CarData, a national provider of vehicle inventory photography and dealership merchandising services, has acquired Southern California-based automotive services provider DiamondLot from founder Rick Wolverton.

In a news release, CarData said the acquisition strengthens its operational footprint in the Southern California market and said it represents “a significant milestone” in its mission to deliver photo, video and data merchandising services for franchise dealerships.

“We’re honored to carry forward the legacy Rick and his team have built,” said CarData general operations manager Wayne Balroop, who led the acquisition. “This is a natural fit. DiamondLot shares our service-first mindset, and its established market presence will integrate seamlessly with CarData’s national infrastructure and technology.”

DiamondLot was founded in 2000 by Wolverton, who built a company that has created “deep dealer relationships” with its “high-touch service and local market knowledge,” CarData said.

“After 20-plus years of building DiamondLot, I wanted to ensure our customers and team were placed in trusted hands,” Wolverton said. “CarData brings the resources, scale and values needed to take this business to the next level while keeping service quality high.”

CarData said it will retain select DiamondLot staff members and continue serving existing dealer clients without disruption.