Leveraging hands-on partnership to strengthen leadership, market position, and dealership growth.

Assurant Dealer Success Story: Kayser Automotive Group

Enduring success in the auto industry doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of deliberate cultural development, strategic market differentiation, and the ability to solve complex business challenges swiftly. For a dealership group to thrive over decades, it requires an F&I partner that does more than provide products — it needs a partner invested in the organization's long-term success.

For over 40 years, Assurant has helped Kayser Automotive build a foundation of excellence that extends beyond the showroom floor. This is the story of how deep collaboration and retail-proven expertise helped Kayser Automotive cultivate a culture of leadership, differentiate its brand, and drive sustainable growth for the long haul.

Creating a culture of leadership at every level

Kayser Automotive operates on a philosophy of decentralized command, aiming to empower leaders at every level of the organization. To make this vision a reality, they needed to ensure their F&I managers possessed not just the technical skills, but also the mindset and motivation to lead effectively.

Assurant collaborated with Kayser to co-create an internal F&I 20 group. Assurant also monitors and maintains the group on an ongoing basis. This innovative initiative brings F&I leaders from across the company together for quarterly, off-site meetings. “Assurant has helped us lead that meeting and create an opportunity to learn from each other, to grow together as a company, and to really reinforce the goals we set in place for the year,” shares Sean Baxter, President of Kayser Automotive.

He also notes that this dedicated forum, facilitated by Assurant’s experts, has been instrumental in unifying the team, sharing best practices, learning from one another, encouraging accountability, and remaining aligned with company-wide goals. By combining this structure with hands-on training and development, Assurant helped Kayser build a motivated, cohesive leadership team that drives the company’s mission forward.

“Assurant has helped create opportunities to grow together as a company and reinforce the goals we set in place.”

Differentiating the pre-owned vehicle business

A unique value proposition is key to standing out in a crowded automotive marketplace. Kayser Automotive sought to create a competitive advantage for its used car business that would build lasting trust with buyers at the same time. They agreed with Assurant’s recommendation to develop a unique solution that would resonate with their specific target customers.

“It’s our commitment to our customers, backed by Assurant, with a unique value we can provide to our guests.”

Assurant presented the group with the Kayser Quality Certified Limited Warranty. This personalized, brand-specific product was tailored to match the needs of Kayser’s customers, providing enhanced value and peace of mind. It gives buyers a compelling reason to choose Kayser over the competition that also serves as a powerful tool for customer retention. Baxter explains, “It's our commitment to our customers, backed by Assurant, and it's really helped us create that unique value we can provide to our guests.”

Protecting profitability with deep-dive operational support

Every dollar counts for today's dealerships, especially when it comes to F&I and service lane revenue. When one of Kayser’s stores saw an unexpected increase in service contract repair activity, the leadership team needed to identify the root cause. They required clear, concise insights and results-oriented recommendations, and they wanted them ASAP.

The Assurant team conducted a Business Development Analysis of the dealership’s fixed and variable operations, using data to pinpoint possible solutions. They delivered an informed analysis of the current situation and a concrete, no-guesswork action plan to correct the claims process and help restore profitability. “They were right there, ready to step up and help us along the way,” says Baxter, “That was just an organizational assist that they were very willing to jump in and do.”

This proactive response highlighted the strength of partnership. By identifying and correcting the issue swiftly, Assurant demonstrated a commitment to Kayser’s total success, focusing on the health of the entire business rather than just product sales.

"Assurant was right there, ready to step up and very willing to jump in with an organizational assist.”

 

Fueling success with proven dealership strategies

The Kayser Automotive story demonstrates the profound impact of a partnership focused on people, processes, and personalized performance support. By fostering a culture of leadership, creating distinct market advantages, and providing expert operational insights and recommendations, Assurant has helped Kayser Automotive build a legacy of excellence. It’s a collaboration that proves the right partner can help a dealership not only meet its goals, but also evolve and thrive for decades to come.

Stronger performance starts with strategic partnership

Your dealership could be the next to experience results like these. All it takes is a partner like Assurant working together to accelerate success with a performance plan designed around your exact goals. Get in touch with us today to get started.