Mosaic Auto Group takes over Zumbrota Ford

Mosaic Auto Group officially took ownership of Zumbrota Ford on June 11. The family-owned company, led by Moneer Nyazi of Zumbrota, purchased the dealership from longtime owner Steve Johnson.
The acquisition adds Zumbrota Ford to Mosaic Auto Group’s growing list of dealerships, which includes Mosaic Chevrolet and Mosaic Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Zumbrota, as well as Mosaic Ford in Lake City.
Mosaic previously acquired the Chrysler dealership from Johnson in 2020, which laid the groundwork for the latest purchase.
“The process was smooth due to mutual respect between Steve and I. We both had one goal in mind which was to have the least amount of interruption for the employees,” said Nyazi.
Nyazi moved to Zumbrota in 2020 and now lives there with his wife, Azada—who also works for the company—and their son, Osmaan.
The name “Mosaic” was chosen during a rebranding process in which employees voted on potential names.
“It made sense because it encompasses small, diverse pieces that make up a beautiful whole,” Nyazi said.
Mosaic is now a full-spectrum auto group, meaning it works with all types of credit—helping customers build credit or finance with existing strong credit histories.
With the addition of Zumbrota Ford, Mosaic Autos is a one stop shop with three brands in one town, with four service facilities, and a full service body shop.
“The growth that we have had in the past 2-3 years has been fast but methodical, my passion is to see our employees take the next step in their career and better their lives. And we have been able to offer that,” said Nyazi.
He said acquiring Zumbrota Ford was a strategic move, helping to further establish Zumbrota as a destination town for vehicle purchases.
“We want customers to experience the same service no matter which store they visit,” he said.
A legacy 
of local flair
Johnson began selling Fords in southeast Minnesota when he was just 18 years old—53 years ago. He owned Zumbrota Ford for 26 years and built the Chrysler dealership in 2018, which he sold to Nyazi in 2020.
“We were totally happy with one dealership,” Johnson said, explaining that running two wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
Johnson, recently back from a two-week fishing trip, said he has a few business matters to finalize before fully retiring. He still operates a leasing company—previously part of Zumbrota Ford—with ongoing customer obligations. After wrapping up those responsibilities, he plans to travel with his wife, Colleen, and spend more time with their daughters, Kelly Poeschel and Kristin Johnson—who co-starred with him in the dealership’s well-known commercials.
Zumbrota Ford gained statewide and national recognition for its quirky, humorous ads, even catching the attention of HBO’s Last Week Tonight with Jon Oliver. The show issued a challenge to car dealers nationwide to produce a commercial using a script written by the show’s writers.
Johnson responded to the challenge, writing: “You can look all over the country, but there’s only one Zumbrota in the entire world.”
With approval from the show, Johnson produced the spot using a crew from KTTC in Rochester. The commercial was filmed in his kitchen and garage and aired both locally and on HBO. The video can be found on YouTube by searching “Zumbrota Ford Jon Oliver.”
“I’ve had a remarkable run in the car business,” Johnson said. “It’s been a great opportunity for me and my family. Customers became friends, and employees became friends.”