An Apopka AAMCO automotive repair shop has changed ownership, a transaction that one Millenia Partners associate says reflects continued confidence in Apopka’s growing small-business market. 

The shop at 1009 E. Semoran Blvd. was sold after more than two decades of operation under longtime ownership. The transaction closed April 1 and transferred the business to local owner-operator Jason Potts. All existing staff members are expected to remain with the company. 

The business, which has operated since 2001, generates approximately $2.3 million in annual revenue, according to information provided by Millenia Partners, the Orlando-based commercial real estate firm that brokered the sale. 

Luke Sawyer, senior associate with Millenia Partners, said the location stood out among similar businesses because of its performance and longevity. 

“This is one of the top-performing AAMCOs in the nation based on gross revenue,” Sawyer said. “It was doing about 33% more than average repair shops with the same kind of structure and makeup.” 

Sawyer said the transaction demonstrates the strength of Apopka’s local economy and could encourage additional business sales in the future. 

“I think it shows that it’s thriving,” Sawyer said. “[The Apopka location is] within the top five performing AAMCOs based on revenue … It’s not in Seattle, Washington, or New York City, or anything like that. It’s right here in our own backyard.” 

Sawyer said at least a dozen qualified buyers expressed interest in the business. 

Among the factors attracting buyers, he said, are the automotive repair industry’s resistance to economic downturns and the support provided through the AAMCO franchise system. 

“It’s a recession-proof business,” Sawyer said. “If the economy is doing good or bad, people still keep their cars and continue to repair them.” 

The sale was completed more quickly than many business transactions because the buyer had already secured financial prequalification, Sawyer said. While similar transactions often take four to six months, this deal closed in roughly two months. 

Sawyer said the transaction also reflects broader trends in Central Florida’s business market, particularly as population growth continues to expand beyond Orlando’s urban core. 

“We’re kind of seeing expansion outside the Orlando core into those secondary markets,” Sawyer said. “Especially the growth going westward, so you’re looking at Apopka, Clermont, Lake County.” 

He added that Apopka’s growth and business environment helped increase the business’s appeal to prospective buyers. 

One factor helping ensure continuity is the retention of the shop’s workforce. 

“The fact that it has turnkey employees that know what they’re doing … really ensures continuity,” Sawyer said. “They’re buying it based on past performance and hoping that will be indicative of future performance.” 

Customers are not expected to notice immediate changes because the staff will remain in place and the shop will continue operating under the AAMCO brand, according to Sawyer. 

The property itself was not included in the sale and will be leased to the business’s new owner, according to a news release from Millenia Partners.