DHG | Dealerships

Our goal is to help dealers effectively grow in tandem with the constantly evolving industry.

DHG Dealerships works together with clients to help drive profitability, avoid risk, increase efficiencies and enhance productivity.

Our dealership clients include:

Large private and public groups
Mega-dealers
Multi-store groups
Single-point dealerships
Dealerships in the automotive, heavy truck, equipment, marine and motorsports niches

Dealers looking to consolidate or acquire
Dealers considering going public
Private equity and family office (PEFO) investors

Dealerships-map

Understanding current relevant and upcoming industry trends is a critical component to providing superior client service. Based on our hands-on experience and what we have seen in the space, we address the following hot issues that greatly impact dealers nationwide:

Dealerships-services

People & Talent Acquisition

As dealerships have one of the highest turnover rates of any industry, the need to strategically recruit and retain top talent is paramount. Seeking out and hiring the most fitting and suitable candidates for your dealership directly impacts how successfully your dealership runs, as you need successful and talented professionals to help you run it. By way of a fine-tuned, strategic recruiting process, DHG Dealerships teams up with DHG Search to help clients identify and place top tier executive talent in their organizations.

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Performance

We view performance as a multi-faceted component of successfully operating dealerships. From profitability to productivity to benchmarking and beyond, dealers constantly seek enhanced performance. DHG Dealerships helps clients identify areas of improvement, implement action items to better develop those areas and ultimately reach optimal performance.

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Mergers & Acquisitions

As transaction activity continues to have strong momentum, the dealership industry remains ripe for consolidation. In the event that you plan to acquire or sell, DHG Dealerships is by your side throughout the entire transaction lifecycle. Additionally, we work closely with dealers and PEFO investors to navigate the persistent interest in automotive retail acquisition.

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Risk & Regulatory

Dealers face a wealth of risks – both internally and externally. On the internal front, threats such as occupational fraud become very real if the dealership’s internal controls are not sound. On the other hand, external threats such as cyber attacks are becoming more prevalent as weaknesses in operating systems and networks are penetrated by hackers. DHG Dealerships can help you identify and assess internal and external risks so that you may implement stronger controls.

Furthermore, dealers operate in a heavily regulated industry. Compliance with the various national, state and local regulatory bodies becomes critical to avoid the potentially costly penalties and unforeseen consequences that may arise. DHG Dealerships is an advisor you can trust to help you achieve and maintain compliance so you can focus on running your business smoothly and successfully.

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Succession Planning

As a dealer, retirement is an inevitable part of your future. Whether your timeline is nearby or many years from the present, it is imperative to assess what you have done to prepare for your future and the future of your dealership. With more exit strategy options than ever, DHG Dealerships is here to assist you down the succession path that’s right for you and can help ensure ongoing business success past your ownership.

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Facilities & Factory Matters

Items such as facility upgrades are often a common source of headache for dealers. DHG Dealerships is proficient in helping dealers navigate the cumbersome terrain associated with such factory-related matters. We seek to help dealers identify opportunity and mitigate the liabilities associated with factory image upgrade payments and the dollars expended to qualify for them.

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Contributing to our reputation as a superior service provider are the internal differentiators within our team:

Our professionals are fiercely committed to the industry and have an unmatched passion for it - many have worked inside of and for dealerships prior to DHG.
Camaraderie is a cornerstone to the way we work – our professionals genuinely enjoy working with one another, which is often one of the first qualities our clients notice. Our team consistently ranks above industry average in engagement, qualifying our group’s happiness in going above and beyond expectations.
We back up our commitment to timeliness through our “5 Days and a Smile” initiative, whereby we strive to enthusiastically complete our client work prior to the agreed-upon deadline.

Services

Tax & Assurance

LIFO Calculations
Cost Segregation Studies
State & Local Tax
Dealership-Specific Tax Elections

Growth & Acquisition

Data Room Preparation
Pre- and Post-Closing Financial Statements
Purchase Price Adjustment Assistance
Private Equity/Family Office Consulting

Additional Dealership Services

Benchmarking & Budgeting
Facility Improvement Implications
Succession Planning
Dealership Executive Recruiting
Fraud & Forensics

Centralized Accounting
Internal Controls
Internal Audit Outsourcing
Litigation Support
Risk Assessments

Experience

Industry Involvement

Our active participation with key industry organizations and associations at the state and national level lends to the experience and resources we provide our clients. Organizations and associations with whom we are involved include (but are not limited to):

National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA)
National Association of Dealer Counsel (NADC)
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
Automotive News
Automotive Buy Sell Report
Business Valuation Resources (BVR)
Various State and Local Associations

Presentation Experience

Our industry focused subject matter knowledge and rich experience positions us well to present on hot dealership trends and issues. Below is a small sample of our recent presentations:

2018

NADA 2018 – Hot Tax Topics Workshop presented by Jon Gee
NADC – Robert Davis and Buddy Dearman participated in a Tax Reform Panel Discussion
Heavy Truck 20 Group – Adam Lawyer and David Wilkinson presented to a Kenworth 20 Group on industry trends
NCADA Controller Conference – Tax Reform presented by Jason Wilkinson
VADA CFO/Controller Conference – Dealerships Buy/Sell presented by Louie Galbraith; Fraud and Internal Controls presented by Kirk Kincer and Louie Galbraith
Agent Summit – Robert Davis co-presented with Ryan Hanlon from Portfolio Co. on Taxation and Reinsurance
NAMAD Annual Membership Meeting – Tax Reform presented by Jason Wilkinson and Brandon Brake
West Virginia Automobile and Truck Dealers – Fraud and Internal Controls presented by Thomas England

2017

BVR Webinar on Valuation Tips and Insights – Tim York and Adam Lawyer presented a valuation webinar for BVR on August 31st.
Quarterly Webinar Series – Megan Miller and Louie Galbraith presented a webinar on Fraud and Internal Controls on Oct 31.
AICPA 2017
- Jonathan Wilke presented at a Buy/Sell Workshop with industry friends.
- Suzanne Malo presented - Recruit and Retain Top Talent in a Multi-generational Workforce.
- Tim York was the chair of the conference for the 3rd year in a row.

Knowledge Share

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Risky Business: The Cyber Risk Impacting Dealerships

At the end of November 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a Private Industry Notification (PIN) to the automotive industry, informing organizations of an increase in threats and cyberattacks to steal sensitive data. This is due to the nature of data that dealership groups collect daily. Data protections are frequently dictated by automotive manufacturers and often require specific controls that are highly individualized. In a few cases, manufacturers require dealerships to relinquish control as a whole.

Don’t Forget About Demo Use and Income Exclusions

Publication | Dec 10, 2019
More About | Dealerships

Almost two decades ago, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Revenue Procedure 2001-56, which outlines simplified methods for auto dealers to determine the income inclusion or exclusion amount for employees who are provided vehicles by the dealership. While the guidance is not new, and also not mandatory, it’s still important for dealers to understand the significance, especially if you hope to avoid hefty penalties from a potential IRS examination.

Why an Internal Audit Function is Practical for Heavy Truck Dealers

Publication | Nov 29, 2019
More About | Dealerships

Heavy truck dealers often ask, “Does our dealership really need internal audit?” Many dealers don’t have an internal audit function due to misconceptions about cost, practicality or understanding of the function. The internal audit function is to test compliance with the dealership’s policies and procedures and to identify potential areas of risk. However, internal audit can be key to helping heavy truck dealerships identify and managing potential risks to operate efficiently and minimize exposure to loss.

FASB Finalizes Effective Date Delays for Major Accounting Standards

Today, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued two Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs) that finalize various effective date delays for standards on current expected credit losses (CECL), leases, hedging, and long-duration insurance contracts.

Bonus Depreciation – What the Recently Proposed Regulations Mean for Dealerships

Publication | Nov 07, 2019
More About | Dealerships | Tax

On Sept. 13, 2019, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) released additional proposed regulations for Section 168(k), which allows an additional first-year depreciation deduction – generally referred to as “bonus depreciation” – on qualifying property in the year placed in service. The proposed regulations provide auto dealerships greater flexibility regarding floor plan financing interest and taking advantage of bonus depreciation.

Upcoming Events

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Webinar Recordings

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Private Company Live Stream: What to Look for in 2020

Join DHG professionals on January 9th as we discuss top issues affecting private companies. We’ll facilitate an interactive conversation to discuss the impacts of recently released guidance from FASB, the latest updates on tax reform, corporate culture and talent engagement, as well as IT trends.

Preparing your Dealership for Financial & Tax Due Diligence

Webinar Recording | Virtual - webinar
More About | Dealerships

Join DHG Dealerships on April 22nd for an encompassing session covering several key areas in relation to how to prepare your dealership for financial and tax due diligence.

Top Issues Affecting Private Companies

Join DHG Assurance, Tax & Advisory professionals on January 9th as we discuss top issues affecting private companies. We’ll facilitate an interactive conversation to discuss the impacts of recently released guidance from FASB and the IRS.