Bill McBean Company Profile

A graduate of the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, and Mount Royal College in Calgary, Alberta, William (Bill) McBean began his career with General Motors of Canada Limited in 1976. After holding several management positions with GM, in 1981 he accepted a position with the Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) as manager of a sizeable commercial lending portfolio. Two years later, however, GM approached him about opening a new automobile dealership in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, and, along with Scotiabank, offered to lend him the required capital. Accepting the offer, Bill began his first business as a “start-up” the following year, beginning with ten employees. Over the next decade, McBean grew the Yorkton business, which became one of the most profitable GM dealerships in the region. Following his success in Canada, McBean was presented with an even greater opportunity in the United States. With his friend Bill Sterett, he purchased an underperforming automotive dealership in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1992. Applying his business expertise, McBean turned the company around, increased sales revenue fivefold, and raised the employee count from 70 to almost 300; he also rearranged the local marketplace by acquiring a large portion of the market share from his competitors and by buying weakened competitors over a period of 11 years. During that period, the manufacturers he represented continually awarded him and his company honors for sales, service, customer retention, and financial excellence. Because of his company’s financial success and industry reputation, it attracted the interest of several major public companies and in 2003 was purchased by AutoNation, the world’s largest automotive retailer. Both before and since selling the group, McBean has started several successful businesses outside the automotive industry, applying his business concepts and knowledge to other industries. He is currently general partner of McBean Partners, a family-owned investment company. He is also partner and chairman of Our-Mentors, a company that works with owners to improve their businesses for long-term success, and Net Claims Now, which provides companies in the restoration industry with invoicing, accounts receivable collections, cash flow services, business coaching, and business lead generation services.