What The McDavid Group does

The McDavid Group is a privately-held automotive dealership services firm founded in 2011 by Jim McDavid and headquartered in Tequesta, Florida. The company provides a full-service dealership compliance and leadership offering built around Finance & Insurance (F&I) training, sales and management training, compliance certification, recruiting, and reinsurance / dealer participation programs. Its core products include F&I Certified Training, the "20 Biggest Secrets" video series, the "Manager's Rule of Five" leadership curriculum, and Compliance Certification Programs covering Sales, F&I, Service, Administration, and Marketing roles. These are complemented by Dealer Participation Programs (Customized Domestic Retro-Commission, Controlled Foreign Corporation, Captive Reinsurance Company, Dealer Owned Warranty Company) and bundled F&I product offerings including Vehicle Service Contracts, GAP Coverage, Prepaid Maintenance, Certified Pre-owned Programs, and a Total Protection Package.

The underlying methodology is described as evidence-based and data-driven, with delivery anchored to a "Man in the Arena" philosophy of hands-on, in-person training rather than remote-only models. Proprietary content is delivered through dedicated Area Managers who work directly with dealer partners, supported by Vimeo-hosted video content and a corporate blog. The firm's go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales: customized implementation plans, on-site engagement, and bespoke quotes rather than publicly listed pricing.

The business model combines professional services (training, compliance audits, recruiting) with managed-services economics through reinsurance participation programs. The customer base consists of franchised and independent automotive dealerships, served primarily in the Southeast US. The firm operates with 11-50 employees, has not raised external venture or private equity funding, and is founder-owned under Jim McDavid (President & CEO), with a senior team drawn from JM&A Group, Penske Automotive Group, Van Tuyl Group, Lithia, and Sam Swope Auto Group.

Name

The McDavid Group

Legal name

The McDavid Group

Website

https://themcdavidgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The McDavid Group is a privately-held, founder-led automotive dealership services firm providing F&I training, sales and management training, compliance certification, recruiting, and reinsurance solutions to franchised and independent automotive dealerships, primarily in the Southeast US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Dealership Training & F&I Services

akta.pro primary industry

Dealer-Sold & F&I Administered Service Contracts (Dealer Obligors) (FSAJALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

OEM/Captive Warranty & Service Contract Programs (FSAJALAE), Product & Consumer Compliance (Labeling, Claims, Safety) (EDABADAH), Governance, Controls & Internal Control Frameworks (EDABAJAL)

Keywords

• F&I training services
• Automotive dealership compliance
• Dealer reinsurance programs
• Dealership sales training
• F&I management training

Headquarters

HQ city

Jupiter

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. F&I Training Services: The McDavid Group provides F&I Department training including proprietary certified training programs for automotive dealerships. Services include hands-on support with dedicated Area Managers who assist with spinning, desking, and closing high-value deals.
2. Sales Department Training: Sales training programs focused on creating a sales culture that allows customers to buy rather than feel sold. Includes the 20 Biggest Secrets video series and practical sales methodology training.
3. Management Training: Transformational leadership training including the Rule of Five program, daily leadership training, and culture development support.
4. Dealer Participation Programs / Reinsurance: Reinsurance solutions for long-term financial stability and profitability. Options include Customized Domestic Retro-Commission, Controlled Foreign Corporation (CFC), Captive Reinsurance Company, and Dealer Owned Warranty Company programs.
5. Recruiting Services: Comprehensive recruiting programs providing tools to attract and hire F&I professionals, including curated talent pools of top-tiered professionals matching dealership culture.
6. Compliance Solutions: Safety and compliance solutions including certified compliance training, on-site deal audits, hands-on training, policies and procedures development, and best practices implementation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The McDavid Group sells F&I training, sales training, management training, compliance certification, recruiting services, and dealer participation (reinsurance) programs to automotive dealerships. The firm also provides dealerships with resellable F&I product programs including Vehicle Service Contracts, GAP coverage, Prepaid Maintenance, and Certified Pre-Owned protection products.

Product overview

The McDavid Group is a full-service dealership compliance leadership company offering an "A-rated" product suite for automotive dealerships centered on Finance & Insurance (F&I) training, compliance, and reinsurance solutions. The core offerings include F&I Certified Training, The 20 Biggest Secrets sales training program, Manager's Rule of Five leadership training, and Compliance Certification Programs across Sales, F&I, Service, Administration, and Marketing. These training programs are complemented by Dealer Participation Programs (Reinsurance) including Customized Domestic Retro-Commission, CFC, Captive Reinsurance Company, and Dealer Owned Warranty Company. The company also offers F&I product options including Vehicle Service Contracts, GAP Coverage, Prepaid Maintenance Programs, Certified Pre-owned Programs, and Total Protection Package bundles. The integrated approach combines evidence-based processes with value-added products designed to create a customer-friendly dealership experience while maximizing profitability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The McDavid Group Charities, Inc.minorOthersCharitable initiative founded in 2016 by Jim McDavid that provides financial support and counseling to families of fallen law enforcement officers. The organization hosts an annual golf event to raise money for affected families, particularly in response to the 2016 Dallas ambush that left five officers dead.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DealerPro Training Solutions: Specialist in F&I and sales training for automotive dealerships, including menu selling and compliance. Closely aligned with The McDavid Group's F&I and sales training focus.
• Automotive Training Institute: Long-standing automotive dealership training and consulting firm offering sales, F&I, management, and fixed ops programs. Directly comparable in target customer (franchised dealers) and productized training format.
• F&I Express (Reynolds and Reynolds / Cox): F&I menu, product administration, and training platform for dealerships. Directly comparable in F&I product distribution and dealer-facing training, with the advantage of integration into broader dealer software stacks.
• NCM Associates: Provider of dealership 20 Groups, management training, and operational consulting for automotive retailers. Overlaps in management development and dealer performance improvement programs.
• IAS (Innovative Aftermarket Solutions): Provider of F&I product training, reinsurance, and dealer participation programs. Directly comparable in reinsurance structuring and F&I product distribution to dealerships.
• JM&A Group (JM Family Enterprises): The founder's former employer and a leading provider of F&I training, products, and reinsurance solutions to automotive dealerships across the U.S. Direct overlap in core training, reinsurance, and dealer participation offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Reynolds and Reynolds: Major dealer management systems provider offering F&I software, forms, and adjacent services. Overlaps with The McDavid Group on F&I compliance and process tooling but as part of a much broader technology portfolio.
• Cox Automotive (Dealertrack, VinSolutions): Large, diversified automotive technology and services provider including dealer CRM, F&I, and inventory platforms. Adjacent to The McDavid Group's training and F&I offerings through its dealer-facing software ecosystem.

Regional players

• Conley Insurance Group: Specialty F&I product and training provider with a strong regional dealer footprint. Comparable offering mix (training plus product distribution) but primarily competes in a narrower geographic territory.

Emerging players

• American Auto Shield: Vehicle service contract administrator that partners with dealerships and trains F&I staff on product presentation. Adjacent overlap on F&I product training and dealer participation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/themcdavidgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 McDavid Group