Balancing expansion with legacy: How Sames Auto Group grows while preserving 100+ years of culture

Assurant Dealer Success Story: Sames Auto Group

For an auto dealership to stay in business and keep growing for over a century, it takes commitment to always keep reaching for added performance. Sames Auto Group has spent 116 years building a reputation for putting family and customers first. That approach has helped them measure success in generations rather than quarter by quarter. It’s a philosophy that still drives the business today, even as the group expands through acquisitions and opening new stores.

Assurant has been part of that growth for six years, working alongside the Sames team as a hands-on partner. This is the story of how a personal, high-touch relationship with Assurant helps Sames Auto Group pursue growth opportunities at scale while preserving the culture, accountability, and customer trust that have defined the business for more than a century.

A partnership built on hands-on dealership support and accountability

Sames Auto Group has been a family-owned business since its founding in 1910, which shapes how leadership expects its business partners to show up. Evelyn Sames, CEO of Sames Auto Group, says that culture starts at the top, with an open door and a level of access that goes beyond a typical vendor relationship.

“We have a very personal relationship with Assurant’s team,” she says. “And we are a family-owned business. That’s very important to us … I want to be involved. I want my executive team involved. And their team is readily available.”

The CEO and her executive team stay directly involved in the day-to-day operations, and Assurant has matched that engagement for six years running. Throughout that time, accountability has been a cornerstone of the relationship. Rather than managing development by phone or email, Assurant’s regional teams are in stores working alongside dealership personnel, helping reinforce the standards and processes that drive the group’s performance.

That hands-on presence is especially important in an organization built around deal reviews, one-on-one coaching, and direct accountability. By showing up in person and working side by side with dealer teams, Assurant helps reinforce the customer-first culture that has defined Sames Auto Group for more than a century.

“We have a very personal relationship with Assurant’s team that’s very important to us. We have an open-door policy, my executives and I want to be involved, and their team is readily available.”

Training and talent development designed for F&I performance

When Sames Auto Group evaluated F&I partners, one-on-one training wasn’t optional. And it needed to change results on the floor.

“Assurant provides a level of training that’s unmatched, and that was one of the reasons that we partnered with [them],” Sames says. “It’s one thing for somebody to come in and say we can move the needle, but it’s another thing for them to actually move the needle.”

Assurant’s approach favors demonstration of a properly structured F&I process over verbal instruction, with Assurant experts working alongside F&I staff rather than telling them how a process should work. This method models best practices and applies them in real-world situations, empowering teams to consistently deliver quality deals and customer experiences. Assurant further reinforces the Sames culture of accountability by using deal reviews and proprietary data analytics to help ensure the entire organization is operating under a single, optimized performance strategy. Over six years, Sames has watched that translate into stronger F&I penetration across the group.

The same standards carry into recruiting and onboarding: Every finance manager at Sames is AFIP-certified, with Assurant supporting that certification from day one. In an industry where turnover is normal, Sames explains that they trust Assurant because “they understand exactly the type of person we’re looking for and the type of training they need. Assurant supports that process and leads with integrity the way we expect them to.” That level of partnership allows Sames to onboard new F&I managers quickly, without sacrificing deal quality or professionalism, while also maintaining the brand’s reputation in the market.

“Assurant provides a level of training that’s unmatched, and that was one of the reasons that we partnered with [them]. It’s one thing for somebody to come in and say we can move the needle, but it’s another thing for them to actually move the needle.”

Precise execution to act on opportunities at speed: two business cases

Fast access to capital for dealership growth

Sames Auto Group has grown significantly through acquisition, and that kind of growth requires a partner capable of moving faster than outside consulting typically delivers. Assurant has supported the group’s growth in each acquisition by providing fast access to capital all the way through transitioning new stores to the Sames brand and culture.

“They were quick to take the phone call,” Sames says. “They were quick to get flexible options and opportunities in front of us, and they understand how fast these opportunities arise and how fast we have to act on them. I think that’s what sets them apart, is that they know that we’ve got to jump on them, and they jump on board just as fast as we need them to.”

Rapid new store onboarding without sacrificing quality

That same tactical precision shows up in how Assurant sets up a new store’s sales and F&I processes. Assurant draws on its understanding of Sames’ culture, operating processes, and expectations to help sales and F&I departments launch the Sames way from day one. Even during transitions that were difficult because of unfamiliar DMS and menu presentation systems, Assurant managed the conversion closely enough that Sames said the switch happened “without missing a beat.” Business kept running at pace, without interrupting a single transaction.

That same hands-on approach extends to everyday performance management and profit participation. Assurant reviews Sames’ reinsurance portfolio on a regular cadence, helping identify trends and opportunities early and taking quick action to stay aligned with profitability goals.

“They were quick to take the phone call and they understand how fast opportunities arise and how fast we have to act on them. I think that’s what sets them apart.”

A legacy brand, backed by a personalized certified pre-owned program

For Sames, maintaining a 116-year legacy means choosing partners with the financial strength to help them grow their offerings and market position. The strong relationship with Assurant led to the Sames Certified Program, a pre-owned-vehicle limited warranty tailored specifically for Sames’ customers. Backed by Assurant’s ability and nationwide coverage, the program has become one of the clearest differentiators in Sames’ used car business and a meaningful driver of customer retention.

For Sames, that kind of tailored solution reflects a broader pattern in the partnership. “It’s not surprising that Assurant goes above and beyond for us on a regular basis,” she says. “They’re not surprises to us anymore. It’s just the way they do business. When you see the small little acts and how important they are, and how they prioritize the small things, it adds up to really big differences in our business, in our portfolio and in our performance.”

“It’s not surprising that Assurant goes above and beyond for us on a regular basis. They’re not surprises to us anymore. It’s just the way they do business. When you see the small little acts and how important they are, and how they prioritize the small things, it adds up to really big differences in our business, in our portfolio and in our performance.”

The engine behind Sames’ next chapter

Sames Auto Group’s story reflects what happens when scale and culture grow together instead of one giving way to the other. Across training and support, onboarding, acquisitions, and everyday operations, the constant has been an Assurant team that treats Sames’ growth like its own, and a partnership built on the same family values that have carried the dealership for more than a century.