St. Pete company’s acquisition launches national expansion
While the ink has barely dried on a deal that adds 15 states and the District of Columbia to his company’s coverage area, Ron Moore is already eyeing nationwide expansion.
Moore, CEO of St. Petersburg’s Tag Agency Professionals (TAP), announced this week that he acquired Moneta, Virginia-based Express Tag and Title (ETT). The businesses did not disclose financial terms.
After its second acquisition in under a year, TAP boasts over 150 employees and operates in 19 states and Washington, D.C. Moore told the Catalyst it would not be his last.
“We’re currently looking right now – and closing in on some as we speak,” Moore said. “We’re looking to expand across the country, and Valerie’s (Sell) company put a pretty quick footprint down into 15 states.”
Valerie Sell, owner of ETT, met the TAP team four years ago. The two businesses developed a vendor relationship as TAP processed Florida Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) requests for ETT customers.
Sell’s company will now operate at TAP Express Tag and Title and call St. Petersburg home. She will serve as president and, along with her existing management team, ensure continuity and success along the East Coast from the Virginia office.
“One of our top customers spoke very highly of TAP,” Sell said. “There’s a lot of industry changes happening, and I wanted to align myself with a group that was a little ahead of where we were with some things, like software. And knowing that TAP had the same mindset we’ve had, it just seemed like a really good fit.”
The company acquired an Orlando-based competitor, Orange Auto Tag Agency, in August 2023. TAP absorbed its clients and two central Florida offices.
In a subsequent interview, Moore said he planned to complete “one more acquisition, if not two,” in the next two years. He has remained true to his word.
Moore credited Sell and her “great” team’s expertise. “That’s what’s really important to us,” he added.
When asked, Moore confirmed that the impending acquisition would take TAP westward. “We’re looking for good companies and great people,” he said.
“It’s definitely a planned strategy,” Moore added. “We may end up buying a company that we haven’t targeted. We will announce one of them, almost for certain, before the end of the year.”
His company’s new East Coast footprint follows precipitous growth. Owner Gary Connors launched the business in 2010, and revenues have increased by 2,620% over the past seven years.
TAP previously operated in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas. Its coverage area now extends across the entire Atlantic Coast, from Maine to Miami.
Customers include title and registration services, financial institutions, auto auctions, fleet companies and the general public. TAP processes the necessary paperwork, and the company expects to complete over 3.2 million transactions for more than 2,400 clients annually with the acquisition.
“It’s advantageous to be in the State of Florida just because we can print titles immediately,” Moore explained. “We are an agent of the state. So, we’re able to act as a DMV in a sense.”
Sell elaborated that most states do not provide that flexibility. “We are aligned directly with West Virginia, but we still can’t print titles,” she said. “It’s probably coming down the pike, but not yet.”
Business boomed due to internet sales during the pandemic. Sell said someone could purchase a car online from Montana that now needs registration in Maryland.
“There’s a lot of transport companies out there now,” she added. “They’re trying to deliver them all set up and ready to go.”
Moore noted that TAP recently opened a Brevard County office and will soon add another Florida location. The company also has outposts in Virginia, Louisiana, two in the Orlando area and its St. Pete headquarters.
Moore expects to increase that portfolio through upcoming acquisitions. “I’m excited for the growth,” Sell said. “We want to work on our brand and expand it across the county to all 50 states. We’re looking for talent in the industry.”
