Vanguard Dealer Services and Southfield Capital Announce an Investment in Dealership Development Inc.

November 1, 2016

Share this article

GREENWICH, CT – Vanguard Dealers Services, a portfolio company of Southfield Capital, announced an investment in Dealership Development Inc. (“DDI” or “the Company”), a leading regional agent of finance and insurance (“F&I”) products and services to automobile dealerships in the Midwest. Senior management invested alongside Vanguard and will continue in their operational roles.

DDI, located in Barrington, IL, offers a comprehensive suite of third party vehicle service contracts and consulting services focused on enhancing dealership profitability. The Company has a long history of delivering best-in-class income development, sales training, compliance, product design, and recruiting to F&I departments throughout the Midwest.

“We are very excited about our new partnership with DDI. We have a tremendous amount of respect for the value that DDI provides to its customers and the brand they created in the Midwest region. Through this transaction we will gain a talented senior management team in Pat Becker and Gene Storm, a complementary service offering, and further our pursuit to become the nation’s preeminent provider of F&I products.” said Jim Polley, CEO of Vanguard.

Pat Becker, CEO of DDI, commented on the partnership “We are excited to join the Vanguard team. Their organization, led by Jim Polley, is an impressive group. By leveraging our collective best practices and investing in additional infrastructure, we can deliver an enhanced service offering. We believe this partnership will create significant value for our customers and position us for further growth.”

East West Bank provided the senior debt financing and Fidus Investment Corporation provided the subordinated debt financing. Finn Dixon & Herling acted as legal advisor to Vanguard.


About Vanguard

Headquartered in Fairfield, NJ, Vanguard Dealers Services is a premier agent and administrator of F&I products and services to automobile dealers nationwide. Vanguard offers a full suite of proprietary and third party auto extended warranty products, F&I consulting and reinsurance services focused on enhancing dealership profitability. Vanguard’s value-added services include, F&I training, compensation plan development, dealer incentive management, compliance review, sales strategy and F&I specialist staffing.


About Southfield Capital

Southfield Capital is a private equity firm that invests in exceptional, growing companies in the lower middle market. The firm makes control investments in North American companies generating $4 - 12 million in EBITDA with proven business models, attractive growth and profitability trends, and strong leadership. For more information, please visit www.southfieldcapital.com


Contact

Andy Cook, Partner

Southfield Capital

(203) 813-4100

acook@southfieldcapital.com  


Recent Posts


southfield capital acquires Contextual.ai to provide value creation
January 26, 2026
AI-driven Full-Service Business Contextual.io Complements Southfield Capital's Mission to Enhance Value Creation for Founders and Manager-Owners
Snow-capped mountain peaks under a pink and blue sunset sky, with dark rocky terrain in the foreground.
January 7, 2026
GREENWICH, CT – Southfield Capital, a premier lower middle market private equity firm, announced today that Kelvin Group, (“Kelvin”), a leading national provider of industrial and commercial mission-critical mechanical refrigeration services, process safety management and environmental compliance, has completed the acquisition of PermaCold Engineering, Inc. (“PermaCold”), a premier industrial refrigeration company headquartered in the Pacific Northwest. The acquisition of PermaCold represents Kelvin’s fourteenth acquisition since partnering with Southfield. Founded more than 30 years ago by industry pioneers, Steve Jackson and Randy Cieloha, PermaCold has built a reputation for excellence, innovation and reliability in the industrial refrigeration industry. The company is widely recognized for its expertise in ammonia and CO2 refrigeration systems as well as its ability to deliver complex, high-performance solutions to clients across the western United States. The integration of PermaCold into Kelvin Group's family of companies, which features reputable brands such as ARC Mechanical, Refrigeration Design & Service (RD&S), RC&E, HCG Associates, and JS Compliance, further solidifies Kelvin's standing as a national provider of mission-critical mechanical services. “Kelvin’s acquisition of PermaCold represents an exciting milestone as the company continues its national expansion strategy by entering the Pacific Northwest. PermaCold’s deep technical expertise, admired technician team and customer service focus makes them a natural partner for Kelvin,” said Harry Gray, CEO of Kelvin Group. “Together, we look forward to offering an enhanced set of capabilities to support our combined customer base.” “When we decided to sell, Randy and I were adamant in locating an organization that shares our company’s culture and values relating to customers and employees, and Kelvin more than achieved this goal,” said Steve Jackson, “We’re excited to leverage Kelvin’s national footprint to better serve our customers while staying true to the values that have guided us for more than 30 years.” Southfield Partner, Chris Grambling, commented on the transaction, "We are delighted to welcome the PermaCold team to the Kelvin family. PermaCold has built a phenomenal reputation in the Pacific Northwest and their addition bolsters Kelvin’s geographic coverage, establishing Kelvin as a coast-to-coast mechanical services provider." Deerpath Capital Management and Crescent Capital provided debt financing. G2 Capital Advisors served as the buy-side advisor to Kelvin. Finn, Dixon & Herling provided legal counsel to Kelvin and Southfield Capital. About Kelvin Group Kelvin Group is a national leader in the field of industrial and commercial mission-critical mechanical services, process safety management and environmental compliance. Its turnkey solutions provide design/installation, service and planned maintenance and testing and compliance of world-class mechanical systems for leaders in the food and beverage, cold storage, pharmaceutical, educational, health care, and process industries. Once engaged with customers, Kelvin assists business owners achieve mandated health, safety, environmental and regulatory compliance standards. For more information, please visit www.kelvin.cool . About Southfield Capital Southfield Capital is a private equity firm that invests in high-growth, lower middle market companies in the business services sector. The firm targets companies with $4 - 20 million in EBITDA and partners with management to scale the business through a combination of organic and acquisition growth strategies. For more information, please visit www.southfieldcapital.com .
Snow-capped mountain range under a pink and purple sunset sky; lower slopes are dark and forested.
September 4, 2025
Milrose Consultants and Southfield Capital Announce the Strategic Acquisition of Borne Consulting
Snow-capped mountain peaks under a pink and blue sunset sky, with dark rocky terrain in the foreground.
August 20, 2025
GREENWICH, CT – Southfield Capital, a premier lower middle market private equity firm, announced today that Milrose Consultants (“Milrose”), a leading national provider of building code compliance, fulfillment, and consulting solutions, has completed the acquisition of ARC Private Provider Services, Inc. and Plans Runner, Inc., (collectively “ARC”). The acquisition of ARC represents Milrose’s thirteenth acquisition since partnering with Southfield, and first in the Florida market. ARC provides permitting and code compliance services, specializing in expediting the process for Florida customers through the state's Alternative Plans Review and Inspections Program. With a decade of experience, ARC has supported billions of dollars in public and private construction throughout Florida by providing expert plans review, permitting, and private provider services. The partnership with ARC will allow Milrose to expand its core permitting and special inspections services into the South Florida market. ARC’s strong regional footprint and longstanding relationships with building departments also enable Milrose to better serve national accounts operating in the region. Additionally, ARC introduces a complementary third-party review and inspection service, unique to Florida, that enhances Milrose’s ability to offer faster permitting approvals and fully integrated inspection packages on major projects. Ricardo Bermudez, President of ARC Private Provider Services, Inc., expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, saying, "Partnering with Milrose Consultants opens the door to new opportunities to deliver value across a broader range of markets and deepen relationships throughout the Milrose Companies. We’re excited to merge our strengths to drive innovation in the industry across our permitting, Alternative Plans Review and Inspections Program offerings.” "We are excited to welcome Ricardo, Nate, and the very talented team at ARC into the Milrose family," said Dominic Maurillo, CEO of Milrose Consultants. “ARC’s deep expertise in Florida permitting, private provider inspections, and third-party plan review expands our capabilities and strengthens our ability to deliver end-to-end code compliance solutions for clients with complex projects in key regional markets. This acquisition reinforces our commitment to providing comprehensive, high-quality support throughout every stage of the construction process, while enhancing our local presence and responsiveness in South Florida.” Southfield Partner, Chris Grambling, commented on the transaction, “The addition of ARC to Milrose represents another milestone in our mission to expand Milrose’s geographic coverage and range of services as an end-to-end national provider of building compliance consulting. We are thrilled to collaborate with Ricardo, Nate, and their team as we deliver even greater value to our clients.” Wiggin and Dana LLP provided legal counsel and Monroe Capital provided financing to Milrose and Southfield Capital. About Milrose Consultants Milrose Consultants is the national leader in the field of building code consulting and municipal expediting with headquarters in New York City and offices nationwide. Customers rely on Milrose to provide end-to-end building compliance services that include permitting, code & zoning, regulatory filing, special inspections, façade inspections, due diligence & research, and other compliance solutions. Milrose provides high-end services across various large, growing industries, including commercial, multi-family residential, retail, industrial, healthcare, and academia. For more information, please visit www.milrose.com. About Southfield Capital Southfield Capital is a private equity firm that invests in high-growth, lower middle market companies in the business services sector. The firm targets companies with $4 - 20 million in EBITDA and partners with management to scale the business through a combination of organic and acquisition growth strategies. For more information, please visit www.southfieldcapital.com.