J. Scott Penny, chief acquisitions officer of Brown & Brown, and Bill Breindel, the owner of Vehicle Administrative Services, SafeRide Motor Club and related affiliates (collectively, “VAS”), today announced that Brown & Brown has entered into an agreement to acquire the VAS affiliated companies. The transaction is expected to close in October 2020, subject to certain closing conditions.
VAS is a provider of emergency roadside assistance and related consumer auto protection products. Starting as a family owned business in 1983, Bill Breindel and his father were pioneers in the wholesale roadside assistance business. Since 1998, VAS has created and refined a suite of essential protection products to complement their core offering of emergency roadside assistance with a focus on enhancing products offered by VAS customers. The VAS team will continue to operate from VAS headquarters in Addison, Texas, led by Bill Breindel. Bill will report to Mike Neal, president of Brown & Brown Dealer Services (BBDS).
Mike Neal said, “Bill has over 35 years of experience in managing and refining roadside assistance and other vehicle protection products that complement products offered by VAS clients. The VAS team’s focus on customer service, compliance and development of new protection products is consistent with the customer first values of Brown & Brown Dealer Services. We, at BBDS, look forward to partnering with Bill and the VAS team as we continue to provide innovative solutions for our collective customers.”
Bill Breindel said, “We are excited to join Brown & Brown Dealer Services. We are being given the opportunity to grow our business under the Brown & Brown umbrella while maintaining a high level of performance for our customers. I have known the BBDS team for many years and have watched them grow as an innovating force in the MGA and automotive business. We look forward to adding to the financial success of Brown & Brown and to participating in the culture and values of Brown & Brown that we at VAS share.”
Breindel said VAS currently works with 700 RV dealership locations, as well as RV manufacturers Forest River, REV Group, Nexus RV, Thor Motor Coach, Tiffin and Vanleigh. He added that the Brown & Brown acquisition will give VAS access to many more RV dealerships.
VAS products offer unique benefits to dealers and consumers, he said.
“We’re not the traditional motor club,” Breindel said. “Our mobile mechanics help differentiate us. Members can get everything from mechanical to convenience items on the road or in an RV park, as opposed to having their vehicles towed for long distances.”
As another member benefit, VAS has trained, ASC-certified mechanics manning phones to answer technical assistance calls, he said.
“Our trained RV techs can give members technical assistance on simple questions about things like sewer connections, leveling jacks and slide-outs,” Breindel said. “It takes a lot of frustration out of the ownership experience. There are a lot of newcomers in the RV world rushing out and buying RVs who don’t have a lot of technical knowledge. These technical assistants can remove some of the pain points.”
