LAD vs DAR Comparison

Lithia Motors is a retailer of new and used vehicles and related services. The company offers over 50 brands of vehicles at nearly 500 stores globally across the US, Canada, and UK. The company has expanded largely through the acquisition of dealerships in smaller regional markets but now seeks to grow in any part of the US and we expect more deals over time in the US and, at times, abroad. Annual revenue in 2024 was $36.2 billion and we see over $50 billion possible in a few years. The US was 78% of 2024 revenue and the UK second at 19%, due to the 2024 Pendragon acquisition. In 2024, new vehicle sales were about 49% of total revenue. Lithia was founded in 1946, went public in 1996, and is the largest US auto dealer. It is based in Medford, Oregon.

Darling Ingredients Inc develops and manufactures sustainable ingredients for customers in the pharmaceutical, food, pet food, fuel, and fertilizer industries. It collects and transforms all aspects of animal by-product streams into ingredients, including gelatin, fats, proteins, pet food ingredients, fertilizers. Also, the company recovers and converts used cooking oil and bakery remnants into feed and fuel ingredients. Darling has three primary business segments which are feed ingredients contributing the majority of revenue, food ingredients, and fuel ingredients. It provides grease trap services for food businesses and sells various equipment for collecting and delivering cooking oil. The company derives the majority of its revenue from customers in North America.