Driving Force

What Driving Force does

Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC (doing business as Driving Force CPAs) is a privately held LLC founded in 1995 and headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana. It operates as a national network of 12 independent CPA and consulting firms that collectively deliver financial accounting, tax, and business advisory services to automotive dealerships of all sizes across the United States. The network coordinates knowledge sharing through twice-yearly professional practice conferences and presents itself as a vertically specialized alternative to generalist accounting firms serving auto dealers.

The service portfolio is organized into three integrated lines. Assurance Services include financial statement audits, reviews, compilations, and internet control reviews. Business Consulting Services encompass budgeting, forecasting, benchmarking, business valuations, buy/sell consulting, fraud prevention, estate and succession planning, financing assistance, and dealership liquidation. Tax Services cover federal, state, and local tax planning, real estate cost segregation analysis, LIFO inventory analysis, and trade discount analysis. Services are delivered under a single-point-of-responsibility engagement model led by partners, managing directors, and principals at the member firms.

The business model is a professional services fee structure, with each member firm billing clients directly for engagements; Driving Force itself functions as the coordinating brand, network administrator, and referral channel rather than the primary billing entity. The go-to-market motion is channel-based, relying on the 12 member firms (in Lake Oswego, Tucson, Louisville, Ellicott City, Birmingham, Roanoke, Houston, Deerfield, St. Peters, Great Neck, Ann Arbor, and St. Louis) to source and serve clients locally. No proprietary technology, no AI/ML capabilities, no API, no mobile applications, no funding rounds, no acquisitions, and no leadership data are disclosed in the available source material. There is no parent company or external private equity or venture capital backing indicated.

Name

Driving Force

Legal name

Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC

Website

https://drivingforcecpas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC (Driving Force CPAs) is a national network of 12 independent CPA firms delivering integrated assurance, tax, and business advisory services to U.S. automotive dealerships, founded in 1995.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Merrillville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Accounting and Consulting Services: Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC provides financial accounting, tax planning and preparation, and business advisory services to auto dealerships. Revenue is generated through professional services fees for assurance services, business consulting, and tax services delivered by member CPA firms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC provides financial accounting, tax planning and preparation, and business advisory services to automotive dealerships. Services are delivered through a national network of 12 independent CPA and consulting member firms across the United States, each with teams of specialists devoted to serving the needs of large and small auto dealerships. The integrated tax and advisory services are controlled by a single engagement partner to ensure seamless communication across all engagement elements.

Product overview

Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC operates as a national network of CPA and consulting firms specializing in the automotive dealership industry since 1995. The company offers an integrated suite of professional services comprising Assurance Services (financial audits, due diligence, and internet control reviews), Business Consulting Services (valuations, succession planning, fraud prevention, and operational reviews), and Tax Services (federal/state/local tax planning, cost segregation, and LIFO analysis). Services are delivered through local member firms providing hands-on attention from experienced partners and professionals focused on dealer business objectives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Assurance Services Financial auditing and due diligence services for automotive dealerships, including financial statement audits, reviews, compilations, and internet control reviews, delivered by member-firm CPA professionals.
• Business Consulting Services Comprehensive business advisory services for automotive dealerships, including budgeting, forecasting, benchmarking, business valuations, buy/sell consulting, fraud prevention, estate and business succession planning, financing assistance, and business office review evaluations.
• Tax Services Tax planning and preparation services for automotive dealerships, including federal, state, and local income tax planning, real estate cost segregation analysis, LIFO inventory analysis, and trade discount analysis.

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

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Aprio Advisory Group, LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember firm of Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC providing accounting and consulting services to auto dealerships. Located in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
• BeachFleischmancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember firm of Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC providing accounting and consulting services to auto dealerships. Located in Tucson, Arizona.
• Bowden & Wood, CPAscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember firm of Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC providing accounting and consulting services to auto dealerships. Located in Louisville, Kentucky.
• Crumback & Associates, LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember firm of Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC providing accounting and consulting services to auto dealerships. Located in Ellicott City, Maryland.
• Fenner, Melstrom & Dooling PLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember firm of Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC providing accounting and consulting services to auto dealerships. Located in Birmingham, Michigan.
• Foti, Lowen & CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember firm of Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC providing accounting and consulting services to auto dealerships. Located in Virginia.
• Melton & Melton, LLPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember firm of Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC providing accounting and consulting services to auto dealerships. Located in Houston, Texas.
• MichaelSilvercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember firm of Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC providing accounting and consulting services to auto dealerships. Located in Deerfield, Illinois.
• Rackers & Fernandez, LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember firm of Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC providing accounting and consulting services to auto dealerships. Located in St. Peters, Missouri.
• Samuel Goldstein & Company, P.C.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember firm of Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC providing accounting and consulting services to auto dealerships. Located in Great Neck, New York.
• UHY LLPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember firm of Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC providing accounting and consulting services to auto dealerships. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
• Wolff & Taylor, PCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember firm of Driving Force Auto Dealer Consulting Group LLC providing accounting and consulting services to auto dealerships. Located in St. Louis, Missouri.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sikich: National CPA and advisory firm with an established automotive dealership practice delivering tax, audit, and consulting services to franchised dealers — competes head-to-head for the same dealer clients.
• Rea & Associates: Ohio-based CPA firm with a dedicated Dealership Industry Group providing accounting, tax, and consulting services to auto dealers — directly comparable in vertical specialization and mid-market dealer client focus.
• Doeren Mayhew: Michigan-headquartered CPA and advisory firm with a nationally recognized Auto Dealership Services practice serving franchised dealers across the US — the closest like-for-like competitor to Driving Force's dealer-focused CPA alliance.

Broad incumbents

• Eide Bailly: Top-25 US CPA and advisory firm with an automotive dealership industry group serving dealer clients across the Midwest and West — a regional incumbent with comparable dealer-specialty offerings.
• Marcum LLP: Top-15 US accounting and advisory firm with a dedicated Dealer Services practice providing audit, tax, and consulting to auto dealer groups — competes in the same dealer-vertical with broader geographic reach.
• Withum: Top-25 US accounting and advisory firm operating a Dealerships and Franchise practice — a broader professional services competitor with overlapping dealer-client focus.
• RSM US: Top-5 US accounting and consulting firm with an Auto Dealer industry practice covering tax, audit, and advisory for franchised dealers — competes for larger dealer groups while overlapping with Driving Force's mid-market footprint.
• BDO USA: Top-5 US accounting firm with a dedicated Dealer Services practice serving auto dealer groups nationwide. A larger, broader alternative that Driving Force's mid-sized dealer clients sometimes outgrow into.
• Crowe LLP: Top-10 US accounting firm with a long-standing Auto Dealer Services practice serving franchised dealerships across the country — a broader-scale competitor with overlapping dealer-specialty capabilities.

Regional players

• Whitley Penn: Texas-headquartered regional CPA and advisory firm serving auto dealers and other middle-market clients in the Southwest — competes for dealer relationships in a regional subset of Driving Force's footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Driving Force