SouthWest Dealer Services

What SouthWest Dealer Services does

SouthWest Dealer Services, operating publicly as Acrisure Protection Group, is a U.S. dealer-centric insurance and Finance & Insurance (F&I) solutions provider headquartered in Irvine, California. Founded in 1987, the company serves a national network of more than 3,000 active automotive dealers across all 50 states. Its product portfolio spans F&I voluntary protection products (Vehicle Service Contracts, Limited Warranty, GAP, Vehicle Replacement, Finishing Touch, and Bundled Products), reinsurance and dealer participation programs, and anti-theft installation services under the KARR Auto Security brand (scaled to 45,000+ vehicle installations per month).

The company's Property & Casualty division, Dealer Protection Group (DPG), extends the offering to dealership-grade commercial insurance, Workers Compensation, Cyber Security Insurance, Surety Bonds, and Employee Benefits, effectively turning the business into a full-service broker for the dealership vertical. Adjacent lines include compliance tooling (Compliance Guard), F&I menu and training platforms (MenuMax and SOAR), an in-house Training Academy, and Automotive Talent Sourcing, giving the company a workflow-plus-product stack that increases switching cost per dealer account. Marketing channels are sales-led, with dedicated phone-based support lines for dealer clients and claims, plus a website and email newsletter.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across insurance brokerage commissions on P&C / Workers Comp / Cyber / Surety (managed-services style), transaction-based F&I voluntary protection product distribution, and recurring reinsurance/dealer participation economics where dealers share in underwriting results. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company also runs an Agency Acquisitions / F&I Agency Partnerships ("Amplified") program, signaling a roll-up thesis in the F&I agency market.

Name

SouthWest Dealer Services

Legal name

Acrisure Protection Group

Website

https://swds.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

SouthWest Dealer Services (operating as Acrisure Protection Group) is a U.S. dealer-centric insurance brokerage and F&I product provider serving 3,000+ automotive dealerships nationwide with voluntary protection products, reinsurance, anti-theft, and P&C coverage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dealer Insurance & F&I Products

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

GAP & Vehicle Protection Products (GAP Waiver/Insurance, Lease/Loan Protection) (FSAJALAC), Vehicle Protection & Add-on Product Financing (Warranties, GAP, Service Plans) (FSAKADAL), Garage Liability & Dealers (Auto Dealers, Repair Shops) (FSAJABAF)

Keywords

• F&I voluntary protection products
• Dealer reinsurance programs
• Automotive dealership insurance
• Vehicle service contracts
• Anti-theft installation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Services: Full-service insurance brokerage offering Property & Casualty insurance, Workers Compensation, Cyber Security Insurance, Surety Bonds, Employee Benefits, and F&I programs to automotive dealers.
2. F&I Voluntary Protection Products: Sale of Finance & Insurance voluntary protection products including Vehicle Service Contracts, Limited Warranty, Finishing Touch, GAP, Vehicle Replacement, and Bundled Products.
3. Reinsurance/Dealer Participation Programs: Reinsurance programs and dealer participation programs where dealers share in underwriting results.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SouthWest Dealer Services, operating as Acrisure Protection Group, distributes F&I voluntary protection products such as Vehicle Service Contracts, GAP, Limited Warranty, Finishing Touch, and Bundled Products to a national network of 3,000+ automotive dealers across all 50 states. It complements these products with reinsurance and dealer participation programs, KARR anti-theft installation services, MenuMax and SOAR F&I menu/compliance platforms, and the Dealer Protection Group brokerage delivering P&C, Workers Compensation, Cyber Security Insurance, Surety Bonds, and Employee Benefits. Pricing is quote-based and the model relies on direct dealer client engagement supported by dedicated phone lines and training.

Product overview

SouthWest Dealer Services operates as a comprehensive dealer-centric insurance and F&I solutions provider through Acrisure Protection Group. The portfolio consists of a unified platform of F&I voluntary protection products including Vehicle Service Contracts, Limited Warranty, GAP, Vehicle Replacement, Finishing Touch, and Bundled Products, supported by reinsurance/dealer participation programs. Complementary offerings include Anti-Theft (KARR Auto Security) with 45,000+ monthly installs, MenuMax and SOAR for F&I menu management and compliance, Compliance Guard for regulatory oversight, and Automotive Talent Sourcing for staffing. The Dealer Protection Group (DPG) division extends services to Property & Casualty insurance, Workers Compensation, Cyber Security Insurance, Surety Bonds, and Employee Benefits. Training Academy supports product and sales training. Together, these products form an integrated ecosystem covering the full spectrum of dealer protection needs from F&I products to P&C coverage to anti-theft services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KARR Security: Anti-theft security products and services for automotive dealers
• Compliance Guard
• MenuMax
• SOAR
• Training Academy
• Reinsurance That Performs
• Finishing Touch
• Bundled Products

Products and services

• Reinsurance / Dealer Participation Programs Reinsurance and dealer participation programs that allow automotive dealerships to share underwriting risk and participate in underwriting profits as part of the company's F&I offerings.
• Vehicle Service Contracts Extended warranty coverage products for vehicles beyond the manufacturer's original warranty period, sold through automotive dealers to their customers.
• Limited Warranty Limited warranty products providing coverage for specified vehicle components and systems, distributed through the dealer network.
• Finishing Touch Cosmetic protection product for vehicle interiors and exteriors, sold to vehicle buyers through dealer F&I channels.
• GAP (Guaranteed Asset Protection) GAP coverage that pays the difference between a vehicle's actual cash value and the outstanding loan/lease balance in the event of a total loss or theft.
• Vehicle Replacement Program that provides replacement vehicle coverage for consumers who suffer a total loss of their vehicle.
• Bundled Products Bundle package combining multiple F&I voluntary protection products (e.g., service contracts, GAP, limited warranty, cosmetic) at bundled pricing for dealership sale.
• KARR Auto Security (Anti-Theft) Anti-theft installation and monitoring services for vehicles, performed at scale (45,000+ installs per month) for automotive dealers.
• Compliance Guard Compliance management solution designed to help automotive dealers meet regulatory requirements in their F&I operations.
• MenuMax and SOAR F&I menu and compliance platform that helps dealers present protection products to customers during the vehicle sales process and optimize F&I performance.
• Dealer Protection Group (DPG) Property & Casualty Brokerage Full-service P&C insurance brokerage offering customized Property & Casualty, Workers Compensation, Cyber Security, Surety Bonds, Employee Benefits, and F&I programs tailored to automotive dealerships.
• Workers Compensation Workers compensation insurance coverage specifically designed for automotive dealership operations.
• Cyber Security Insurance Cyber security insurance coverage that protects automotive dealerships against cyber threats and data breach exposures.
• Surety Bonds Surety bond services for automotive dealerships, including bonds required by various state dealer licensing regulations.
• Employee Benefits Employee benefit plans including group health, dental, and life insurance offerings for dealership employees and their dependents.
• Instant Insurance / Binders Instant insurance binding services that provide immediate proof of coverage for automotive dealers with urgent coverage needs.
• Training Academy Results-driven training programs for dealership personnel covering F&I product knowledge, sales techniques, and regulatory compliance.
• Automotive Talent Sourcing Recruitment and staffing services for automotive dealerships that source qualified F&I professionals and other dealership talent.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000+ active dealer partnerships
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JM&A Group: Dealer-focused F&I product and training provider owned by JM Family Enterprises; offers VSCs, GAP, training, and performance consulting to franchised dealers — closely comparable vertical and product mix.
• Protective Asset Protection: Provider of F&I protection products (VSCs, GAP, tire & wheel) distributed through auto dealers and lenders — direct competitor in the dealer-sold protection product category.
• Resource Automotive (Cox Automotive): Dealer performance and F&I training and consulting provider — comparable to SWDS's Training Academy and SOAR programs targeting F&I staff development at franchised dealers.
• APCO Holdings (Easycare): Provider of F&I products including vehicle service contracts, GAP, and pre-paid maintenance, sold through automotive dealers — directly competitive in core F&I voluntary protection categories.
• American Auto Shield: Specialist in vehicle service contracts and extended warranties marketed through automotive dealers — directly comparable in VSC and dealer-channel F&I products.
• US Dealer Services: Independent F&I product administrator offering VSCs, GAP, and ancillary products to auto dealers — direct competitor in dealer-sold protection products and reinsurance structures.

Broad incumbents

• Cox Automotive (Dealertrack): Large automotive services conglomerate providing DMS, F&I menu, and dealer technology — competing in the dealer F&I workflow and adjacent to SWDS's MenuMax and SOAR offerings.
• Assurant: Major incumbent with a Global Automotive business providing F&I products, vehicle service contracts, and protection products to auto dealers and lenders — directly comparable in product set and dealer channel focus.
• Portfolio (by Reynolds and Reynolds): F&I menu, e-contracting, and dealer CRM platform embedded in DMS workflows — overlapping with SWDS's MenuMax and dealer software-adjacent product offerings.
• Zurich North America: Large national insurance carrier offering dealer-specific P&C, garage liability, and commercial auto coverage — comparable to the Dealer Protection Group P&C division's insurance offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=qlJzxy4k7Qg&ab_channel=Acrisure
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southwest-dealer-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 SouthWest Dealer Services