Driving record-breaking results with expert, hands-on support

Assurant Dealer Success Story: Smith Automotive Group

Building a legacy of dealership success goes beyond short-term gains. It requires cultivating a culture of excellence, executing a forward-thinking growth strategy, and forging trusted partnerships. For a dealership group to outperform previous years time and again, it must continually set and adjust new standards of performance with an F&I partner that’s invested in that dealership’s long-term vision.

For 30 years, Assurant has been the partner that helps Smith Automotive Group achieve record-breaking results, accelerate growth across 10 dealerships, and build a framework for enduring success. This is the story of how our dedicated retail-proven experts have been there to help develop, guide, and refine the process to maximize every opportunity.

Setting up the framework for consistent, record-breaking performance

For a dealership group spanning seven markets, establishing consistent performance standards is essential for maximizing potential. Assurant collaborated with Smith to implement monthly focus meetings at each dealership.

This hands-on approach combines on-site support from a dedicated Assurant team with virtual participation from corporate management, ensuring total alignment from the F&I desk to the executive level. “Our PVR is higher than it’s ever been as a group,” says John Smith, Jr., who provides principal leadership over all 10 dealerships in the group. “Our once-a-month focus meetings led by Assurant are a key reason why.” These meetings provide a disciplined framework for reviewing performance, driving accountability, identifying opportunities, and ensuring that the right products, people, and processes are in place group-wide to maximize every profit lever across operations.

“Our PVR is higher than it’s ever been as a group. Our once-a-month focus meetings led by Assurant are a key reason why.”

Fueling strategic growth with speed and agility

As a growth-oriented business, Smith Automotive required a profit participation strategy that was powerful, flexible, and able to evolve with the future of the dealership. “A lot of times, growth comes with the ability to strike with speed,” explains Smith. “And Assurant has definitely helped us do that in a big way.” They needed the ability to adapt to shifting market conditions and access capital quickly to act on acquisition opportunities. Assurant provided a consultative approach tailored to these needs.

Over their three-decade partnership with Assurant, Smith Automotive continues to modify its participation structure to align with its current strategic goals. This flexibility has been a critical engine for expansion. The partnership extends beyond financial models. When considering an acquisition, Smith Automotive relies on Assurant as a strategic advisor from day one, analyzing the market, brand, and competition to build a winning game plan.

“A lot of times, growth comes with the ability to strike with speed. And Assurant has definitely helped us do that in a big way.”

Unwavering support when it matters most

A true partnership reveals its value in how it responds to challenges. When an unexpected staffing gap left a dealership without a key F&I manager during a peak selling season, the group’s performance and compliance were at risk.

After receiving just one phone call, Assurant demonstrated its commitment. An expert F&I specialist was on-site within 24 hours to manage the F&I desk, ensuring operations continued without interruption. Smith describes the support as invaluable, saying, “Assurant always makes it happen, every single time, they’re never more than a phone call away.” For three weeks, Assurant’s specialist seamlessly handled every responsibility, maintaining productivity and ensuring fully compliant deals.

This rapid-response support protected the dealership's revenue and provided invaluable peace of mind. It’s a testament to Assurant’s dealer-first approach — a promise that expert help is always available when needed.

“Assurant always makes it happen, every single time, they’re never more than a phone call away.”

The engine behind stronger performance

The Smith Automotive Group story is a testament to transforming potential into performance with a consultative approach and tailored support designed to optimize results. United by the same long-term vision, Assurant has proven itself as the F&I partner that provides Smith Automotive with the right products, industry-leading tools, and deep industry knowledge to meet its goals and keep setting new benchmarks for success. It’s a partnership built on integrity, insights that deliver, and an unwavering commitment to Smith’s dealerships and their customers.

Unrivaled performance begins with 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.