis homes will literally be in its shadow. So John Davis and his brother Geoff have decided to sell and retire, after a half a century of heritage preservation. 'They want to build an 18-storey tower back there, which we just see as a huge insult,' said Davis, 77. 'It's an insult to us, it's an insult to the entire neighbourhood. It's unacceptable they (would) even think of it.' The 100-block of West 10th is an oasis of heritage houses, giant Chestnut trees and gardens, as much like a park as a street. 'It's kind of like the lungs of the city,' said Davis, who sees the tranquillity on West 10th as 'a little pocket of sanity' is the rush and non-stop construction of contemporary Vancouver. The asking price for the four homes is $13.8 million. They come as a single 128.5 by 132 ft. lot, which could make it tricky to sell. The houses all have heritage designation, and are divided into 15 apartments. But they could still be torn down with council approval, although the city said in an email 'demolition is usually not supportable, and designated properties generally must be appropriately conserved at all times.' Davis had hoped any future owner might be able to take the undeveloped 'air rights' on the site to another property, but the city email said 'we don't 'sell' air rights, nor is 'density transfer' applicable in this case.' Retired Vancouver planner Sandy James said the Davis family's 'stewardship' of the neighbourhood has been exemplary. 'At a time when you could sell your single-family house and do a three-storey walk-up, they chose to make apartments inside a house,' she said. 'They also were the first people to look at a laneway house and redevelop that. 'That became the pattern language for what happened in west Mount Pleasant. It became a way to show what an Edwardian and Victorian street looked like, but at the same time, provide housing where people could actually have the amenity of having a yard, being able to sit out and be in a neighbourhood.' The Davis family have had some run-ins with authority. Davis notes that his late mother Pat fought with the city and B.C. Hydro when they wanted to cut part of the street's giant Chestnut trees into a U shape for power lines. (There are no lanes in the 100-block of West 10th.) 'My mother came out here and asked them not to cut until we could sort out a solution to the problem,' he recalls. 'But they wouldn't stop. They were up in their bucket, and she got in the cab of the truck and got the keys, and the guy was stuck up in the bucket. The crew phoned the police, and there was a big kerfuffle.' Hydro wound up installing taller poles so the power lines were out of the tree canopy, and one of Vancouver's leafiest streets is the result. Pat Davis seems like a force of nature. 'My mother stripped and refinished the wood in all of these houses by herself,' said her son. 'She worked like a tiger, but she loved it.' The Davis family did all their restoration without any economic help from the city — they financed everything through mortgages, rents and selling off some of the houses they restored. They haven't even received any heritage grants for painting their houses. 'The city now has the True Colors (heritage paint) program, and you can get a grant to paint your house,' he said. 'But we don't qualify because we won't paint it their colours.' jmackie@
The Guardian
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Trump hates wind power. But these Texas Republicans are embracing it
As a Republican state lawmaker for 16 years, a Texas rancher and a staunch supporter of Donald Trump, John Davis's conservative credentials are impeccable. But Davis has become horrified at his party's assault upon an increasingly vital lifeline to many rural, conservative areas of the US – clean energy development. Davis allowed seven wind turbines to be situated on his ranch, in the rolling hill country near Menard, west of Austin, and has seen the income provide opportunities not only for his family but also his local community in what is one of the poorest counties in Texas. But a barrage of bills working their way through the Republican-held Texas legislature threaten to reverse the state's position as the US's clean energy superpower, even curtailing cherished private property rights by limiting a landowner's ability to host wind and solar farms. The bills come as Trump has ramped up anti-renewable rhetoric on the national stage, calling wind turbines 'ugly' and 'disgusting' and barring major clean energy projects on federal lands and waters. 'We don't want windmills in this country,' Trump, who has enjoyed strong electoral support from farmers, said shortly after being inaugurated as president. This backlash has left many conservatives, such as Davis, bewildered, with recent polling showing that most Republican voters in Texas oppose moves to squash the state's booming renewable energy sector. While climate campaigners see renewables as a crucial replacement for the fossil fuels that are overheating the planet, places such as Menard county, Texas – where Trump won more than 80% of the vote in last year's election – are more inclined to weigh other factors. 'We're supposed to be the party of common sense but we've shifted to be like the Democrats and that is what makes me mad. When you tell me what to do on my own property that sounds more like a Democrat,' Davis said. 'Some of the bills they are trying to pass would kill renewables.' Davis retired as state legislator in 2015 to spend more time on his ranch but has lately been donning a suit and traveling back to Austin to urge his former colleagues to reject the anti-renewables bills. 'I testify as a conservative and say: 'What are you guys doing? Have you lost your mind?'' he said. 'Some of these bills are attacking battery storage of all things. How dumb is that? It's sacrificing your core conservative value principles in order to protect the oil and gas industry.' Texas's traditional image may be of cowboy hats, steers and nodding oil wells, but in reality, the state today could just as easily be associated with solar panels, windmills and Teslas. Texas's combined wind and solar power output is nearly double that of its closest rival, California, it tripled the amount of new battery storage added last year compared to 2023 and is leading the way in emerging alternatives such as geothermal. This year, a third of all new renewable and storage projects in the US will be built in the Lone Star state. 'We are still firmly an oil and gas state and producing more than we ever have but that's not the full picture,' said Joshua Rhodes, an energy expert at the University of Texas. 'We produce and consume more energy than any other state, we have more wind than the next four states combined and regularly have more than 50% of our grid running on renewables. We are an energy state.' The stampede of new renewables has helped state energy demand that, fueled by data centers, is growing for the first time since the 1960s. It has also generated cash for struggling rural areas. Rhodes' research has found existing clean energy projects in Texas will pay more than $12bn in taxes to communities where they are located, funding schools, roads and hospitals, while paying out another $15bn to landowners to lease their properties. 'It's a hard life out here, there's rocks, mesquite and coyotes and not a lot else – if there's anything to make life easier, do it,' said Davis as he stood on his property under the whooshing blades of a wind turbine, one of a ragged line of turbines that make up the Cactus Flats wind project. 'See any dead birds here? I've never seen one,' added Davis, in reference to one of the most common complaints, voiced by Trump himself, about wind turbines. Places such as Menard, located in central Texas between two large oil and gas regions, have limited options for new income. Davis has several hundred goats and sheep and raises cattle for wagyu beef on his 1,300-acre property, but 40% of his income now comes from the wind turbines, money he hopes he can push back into the sleepy Menard community. 'I struck wind!' said the ebullient Davis, who likes to restyle Trump's 'drill, baby, drill' mantra into 'turn, baby turn' in recognition of his wind turbines. 'I done turned the money into my back ass pocket,' he said. Some locals still dislike the sight of wind turbines puncturing the prairie, with even Davis initially put off by them. 'I think they look angelic now,' he said. Another nearby rancher, Hoppy Murchison, who has a drooping handlebar moustache, cowboy hat and checked shirt, is less enamored with their appearance and mostly subscribes to Trump's worldview. 'But for me it made too much sense to not do it,' said Murchison, who now has several wind turbines on his own property, providing him a stable income. 'I don't think we can become totally dependent on renewable energy, but anything will help because we will run out of oil and gas at some point.' For leaders of poorer counties such as Menard, the aesthetics of wind turbines are beside the point. 'I literally have hungry children in my community, so I'm not turning my nose up at any kind of financial windfall,' said Brandon Corbin, the local Republican county judge. Corbin estimates that a proposed battery facility in the county could add as much as 30% to Menard's stretched annual budget of $5m. 'It's not productive or helpful when he spouts off like that,' Corbin said of Trump's comments on wind and solar. 'We are the ones on the ground here and he says and does things that puts fear and uncertainty out.' But senior Republicans in Washington have sought to ape Trump, pushing forward a budget plan that strips away incentives for clean energy and electric cars. Meanwhile, in Texas, there are three state bills that would severely restrict any new wind or solar installations. One that has already passed the Texas senate, SB819, calls for the 'police power of the state' to drastically limit new wind and solar projects by requiring permits not needed for gas, coal or nuclear plants. A wind turbine would have to be 3,000ft from a neighbor's property line, compared to just 467ft for an oil well. 'I've heard from many constituents with valid concerns regarding the reckless installation of these facilities,' said Lois Kolkhorst, a Texas state senator and one of the bill's sponsors. Kolkhorst, a Republican who calls herself a 'lifelong wildlife conservationist' said the legislation will provide 'a reasonable approach to the recent proliferation of wind and solar facilities encroaching across Texas with no consideration or safeguards for landowners or the environment'. While most Republicans don't share such enmity towards renewables, Kolkhorst has some powerful and wealthy allies, including the Texas Public Policy Foundation thinktank and the Stewards of Texas group, which opposes new clean energy development. The latter group has ties to Dan Friedkin, a billionaire businessman whose interests include owning hotels and whose roles include being the executive producer of the Paramount show Landman (which includes a notable scene critiquing clean energy) as well as being the owner of soccer clubs Everton and Roma. 'Renewable energy has a role in Texas's energy landscape, but it must be managed responsibly to ensure that our state's most cherished outdoor spaces are not adversely affected,' a spokesperson for the Friedkin Group, on behalf of Friedkin, said. Critics of the bills, though, argue that they are counterproductive political posturing designed to aid an oil and gas industry that feels threatened by the rise of renewables. Should the bills pass, 15% of Texas's wind fleet could shutter, raising energy prices to the point that the typical household's electricity bill would increase by $225 a year, according to one estimate. 'This would be extremely damaging to renewable energy and damaging to the whole Texas economy,' said Doug Lewin, a leading Texas energy industry expert. 'We desperately need new energy supply, and if we're saying, 'No, we don't want the sources that can be deployed the fastest' for ideological reasons, then the economy will stagnate. 'Some people have just decided that renewables are bad and they will fight them. To point at solar panels as an environmental problem when we have so many abandoned oil wells in Texas is just absurd.' While the fate of clean energy support in the federal budget will come down to how many moderate Republicans will fight to preserve the investment flowing to their districts, in Texas the main decider could be time itself. The Texas legislative session ends on 2 June and should the bills get gummed up enough in the system, Davis hopes they will be beaten by the clock, at least until next year's session. 'The system is set up to kill bills, to have less government,' he said. 'So there's a lot of advantages we have to kill these bills. We want to keep them bottled up. Delay, delay, delay.'
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pretend That Everything's Fine This Weekend With MotorWeek's '90s Retro Review Marathon
So far this year, each day seems to hold new horrors that we never would have foreseen as possible even just the day prior. Even the joy of doomscrolling through social media on your phone has been sullied by pesky news outlets talking about the latest ways that democracy is failing, so what can you do that doesn't cost any money but helps you avoid the constant onslaught of negativity and fear? If you're anything like me, then maybe you'll find solace in the soothing baritone voice of John Davis at MotorWeek guiding aging car enthusiasts like us on a gentle and peaceful stroll down memory lane with its Retro Reviews. If you're looking for a way to occupy your time this weekend that mitigates, rather than contributes to the sense of impending doom, tune into the MotorWeek YouTube channel for a non-stop marathon of its retro car reviews, this time ranging in date from 1990 to 1999. Read more: These Are Your Favorite Factory Exhaust Designs One of my favorite things about these single-decade Retro Review marathons is watching how drastically car technology, design, and performance changed and improved over the decade, and the nineties saw exponential growth in each of those areas. Heck, even the Teutonic stalwart Porsche 911 underwent arguably its most drastic changes in the decade, transitioning away from its air-cooled roots and hurtling into the future with the engineering wizardry of liquid cooling. MotorWeek video reviews have the unique trait of being consistent over the course of decades, so there are virtually no surprises in these episodes which is good for our overstimulated 21st century brains. And unlike all of the videos in the MotorWeek Retro Reviews playlist on YouTube, these are complete episodes that include segments beyond the always-entertaining road tests. The full episodes really transport you to simpler times through coverage of auto shows when they were in their prime, and other very retro segments. So go ahead, reminisce a bit this weekend and tune in to MotorWeek's 1990s Retro Review Marathon. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
