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Call it a forced marriage.
Two successful Volvo dealerships have been forced to partner to sell automobiles in an affluent northern Atlanta community.
Neil Christman, owner of Chris Volvo, and Sonic Automotive Inc. (NYSE: SAH) are partnering on a new Volvo dealership on Mansell Road near North Point Mall. The dealership is slated to open later this fall.
The partners are an unlikely pair thrust together through necessity.
Chris Volvo is a local dealer that has been in the area for more than 25 years. Charlotte, N.C.-based Sonic owns more than 170 dealerships across the country. Formed in 1997, it has grown into the largest domestic car dealer after a slew of acquisitions.
Both competitors wanted in on the hot North Point market. But Volvo North America - the domestic wing of the European auto manufacturer - told both Christman and local executives with Sonic that the two had...