What FDI does

FDI Group, legally known as Financial Designs Inc., is a privately held, family-owned insurance services holding company headquartered in Novi, Michigan, with a second office in Grand Rapids. Founded in 1970 and reorganized under the FDI Group umbrella in 1990, the company operates a coordinated network of eight specialized subsidiaries: AbsencePlus (FMLA and disability management), CompOne Administrators (workers' compensation and disability claims TPA), FDI Risk Managers (alternative risk and captive insurance), George B. Ford Agency (commercial and personal insurance brokerage), ManageAbility (medical case management and cost containment), ManageAbility IME (independent medical evaluations), Rizikon (safety and risk consulting), and Startech Software (proprietary insurance technology). The company serves educational institutions, professional service firms, state and local government entities, and self-insured employers across Michigan, with select national reach for alternative risk solutions and software licensing.

The group's core technology is built in-house by Startech and includes a centralized claims management system, a risk management information system (RMIS), absence tracking software for FMLA and disability claims, custom analytics dashboards with automated OSHA log generation, and secure client portals with role-based access. These platforms integrate data flow across the group's subsidiaries and are also licensed externally to insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and self-insured entities. The technology is described as integration- and reporting-oriented rather than AI-driven. The group holds SOC accreditation (SOC 2 Type 2) for data security and reliability controls.

FDI Group generates revenue through a diversified mix of managed services and professional services streams: per-claim and administrative fees for TPA work, per-employee-per-month and per-claim fees for absence management, per-case and percentage-of-savings fees for medical case management, commissions on insurance premium placements, consulting and retainer fees for risk management and safety services, and software licensing plus implementation fees for Startech technology. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to client needs. Go-to-market is sales-led enterprise field sales with dedicated account managers and producers across each subsidiary, supported by subsidiary-specific websites, professional referrals, and community and industry association participation. The company serves enterprise, mid-market, and SMB clients primarily in Michigan with select national clients for specialized services.

Name

FDI

Legal name

Financial Designs Inc.

Website

https://fdigroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FDI Group is a privately held, family-owned insurance services holding company in Michigan operating eight specialized subsidiaries that provide insurance brokerage, claims administration, medical case management, absence management, alternative risk solutions, safety consulting, and proprietary software to mid-market, enterprise, and SMB clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance & Risk Management Services

NAICS

Health and Welfare Funds (525120)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Insurance Claims Intake & FNOL Support (BPAAAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Claims Management & Digital FNOL Platforms (FSAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Insurance brokerage services
• Risk management consulting
• Claims administration
• Workers compensation management
• Alternative risk solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Novi

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Third-Party Administration (TPA) Services: CompOne Administrators provides claims management services for workers' compensation, auto, liability, and short/long-term disability for self-insured employers and group funds. Revenue generated through administrative fees, per-claim processing fees, and managed care services.
2. Absence and Disability Management: AbsencePlus provides FMLA administration, disability claims management, and accommodation services. Revenue derived from per-employee-per-month fees, per-claim fees, and consulting services for large organizations.
3. Medical Case Management and Cost Containment: ManageAbility delivers medical case management, utilization review, medical bill review, vocational rehabilitation, and pharmacy management. Revenue generated through per-case management fees, percentage of cost savings, and network access fees.
4. Independent Medical Evaluations: ManageAbility IME provides access to board-certified physicians for independent medical evaluations, record reviews, and radiological reviews. Revenue from per-evaluation fees and scheduling services.
5. Insurance Brokerage and Placement: George B. Ford Agency places insurance coverage through standard carriers and specialty markets including property, casualty, liability, group benefits. Revenue from commissions on premium placements.
6. Alternative Risk Solutions: FDI Risk Managers provides self-insurance program setup, captive insurance consulting, group risk pools, and excess insurance placement. Revenue from consulting fees, administration fees, and placement commissions.
7. Risk Management Consulting and Training: Rizikon provides risk assessments, safety program development, employee training, and regulatory compliance consulting. Revenue through project-based consulting fees, training session fees, and retainer arrangements.
8. Insurance Software Licensing: Startech provides claims management systems, RMIS platforms, and analytics tools to group companies and external clients. Revenue from software licensing, implementation fees, and ongoing support contracts.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FDI Group is a privately held, family-owned parent company operating a coordinated network of eight specialized insurance, risk management, and claims administration subsidiaries serving organizations across Michigan and select national markets. The group delivers integrated services through its subsidiaries, including insurance brokerage (George B. Ford Agency), third-party claims administration (CompOne Administrators), medical case management and cost containment (ManageAbility), independent medical evaluations (ManageAbility IME), absence and disability management (AbsencePlus), alternative risk solutions (FDI Risk Managers), risk and safety consulting (Rizikon), and proprietary insurance software (Startech Software).

Product overview

FDI Group is a holding company that operates a coordinated network of eight specialized insurance, risk management, and claims subsidiaries. It does not sell insurance directly; instead, it provides governance and operational oversight. The portfolio includes AbsencePlus (leave and absence management), CompOne Administrators (claims TPA), FDI Risk Managers (alternative risk solutions), George B. Ford Agency (insurance brokerage), ManageAbility (medical case management), ManageAbility IME (independent medical evaluations), Rizikon (safety and risk consulting), and Startech Software (insurance technology/software). The companies are designed to be integrated, allowing clients to access multiple services under one group with unified compliance and data standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AbsencePlus Premier leave of absence service provider offering comprehensive FMLA and state leave administration, short- and long-term disability claims management, ADA accommodation support, and absence tracking software for large organizations.
• CompOne Administrators Third-party administrator (TPA) specializing in workers' compensation, auto, liability, and short/long-term disability claims management for self-insured employers and group funds, offering integrated disability management services.
• FDI Risk Managers Provides alternative risk solutions including self-insurance program setup, captive insurance consulting, group risk pools, excess and stop-loss insurance placement, and ongoing program administration for public entities and specialized markets.
• George B. Ford Agency (GBF) Insurance agency offering commercial property, casualty, general liability, professional liability, commercial auto, workers' compensation, employee benefits, group health, and personal insurance products through standard and specialty market carriers.
• ManageAbility Delivers medical case management, utilization review, medical bill review and repricing, vocational rehabilitation, pharmacy and network management, and integrated services with claims and absence teams for workers' compensation cost containment.
• ManageAbility IME Provides independent medical evaluations (IME), medical record reviews, radiology reviews, expert reports, and court-ready physician testimony through board-certified, multi-specialty physicians across Michigan.
• Rizikon Delivers risk management and safety/loss prevention consulting, including custom risk assessments, safety program development, employee training, regulatory compliance consulting (MIOSHA/OSHA), incident analysis, and industry-specific programs.
• Startech Software Provides insurance software solutions including a claims management system, risk management information system (RMIS), custom analytics and reporting, secure client portals, and integrations with FDI Group subsidiaries for seamless data flow.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CorVel Corporation: CorVel provides workers' compensation claims management, medical case management, utilization review, and IME services. Comparable to FDI's ManageAbility and ManageAbility IME subsidiaries, with broader geographic reach.
• Genex Services: Genex provides medical case management, utilization review, and vocational rehabilitation services to insurers and employers. Closely mirrors FDI's ManageAbility service portfolio.
• York Risk Services Group: York is a claims administration and managed care services provider focused on workers' compensation and liability claims. Direct competitor to CompOne Administrators and ManageAbility.
• Sedgwick: Sedgwick is a major third-party administrator handling workers' compensation, disability, and absence management claims. Directly comparable to FDI's CompOne Administrators and AbsencePlus subsidiaries, operating at a much larger national scale.

Broad incumbents

• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Gallagher is a global insurance brokerage and risk management firm offering brokerage, risk management consulting, and claims management. Comparable to FDI's full-service model with significantly greater scale and international footprint.
• Acrisure: Acrisure is a top-10 global insurance brokerage that has rapidly consolidated agencies and specialty firms through PE-backed roll-up strategy. Comparable to FDI as a multi-subsidiary insurance services holding company, though vastly larger and growth-stage focused.
• Brown & Brown: Brown & Brown is a national insurance brokerage with strong regional operations and risk management services. Comparable as an integrated insurance brokerage and risk management platform, though with much broader scale and public-market scrutiny.
• USI Insurance Services: USI is a property/casualty and employee benefits brokerage with risk management consulting capabilities. Comparable to FDI's integrated insurance brokerage and consulting platform with larger national reach.
• Hub International: Hub International is a North American insurance brokerage providing property/casualty, benefits, and risk management services. Comparable as a multi-line insurance brokerage with regional and national operations.

Regional players

• INSURICA: INSURICA is a regional insurance brokerage and risk management firm headquartered in Oklahoma serving commercial clients. Comparable to FDI as a regionally anchored, full-service insurance brokerage with risk management capabilities, though geographically distinct.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fdi_group

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries8 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 FDI