Belzers complete purchase of New Prague Auto Group

The long anticipated sale of New Prague Auto Group to Jeff Belzer's Auto was completed Tuesday, March 29.

Jeff Belzer Jr. and Mike Belzer are the new owners of the three New Prague Auto dealerships. They are the sons of the late Jeff Belzer Sr., an attorney who, after doing legal work for work auto dealerships, got into the auto business in 1980 when he purchased Todd Chevrolet in Lakeville. He later purchased Haugen Dodge in Farmington and consolidated the dealership into his Lakeville operation, and later acquired a Kia franchise. Jeff Belzer Sr. died in 2011, and his sons now are owners of the dealership.

Nick Nicolai, a New Prague resident, has been general manager of the Belzer dealerships and will take over management of the new dealerships, which are now known as Jeff Belzer's New Prague Chevrolet, Jeff Belzer's New Prague Ford and Jeff Belzer's New Prague Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep/Ram. The Chevy dealership is located at 939 280th Street West, and the other dealerships are located at 1185 280th St. W, both just east of New Prague.

Jeff Belzer Jr. said they began discussions with the ownership of New Prague Auto Group, led by Mark Swelland, in mid- to late summer last year about the purchase. The purchase was announced late last year, pending approval from the auto manufacturers. Belzer's took over operation of the New Prague dealerships in early March before the sale was finalized.

Swelland and his group continue to own and operate a Ford dealership in Hudson, WI. "We were looking to expand in the.....

To see more on this story pick up the April 7, 2016 print edition of The New Prague Times.