After nearly 80 years in the Des Moines market, Willis Automotive is changing its ownership structure without changing the person running the business.
Willis Automotive and the Sewell Family of Companies announced a new ownership partnership this week, with the transaction expected to close Oct. 26. Rich Willis, who has led the family-owned dealership organization for decades, is retiring, while his son, Jason Willis, will remain president and continue as an owner alongside Collin Sewell.
The partnership brings Sewell into an Iowa dealership group representing brands including Lexus, Volvo, Land Rover, MINI, INFINITI, Nissan, Cadillac and Chevrolet. Willis was founded in 1947 and has remained a family-owned operation through multiple generations.
Willis has expanded through acquisitions of its own, including Beneventi Chevrolet in 2020 and Hummel's Nissan in 2022. The new partnership brings another multigenerational dealer family into the organization while keeping the Willis name and current leadership in place.
The arrangement creates a transition that keeps the dealership's existing identity intact while adding a new family ownership connection. For a company that has spent nearly eight decades building its name in the Des Moines market, that continuity is a significant part of the story.
