- Firm's partners will brief 100 aftermarket executives on deal volume, valuations, and private equity activity, then moderate an industry panel
Hart Marx Advisors, an M&A advisory firm specializing in the automotive aftermarket, announced that partners Tom Marx and Chris Bovis will present at the Automotive Sales Council's fall meeting on September 21, 2026, in Chicago.
Their session, The State of the M&A Market for Lower-Middle-Market Companies, will examine what is actually happening in the market for privately held aftermarket businesses — deal volume, valuation trends, the macro forces moving them, and the pressures reshaping private equity behavior.
The presentation highlights a divergence between headline M&A figures and the market most aftermarket owners operate in. While total U.S. deal value nearly doubled this year on the strength of a handful of very large transactions, the number of transactions declined and middle-market deal count fell roughly 20 percent. Automotive aftermarket M&A moved the other way, posting 47 transactions in the first quarter — the strongest quarter in three years and a 62 percent increase over the same period last year, with roughly nine of every ten deals going to strategic acquirers.
"It’s quite an honor to address the Automotive Sales Council," said Chris Bovis, Managing Partner of Hart Marx Advisors. "Despite macroeconomic headwinds, the conditions for the aftermarket are favorable and we look forward to discussing these market forces with our panel."
Following the presentation, Marx and Bovis will moderate a panel featuring Norm Young, Operating Partner at Industrial Opportunity Partners; Marc Blackman, CEO and Chairman of Gold Eagle Company; and Christian Roth, CEO of Burnout Brands. The discussion will cover valuation expectations, diligence, and what separates a business that earns a premium from one that gets discounted.
The Automotive Sales Council is a membership organization of senior executives from manufacturers, distributors, and service providers across the automotive aftermarket.