Jefferson (Ohio) Car Dealership Under New Ownership

April 22, 2024

By WARREN DILLAWAY | starbeacon.com

A new family business is developing in the old Victory Ford dealership property north of town on Route 46.

Akshay Mahajan, Ridhima Gupta and Aryan Mahajan are the new owners of the dealership they recently bought from Victory Ford, said Gupta.

She said all three of the owners are originally from India and the family presently owns 15 car dealerships in India. Gupta said Akshay Mahajan came to the United States for college and graduated from Ohio State University, then returned to India to learn more about the car business.

Gupta said Akshay returned to the United States to learn more about the car business. She said he served in a variety of positions in the car industry and decided to buy a dealership.

“It took six months,” she said of the process of buying the dealership, which was finalized in December.

Gupta said the family has some rental properties, but the automotive industry is a big part of their experience. “Cars run in their blood,” she said.

The possibility of buying a dealership included the Chicago area and Jefferson. The family chose Jefferson. She said they see the potential of the dealership and what it offers to all of Ashtabula County.

“We are building a staff,” she said. A general manager and a sales manager have been hired and they are looking for sales people to get the business rolling.

Gupta said she believes it will take three months to complete staffing and grow the inventory, but new and used cars are presently for sale. “Then we are not stopping,” she said.

The new owners recently visited a Jefferson Village Council meeting after Jefferson Mayor Jim Chiacchiero and Councilman Steve Sekanina visited the dealership and welcomed them to town.

“We support our local businesses, and we are here to welcome AM Ford to our village,” Chiacchiero said.

Sekanina said he is thrilled to see the dealership will continue to be a fixture in the Jefferson community.