Mills Automotive Group

Founder and CEO Damian Mills oversees both the dealership operations and the private investment portfolio. The firm does not employ a separate CIO or investment committee structure disclosed publicly. Investment decisions appear to be made at the principal level, consistent with a closely held operator-investor model.

Deal flow originates primarily from the firm's dealership network and its relationships with auto manufacturers, commercial real estate brokers, and regional lenders across its operating footprint. The group's status as a large, minority-owned business creates additional access to supplier-diversity programs and corporate partnerships that smaller groups may not see.

Mills Automotive Group operates as an integrated operator and investor. The core business is a multi-franchise auto dealership group, while the investment arm deploys operating profits into real estate and private investments. This hybrid model provides permanent capital without external LP requirements, functioning similarly to a single-family office but without the formal separation common in SFO structures.

The firm concentrates on commercial real estate and private credit, with a geographic bias toward the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions where its dealerships operate. Real estate investments include both owner-occupied dealership properties and third-party income-generating assets. The group may also make opportunistic direct equity investments, though these are not a primary stated focus.

Wealth originates from the cash flows generated by the firm's auto dealership operations. Damian Mills built the group through organic growth and strategic acquisitions of domestic and import franchises, starting with a single Ford store. The dealership network now generates recurring revenue across vehicle sales, service, parts, and finance-and-insurance products.