Mayse Automotive buys Vincel's Infiniti

The deal closed April 2 after four months of negotiations with the Vincel family, which had owned the Infiniti dealership at 3500 E. Sunshine St. since 1989.

Matt Mayse, Mayse Automotive Group general manager and son of owner Rick Mayse, wouldn’t disclose the price of the acquisition or details of a lease agreement with the Vincel family for the four-acre lot.

“I think (Infiniti exceeds) other products in the luxury market,” Mayse said of the purchase. “We felt that the opportunity to increase the brand presence in Springfield was there.”

The Mayse family registered Mayse Infiniti LLC with the Missouri secretary of state’s office on Jan. 29.

Mayse Automotive Group’s flagship dealership – featuring Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac and GMC vehicles – has been in Aurora since 1989. Mayse said there are about 1,200 vehicles – 400 new and 800 used – at that 17-acre lot, and sales reach about 4,000 vehicles a year.

In January 2006, the Vincel family sold its Buick dealership of 42 years, also on East Sunshine Street, to Thompson Pontiac-GMC-Cadillac-Saab, 1555 E. Independence St.

The two sales take the Vincel family out of the local car business, according to Mark Vincel.

“We’re going to basically retire and develop some property,” said Mark Vincel, referring to eight acres directly south of the Infiniti dealership that sit along Highway 65. Mark Vincel, father John Vincel, and brothers Mack, George and Bob Vincel are planning to break ground in the next several months on an office-retail development on that land.

The Vincel family had disposed of their used car inventory and had only about 30 new Infiniti vehicles in stock when Mayse Automotive Group took control. Mayse said his group plans to carry 200 various used vehicles and 70 new Infiniti vehicles. He declined to disclose sales projections.

Mayse growth

This isn’t the first expansion for Mayse Automotive Group. In 2003, it bought a Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, GMC and Cadillac dealership in Parsons, Kan. Mayse is building a 13-acre lot there that will open May 1 and carry about 400 vehicles.

Mayse said the company continues to seek expansion opportunities.

Mayse said the group doesn’t plan to expand the footprint of the East Sunshine lot or raze or construct any buildings there. The Mayse group will, however, extensively remodel one of two buildings – an 11,000-square-foot showroom.

Tim McKee, formerly a sales manager at Friendly Ford, will run Mayse Infiniti, which should be fully stocked and have its new signage within 60 days, Mayse said.