Sell Your Business/Auto Repair/MichiganLast updated: October 5, 2026

Sell Your Auto Repair Shop in Michigan

Quick Answer
Auto repair shops in Michigan typically sell for 3x-6x EBITDA, or 1.5x-3.5x SDE for smaller owner-operated auto repair shops, per DealSeam's industry benchmarks. The Census Bureau counts 2,549 general automotive repair shops in Michigan, ranking 9th of 50 states, and 65% of them have fewer than five employees. The largest groups buying auto repair shops nationally include Mavis Tire Express Services (BayPine and TSG Consumer Partners, with the Sorbaro family's West First Management), Sun Auto Tire & Service (Leonard Green & Partners) and Big Brand Tire & Service (Percheron Capital, through a single-asset continuation vehicle co-led by Blue Owl Capital, ICONIQ and Warburg Pincus). We have recorded two named auto repair acquisitions in Michigan, most recently Belle Tire by Big Brand Tire & Service (Jul 2026).
1.5x-3.5x
typical SDE multiple
2,549
establishments in Michigan (Census 2023)
65%
have fewer than 5 employees

Who is buying auto repair shops in Michigan

Named auto repair acquisitions we have recorded in Michigan

  • Belle Tire (about 185 locations), acquired by Big Brand Tire & Service
    Private-equity-backed buyer · Announced Jul 2026 · Southfield, MI · Source ↗
  • Car-Tech Complete Auto Repair & Tire, acquired by GreatWater 360 Auto Care
    Private-equity-backed buyer · Announced Dec 2025 · Belleville, MI · Source ↗

Headquartered in Michigan: GreatWater 360 Auto Care (Grand Rapids, MI).

PlatformOwner / backerTypeHeadquartersScale
Mavis Tire Express ServicesBayPine and TSG Consumer Partners (lead backers), with the Sorbaro family's West First Management; Golden Gate Capital kept a minority stake in 2021Private equityWhite Plains, NYMore than 4,400 owned and franchised locations across the U.S. and Canada (Aug 2026)Source ↗
Sun Auto Tire & ServiceLeonard Green & Partners (majority since Sep 2021); Greenbriar Equity Group stayed on as a shareholder in 2021Private equityMesa, AZ600 stores across 27 states (Sep 2026)Source ↗
Big Brand Tire & ServicePercheron Capital, through a single-asset continuation vehicle co-led by Blue Owl Capital, ICONIQ and Warburg Pincus (Oct 2025)Private equityMoorpark, CAMore than 530 locations in 15 states (Jul 2026). Sources disagree on whether that figure includes the pending Belle Tire deal.Source ↗
GreatWater 360 Auto CareKinderhook IndustriesPrivate equityGrand Rapids, MI174 locations across 10 states (Oct 2026)Source ↗
Dobbs Tire & Auto CentersAudax Private Equity (growth investment, Dec 2023)Private equityHigh Ridge, MOMore than 155 locations across eight states (Jul 2026)Source ↗
Left Lane AutoBertram Capital (Fund V; invested Nov 2025 per Bertram, announced Dec 16, 2025)Private equityChampaign, ILMore than 100 locations in 22 states (Sep 2026)Source ↗
Straightaway Tire & AutoO2 Investment PartnersPrivate equityCharlotte, NCMore than 95 locations across 9 states (Jun 2026)Source ↗
Telle Tire & Auto CentersNext Horizon Capital (investment announced Dec 2024)Private equitySt. Louis, MO91 locations across six states (May 2026)Source ↗
Les Schwab Tire CentersMeritage Group (family-owned investment firm; bought Les Schwab from the Schwab family in 2020)Private equityBend, ORMore than 600 locations (Jun 2026); 15 states as of Jul 2025Source ↗
VIP Tires & ServiceJohn Quirk and family (family-owned)Strategic / family-ownedAuburn, ME78 locations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut (Sep 2026)Source ↗
Steve Shannon Tire & Auto CenterShannon family (co-owned by brothers including Jesse and Herb Shannon)Strategic / family-ownedBloomsburg, PA62 retail outlets across Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey (Sep 2026)Source ↗
Main Street AutoFounder-owned and led (founder and CEO Logan Leslie); Turning Rock Partners provided $60M of growth financing (Jul 2025)Strategic / family-ownedAtlanta, GAApproximately 100 locations across the southern US (Jul 2025)Source ↗
Grismer Tire & Auto ServiceCenterOak Partners (majority recapitalization, Apr 2026)Private equityDayton, OH28 locations across the Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati metro areas (Apr 2026)Source ↗

Ownership verified October 6, 2026. See every platform's recent deals in the Auto Repair roll-up tracker →

How many general automotive repair shops are in Michigan

The Census Bureau counted 2,549 general automotive repair shops in Michigan in 2023, ranking 9th of 50 states. 65% had fewer than five employees and 98% had fewer than 20. 9 had 50 or more.

EmployeesEstablishmentsShare
Fewer than 51,65665%
5 to 964825%
10 to 191857%
20 to 49512%
50 or more90%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 ↗ (NAICS 811111). An establishment is a single physical location, so an owner with three locations counts three times.

What an auto repair shop in Michigan is worth

Auto repair shops typically sell for 3x-6x EBITDA, or 1.5x-3.5x SDE for smaller owner-operated auto repair shops, with most deals in the $200K - $3M range. These are industry-wide benchmarks, reviewed July 2026, not an appraisal of your shop.

What buyers pay more for

  • +Fleet/commercial accounts
  • +Specialty services
  • +Multiple bays
  • +Strong customer base

What buyers discount

  • -Owner as primary mechanic
  • -Single location
  • -No specialty services
  • -Declining area

How selling through DealSeam works

01

A confidential conversation

We learn about your shop and what you want from a sale. Nothing is listed publicly.

02

Introductions where there is a fit

Where a qualified buyer fits your shop, we introduce you, and only after you approve it.

03

You decide

You choose whether to go further, on your own timeline. Sellers pay nothing; the buyer pays our fee if a deal closes.

Selling an auto repair shop in Michigan: common questions

How much is an auto repair shop in Michigan worth?

Auto repair shops typically sell for 3x-6x EBITDA, or 1.5x-3.5x SDE for smaller owner-operated auto repair shops, with most deals in the $200K - $3M range. Buyers tend to pay more for fleet/commercial accounts, specialty services, multiple bays and strong customer base, and less where they see owner as primary mechanic, single location, no specialty services and declining area. These are industry-wide ranges, not an appraisal of your shop.

Who is buying auto repair shops in Michigan?

Recent named deals in Michigan include Belle Tire (acquired by Big Brand Tire & Service, Jul 2026) and Car-Tech Complete Auto Repair & Tire (acquired by GreatWater 360 Auto Care, Dec 2025). Nationally, the largest groups consolidating auto repair shops include Mavis Tire Express Services (BayPine and TSG Consumer Partners, with the Sorbaro family's West First Management), Sun Auto Tire & Service (Leonard Green & Partners) and Big Brand Tire & Service (Percheron Capital, through a single-asset continuation vehicle co-led by Blue Owl Capital, ICONIQ and Warburg Pincus); 10 of the 13 platforms we track are private-equity-backed.

How many general automotive repair shops are there in Michigan?

The Census Bureau's County Business Patterns counted 2,549 general automotive repair shops in Michigan in 2023, ranking 9th of 50 states. 65% had fewer than five employees, 98% had fewer than 20, and 9 had 50 or more.

Does it cost anything to sell through DealSeam?

No. Sellers pay nothing. When a deal closes, the buyer pays DealSeam's fee. There is no listing fee and no retainer.

Will my employees or customers find out I'm thinking about selling?

No. Nothing is listed publicly, and your details go to a buyer only after you approve that introduction.

Thinking about selling your auto repair shop?

DealSeam works confidentially with owners to understand their options and, where there's a fit, introduces them to qualified buyers, at no cost to sellers.

Talk to us about your Michigan shop

Tell us how to reach you and we'll start a confidential, no-obligation conversation.

Confidential, and free for owners — we're paid by buyers. Prefer to lead with the numbers? Tell us about the business.

Sources

Valuation multiples are DealSeam's industry benchmarks, reviewed July 2026. Establishment counts are from the U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023 (NAICS 811111). Platform ownership comes from each platform's own or press sources, verified October 6, 2026. Named acquisitions are the deals we have recorded from public announcements, each linked to its source; they are not every deal in the state. Ownership in this sector changes often. None of this is investment, legal or tax advice.