What The Rawls Group does

The Rawls Group is a privately held management consulting firm founded in 1973 by Loyd Rawls, specializing in business succession planning for family-owned and privately held businesses across the United States. The firm operates from four office locations — Orlando, Des Moines, Los Angeles, and Atlanta — and targets business owners in ten-plus vertical industries including automotive dealerships, multi-unit franchises, fuel/propane/heating oil, marine retail, technology and software, agriculture, construction, distribution and logistics, professional services, energy, and manufacturing. The firm employs 11-50 people and is founder-owned with no external investment.

The firm's core offering is the Succession Matrix®, a proprietary 10-point evaluation framework covering owner motivation, personal financial planning, business structuring, business performance, strategic growth planning, leadership and management continuity, successor preparation, management team synergy, family dynamics, and family governance. Delivery follows a structured 3-phase process: Phase 1 (Review and Analysis, 6-8 weeks), Phase 2 (Plan Development and Implementation, 12-18 months), and Phase 3 (Continuing Facilitation Services). The firm coordinates with clients' existing CPAs, attorneys, bankers, and wealth managers via a formalized Advisor Collaboration Services offering rather than displacing them.

Revenue is generated through professional consulting fees for advisory engagements, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Lead generation relies on a content-driven funnel including a succession planning blog, monthly e-newsletter, podcast series, webinars, case studies, and a free online Business Growth & Continuity Scorecard assessment. Distribution is via direct advisory engagement across regional offices, with notable channel partnerships including a March 2025 collaboration with Baker Tilly for dealership succession content.

Name

The Rawls Group

Legal name

The Rawls Group

Website

https://seekingsuccession.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Rawls Group is a private, founder-owned management consulting firm specializing in succession planning for family-owned and multi-unit businesses across ten-plus U.S. verticals, using its proprietary Succession Matrix® framework and a structured 3-phase advisory process delivered from four regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Succession Planning Advisory Services: Professional consulting services for family business succession planning, exit strategy development, and growth planning. The firm provides advisory services through direct engagement with business owners, coordinating with CPAs, attorneys, bankers, and wealth managers. Revenue is generated through consulting fees for their structured 3-phase process (Review and Analysis, Plan Development and Implementation, Continuing Facilitation Services).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Rawls Group provides professional consulting services focused on ownership, leadership, and business legacy transition for family-owned and multi-unit enterprises. Its core deliverable is the Succession Matrix® framework—a proprietary 10-point evaluation methodology—operationalized through a 3-Phase Process (Review and Analysis, Plan Development and Implementation, Continuing Facilitation) and delivered as industry-specific succession planning services across automotive dealerships, franchises, fuel/propane/heating oil, marine, technology, agriculture, construction, distribution/logistics, professional services, and energy sectors.

Product overview

The Rawls Group offers a comprehensive business succession planning service centered on its proprietary Succession Matrix® framework—a 10-point evaluation approach—and a structured 3-Phase Process. Their service delivery is organized as industry-specific consulting offerings including Automotive Dealership, Multi-Unit Franchise, Fuel/Propane/Heating Oil, Marine Dealer, Technology & Software, Agriculture, Construction, Distribution & Logistics, Professional Services, and Energy sectors. Supporting resources include a Business Growth & Continuity Scorecard assessment tool, Succession Planning Podcast, monthly newsletter, and bookstore. The company positions itself as business succession planners providing advisory services rather than a software product, with their methodology integrating human advisory collaboration with diagnostic and planning tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Succession Matrix® Framework Proprietary 10-point evaluation and management framework that assesses business succession from 10 connected angles: Owner Motivation, Personal Financial Planning, Business Structuring, Business Performance, Strategic Growth Planning, Leadership & Management Continuity, Successor Preparation, Management Team Synergy, Family Dynamics, and Family Governance. Sold as part of the firm's structured advisory engagements.
• 3-Phase Succession Planning Process Structured three-phase succession planning engagement methodology: Phase 1 (Review and Analysis, 6-8 weeks) involving data collection and evaluation using the Succession Matrix®; Phase 2 (Plan Development and Implementation, 12-18 months) for solution development; Phase 3 (Continuing Facilitation Services) for ongoing refinement as circumstances change. Sold as a full-service advisory engagement to business owners.
• Automotive Dealership Succession Planning Specialized succession planning advisory for auto dealer principals and family groups, addressing OEM approval requirements, complex ownership structures, franchise agreements, real estate and entity alignment, family governance, and key leader retention unique to automotive retail.
• Multi-Unit Franchise Succession Planning Succession planning advisory for franchise owners operating multiple locations, addressing franchisor approval requirements, multi-entity structures, management buyout structuring, PE exit planning, and family governance across multiple locations and brands.
• Fuel, Propane & Heating Oil Succession Planning Succession planning advisory for capital-intensive energy delivery businesses addressing EPA/DOT regulatory compliance continuity, fleet transition planning, customer relationship preservation, heavy asset management, and family governance during leadership transitions.
• Marine Dealer Succession Planning Succession planning advisory for marine retailers and boat dealerships addressing seasonal business challenges, family dynamics in boat dealerships, and next-generation leadership preparation. Endorsed by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas.
• Technology & Software Succession Planning Succession planning advisory for technology and software enterprises addressing intellectual property protection, key employee retention, founder dependency, generational conflicts, and next-generation leadership development.
• Agriculture Succession Planning Succession planning advisory for family and privately held agricultural businesses addressing land ownership transitions, family farm continuity, agricultural market adaptation, and multi-generational farming operations.
• Construction Company Succession Planning Succession planning advisory for construction business owners addressing capital-intensive operations, workforce retention, economic cycle management, and family dynamics during ownership transitions.
• Distribution & Logistics Succession Planning Succession planning advisory for family or privately owned distributors and logistical suppliers addressing external factor volatility, leadership transitions, team dynamics, and talent retention.
• Professional Services Succession Planning Succession planning advisory for professional services businesses focused on protecting proprietary knowledge, expertise, and client relationships through leadership transitions.
• Energy Succession Planning Succession planning advisory for propane, oil, gas, and renewable energy businesses, leveraging over 50 years of energy sector experience to address regulatory continuity, asset transition, and family governance.
• Advisor Collaboration Services Coordination services that align The Rawls Group's succession strategy with the client's existing professional advisors (CPAs, attorneys, bankers, wealth managers), ensuring comprehensive alignment of succession plans with broader financial and legal planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% stock transfer to next generation using tax-efficient structure within three years (case study result)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Baker TillycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2025Baker Tilly is a national accounting and advisory firm. Jeff Bannon from Rawls Group appears as a featured expert in a Baker Tilly episode/podcast discussing dealership succession planning strategies alongside Mike Mader from Baker Tilly. This collaboration positions Rawls Group as subject matter experts in automotive succession planning within the broader advisory community.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Vistage: Large peer-advisory and executive coaching platform serving CEOs of small and mid-sized businesses; overlaps on CEO-level succession and growth advisory though via group coaching rather than bespoke consulting.
• Bessemer Trust: Multi-family office providing wealth management, estate planning, and family governance for ultra-wealthy families — adjacent service overlap with Rawls's advisor-network model and high-end succession clients.
• Tiger 21: Peer organization for high-net-worth investors and business owners that covers wealth preservation, exit planning, and intergenerational transfer adjacent to Rawls Group's family-business advisory.
• KPMG Family Office: Big Four professional services firm offering family-office, succession, and tax planning services to high-net-worth families — comparable in service scope but vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Family Business Consulting Group: A direct competitor offering consulting and educational services to family-owned enterprises on succession, governance, and next-generation leadership — closely aligned with The Rawls Group's core service line.
• Cambridge Family Enterprise Group: Globally recognized family enterprise advisory and research firm providing succession, governance, and next-generation development services to multi-generational family businesses.
• Generational Equity: M&A advisory firm specializing in the sale, exit, and transition planning of private, often family-owned, middle-market businesses — directly comparable transition-advisory focus.

Others

• EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization): Global peer-learning and member network for founders of businesses exceeding $1M in revenue; adjacent ecosystem player that complements rather than competes with bespoke succession consulting.

Emerging players

• ROI Business Sales: Business brokerage firm focused on the sale and transition of small to mid-sized businesses, with comparable succession and exit-planning advisory at smaller deal sizes than Rawls Group.
• Tidemark: Mid-market M&A and business transition advisory serving founder-led and family-owned companies preparing for sale, recapitalization, or generational handoff.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/therawlsgroupbusinesssuccession
• Xx.com/rawlsgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Rawls Group