Lebanon — Another Upper Valley auto dealer is driving off the lot.

Flanders and Patch Motor Sales in Lebanon is being sold to St. Johnsbury auto dealer John Loschiavo, owner of the Buick-GMC dealership St. J Auto.

Flanders and Patch owner Tom Thayer, who has owned the Ford dealership on the Miracle Mile since 1984, told the Valley News he is retiring and praised Loschiavo as the ideal new owner for the business.

“I approached them. I knew he runs a dealership like I would. They are Vermont home-grown boys,” Thayer said of Loschiavo and his brother, Mike, who owns St. J. Subaru.

The Lebanon dealership, which employs about 20 people, will change its name to Lebanon Ford, Loschiavo said. The deal is expected to close next week.

Flanders and Patch is at least the fourth Upper Valley auto dealership to change hands in less than a year. Last fall, Rick MacLeay, owner of The Car Store in Norwich, sold the Subaru dealership to Massachusetts-based Prime Motor Group. In December, Kurt Gerrish sold Gerrish Honda in Lebanon to Connecticut-based Gengras Motor Cars. In March, MacLeay bought Gateway Motor’s Hyundai franchise in White River Junction from brothers Charlie and Allen Hall.

Find a full report in the Sunday Valley News.