HERE'S WHAT'S NEXT FOR #1 COCHRAN IN 2025

Rob Cochran started 2025 by increasing #1 Cochran's Ohio footprint and adding its first Mercedes-Benz dealership. He also begins his term as vice chair of the National Automobile Dealers Association, a trade organization that represents more than 16,000 franchised new car and truck dealerships across the U.S., which means Cochran is in line to lead NADA as chair in 2026.

As chair and CEO of the nation's 39th largest auto retailer, Cochran is rolling up his sleeves for his own business and for his increased role in the industry.

"We've got a lot on our plate," Cochran said of the Monroeville-based company his late father launched in 1965 as a single-point Pontiac dealership. "There's plenty of work, plenty of initiatives that we need to look inward for. We need to continue to rationalize much of what we've invested in and acquired and continue to work on cultural connectivity within all our stores and with our team members. That's an ongoing focus for us: How do we work to create more value, more products, more packages in the best possible way for our custom ers and team members."

On Jan. 15, #1 Cochran announced its latest deal, the acquisition of Fred Martin Mercedes-Benz and Ford in Austintown, Ohio. Terms were not disclosed. The dealerships will operate as Mercedes-Benz of Youngstown and #1 Cochran Ford Youngstown. Almost all of the Fred Martin employees have joined #1 Cochran, bringing the company’s total team member count to 1,900.

These latest additions extend #1 Cochran’s presence in the Mahoning Valley to eight dealerships.

"We knew there would be opportunities, and even though the original stores we acquired were large, we did not want to go into the market with just two," Cochran said. "We saw it as an opportunity to create a cluster and a platform."

Together with its Pittsburgh-area locations — which also have grown during the past two years — #1 Cochran now operates 36 dealerships representing 20 automotive brands. Its footprint spans seven counties — Allegheny, Butler, Washington, Westmoreland and Cambria in Pennsylvania, and Mahoning and Columbiana in Ohio. The company also operates 11 Body by Cochran Collision Centers and a centralized wholesale parts distribution center.

Cochran didn't tip his hand whether more expansion will take place in 2025.

"There are periods of time when acquisitions come more readily and then times when they don't," he said. "That never means we're not working on things. But our first focus is working internally and improving what we have. There are things like our collision repair business that isn't as extensive as it will be. Those are things we're talking about: How do we get our services to the market?"

It is unlikely that #1 Cochran will enter regions that aren't close by.

"I like contiguous markets; that creates a lot of efficiency for us," Cochran said. "As we continue to grow, we'd likely just continue to push in one direction geographically. Where that is depends on what the opportunities are."

NADA's new leadership starts with its annual show in New Orleans the week of January 20.

"I've been involved with a lot of macro issues that are affecting the industry or threaten to affect it," Cochran said. "It's fascinating. It depends on who's observing, but all would agree it's a period of change and transition, and when you go through that, it generally points to consolidation. We've been on the consolidation side, and that's part of our vision and ambitions on who we want to be as a company in 10, 15 and 20 years. The dynamics in the market, I'd say, are a little more ambiguous than where it might have been going a couple years ago, and that plays into it as well. We're looking at certain franchises and how they may perform under different stresses because of what's going on globally. Investments have to be more vetted and thought out. There's potentially more change how OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] are ranking in consumer choices."