Gayle Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints, expanded her business empire by acquiring part of the Ray Brandt Auto Group portfolio of automotive dealerships and collision centers.
The acquisition includes Mercedes-Benz of South Mississippi, Porsche New Orleans, Volkswagen of South Mississippi, Infiniti of South Mississippi and three premier collision centers in Mississippi and Louisiana.
This expansion not only enlarges Benson's footprint in the automotive market -- her portfolio includes Mercedes-Benz of New Orleans, Mercedes-Benz Van Center and Best Chevrolet and Cadillac of New Orleans -- but also increases her team's workforce to more than 500 employees.
“I am grateful to have this opportunity to welcome Mercedes-Benz of South Mississippi, Porsche New Orleans, Volkswagen of Mississippi, Infiniti of South Mississippi, and our valued collision centers into our family of automotive enterprises,” Benson said. “These acquisitions align with our vision of delivering exceptional products and services while making a positive impact on the communities we serve. We look forward to building upon the strong foundations established by Ray Brandt, and further elevate these businesses to new heights of success.”
The late Tom Benson, Gayle Benson's husband, owned more than 30 auto dealerships across Louisiana and Texas.
Ray Brandt, the founder of the Ray Brandt Auto Group, died in 2019, at which point his group had 15 dealerships and collision centers employing more than 700 people. After years of legal battles, the group's dealerships and collision centers were sold. Several other dealerships were bought by Premier Automotive Group and Mills Automotive Group.
