Dealer Groups; Dealers; Dealerships

Announcing its response in support of dealers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cars.com said it is offering “a robust program” of immediate dealer incentives and digital services to help drive dealer profitability, service capabilities and sales.

Cars.com says it is targeting those capabilities to a growing segment of consumers who want more digital car-shopping options such as home delivery, virtual appointments, chat tools and video.

The company is announcing “customer actions” and “company actions,” and one of the customer actions is “immediate financial relief to dealers”: The company’s dealer customers will receive 50% off April and 30% off May and June bills automatically applied across Cars.com and DealerRater.

CARS president and chief executive officer Alex Vetter said the company’s dealer customers are facing “unprecedented and uncertain near-term business impacts.

“Due to the unique circumstances with every customer, we are offering a range of flexible solutions including immediate financial relief as well as expanded digital retail solutions to address today’s shopper needs,” Vetter said in a news release.

Vetter said, “Our immediate focus is on helping car shoppers better connect with dealerships and navigate their car-buying process online during this time of social distancing and staying at home. Our customers understand, now more than ever, that a strong digital presence is needed to help weather this storm.”

Additional customer actions CARS is taking to help weather the storm include “virtual retail solutions.”  The company’s existing range of digital services help dealers serve car buyers from home, but it has launched new, no-cost merchandising and digital services. Those include home delivery and virtual appointment badging, chat and video.

CARS says those products drive traffic and improve dealership digital operations.

CARS Cares is another customer action. The company is monitoring the COVID-19 situation in real time and has launched the CARS Cares website to keep customers up to date on the retail services and real-time actions and decisions Cars.com is taking to provide service and support to customers.

An additional customer action is federal aid and support. The company is working with policymakers and industry groups to help dealerships gain local and federal support to get through the crisis. That support includes federal stimulus and essential business status.

CARS also announced “company actions” that it is taking during the crisis, and one of them is a “substantial reduction of expenses.”

The second company action is a draw-down on its revolving credit facility to provide additional liquidity of $165 million.

CARS said it maintains strong relationships with its banks and continues to engage in conversations with them on its financial performance and metrics.

“As we continue to navigate through this challenging business environment, we remain committed to prudent management of our financial resources and a heightened focus on our stated capital allocation objectives of de-leveraging and continuing to invest in initiatives that connect our dealer and OEM customers to our in-market car shoppers,” Vetter said.

“We believe our actions are aligned with building long-term shareholder value, as well as fortifying our position as the fastest growing online automotive marketplace and true dealer advocates," he said. 

Doppler is a proprietary technology platform and delivery network that allows OEMs and dealers to offer personalized, on-demand test drives anywhere, at any time.

On Thursday, the company said that after two years of development, beta-testing and OEM pilot programs involving more than 1,000 Doppler deliveries, Doppler is now available in major markets nationally.

Doppler says its services can help solve the following problem: Consumers desperately need shopping experiences that are convenient, personalized and on-demand. The auto industry has adapted to that reality digitally and online. However, Doppler sources the company, Urban Science, in noting that 83% of new car shoppers will never buy a car without test driving it.

You can’t bring the dealership to the consumer, Doppler says. But the company said it helps bring a brand and product experience to the consumer at home “and is proven to convert to a sale.”

Doppler Automotive, an AVC Capital company, says it has been building a platform for today’s needs over the past two years, and the company says that has helped drive efficiency and scale for automotive OEMs and dealers.

“In order to thrive in today’s marketplace, you need solutions that are best for the customer, drives sales for the dealers, and achieve the brand objectives of the OEM — all seamlessly. I see all that in Doppler,” said auto industry executive, retailer and AVC Capital board member, Jim Press, in a news release.

Doppler was created to coordinate different needs of the consumer, the OEM and the dealer, said Doppler managing director Dean Braunstein.

“Consumers expect a retail experience tailored to their needs,” Braunstein said.

He continued, “Dealers are seeing large declines in showroom traffic. OEMs are challenged with both retention and conquest in an increasingly complex market where omnichannel brand experiences are a key differentiator.”

Doppler says it has been deployed by mass market and luxury brands at Tier I and Tier III. The company said that with the decline in showroom traffic, Doppler gives consumers a good experience and a strong reason to visit a dealer to purchase, with a high close rate.

The company said more than 80% of consumer participants owned a competing brand. Almost 90% planned to visit a dealer following the Doppler test drive experience.

“Doppler helps dealers generate traffic and OEMs grow market share,” the company said, noting that it is adding markets daily throughout 2020.

In her new position as vice president of people operations for enterprise dealer management system provider DealerBuilt, Deb Wiley will oversee the building of the talent architecture that DealerBuilt says enables it “to scale its business to the next level.”

DealerBuilt provides a DMS platform that it says helps dealerships customize how they use technology to more efficiently operate their specific business.

Wiley will report directly to the chief executive officer and will manage the entire talent lifecycle for DealerBuilt employees.

That includes establishing and implementing hiring strategies, performance management, learning and development, internal communications, cultural development, and tools and systems.

She will also help build a team responsible for contributing to DealerBuilt’s growth goals, and the company said she will work to identify and maintain “the values that make DealerBuilt a great place to work.”

Wiley’s more than 15 years of experience as a strategic people executive and business partner includes a background in helping build strong teams.

DealerBuilt chief executive officer Mike Trasatti said DealerBuilt’s employees “are the driving force behind our growth and success.”

“Deb is the right leader to guide this critical function that will enable us to continue building a high-performance culture,” Trasatti said in a news release.

He continued, “With Deb’s experience, passion and ability to impact and shape teams, DealerBuilt will continue to attract, engage and retain top talent.”

Wiley previously served as vice president, people & administration at RamQuest Software, a subsidiary of Old Republic Inc.

In that post, she developed an onboarding program that improved retention by 30%.

At RamQuest, she led efforts for the strategic initiatives and day-to-day operations of people management and administration. In addition, she led the overall mission to identify, develop, engage and retain top talent to support the company’s overall business strategy.

Prior to that, she served as head of talent acquisition as owner and operator at Fulfillment Employment Solutions. In that position, she developed and implemented sourcing strategies and placed top talent.

Before her time as Fulfillment Employment Solutions, she was human resources director for EFA Data Processing. In that position, she directed and designed the overall provision of human resources for up to 200 employees.

“DealerBuilt has a unique opportunity to be a dominant force in the automotive software space,” Wiley said.

She continued, “After meeting with [Trasatti] and understanding his vision and passion, I was excited. Additionally, meeting with key members of the senior leadership team cemented my decision to join the company. I’m excited to define and lead the people strategy while building a winning culture where all employees can thrive.”

DealerBuilt was formed in 2008 to bring to market an enterprise DMS that provides automobile dealer and dealer groups with an alternative to the traditional market offerings. The company now partners with hundreds of dealerships and dealer groups, using technology and a network of integration partners to provide a DMS solution. 

Extending its operations within Northeast Wisconsin, Broadway Automotive has purchased the Pietroske Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealership in the city of Manitowoc.

The dealership purchase agreement includes the Pietroske Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac dealership and property in Manitowoc.

Broadway currently operates a Chevrolet dealership in Green Bay, and the Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands will be additions to its brand portfolio.

That portfolio also includes Volkswagen, Ford, Hyundai and Genesis and also includes Hertz rentals.

Broadway Automotive said business operations will continue as normal throughout transfer of ownership.

“Over 45 years in the Manitowoc community, the Pietroske family stands proud of this business and the customer relationships we’ve built, alongside our great employees,” Pietroske Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac president and owner Bob Pietroske said in a news release.

Pietroske continued, “While the time is right to step away, I’m confident our choice in Broadway leaves our team members and customers in great hands, and with a bright future ahead.”

“Our Broadway mission is three-pronged — to provide award winning customer service at a competitive price for our guests, to provide a positive work environment for our team members, and to be good partners within the communities we serve,” said Broadway Automotive co-owner and managing partner Michael Cuene.

Cuene continued, “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome the Pietroske team members and customers into the Broadway family, and we look forward to being an active participant within the Manitowoc community.”

Broadway currently employs 485 team members. The company will extend employment offers to Pietroske team members as the dealership resumes business under Broadway. Broadway will also honor seniority and vacation from their employment at Pietroske.

“How we treat our team members directly reflects how they treat our customers,” said Broadway Automotive co-owner and managing partner David Cuene.

He continued, “As we welcome our new team members, we believe they will be pleased with improvements to their benefits, including health care options. Our hope is the greater Manitowoc community also sees that Broadway has much to offer in terms of positive employment opportunity, because we will be looking to grow.”

Broadway’s new Manitowoc dealership is expected to finalize March 24. 

General Motors has selected MAX Digital, a data-driven software provider for automotive dealers, as a turnkey program provider for its in-Market Retail, or iMR, program.

Participating GM dealers can use their iMR funds and receive GM iMR co-op match on their purchase of services from MAX Digital as a turnkey vendor for inventory management with approved products of MAX Pricing & Appraisal and MAX Ad & Syndication.

With MAX Ad & Syndication, dealerships gain access to the MAX data platform.

The platform includes a library of more than 500 million vehicle attributes, off-brand OEM build data coverage and more than 6 million unique vehicles updated daily in the market listings.

The integrations, write-back capabilities and feeds to hundreds of sites and services deliver system-wide updates.

MAX Digital currently works with some of the GM’s largest dealer groups, including Hendrick Automotive Group, Lithia Motors and Luther Automotive.

MAX Digital executive vice president Mike Cavanaugh said managing the full digital eco-system for each vehicle can be a challenge. He said the partnership makes that easier and helps GM dealers lower their monthly costs.

“It’s rewarding to give our GM dealers access to these top-tier tools at a low cost with a meaningful match from GM,” Cavanaugh said in a news release.

Using their iMR funds, existing and future GM MAX Digital customers are now eligible for reimbursement.

Consumers visiting dealer websites, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and other sites can use a new product from automotive digital marketing company AutoRevo to start a live text conversation with an actual sales professional.

Those consumers can do that instead of having a conversation with a chatbot or someone who “doesn't understand your dealership or your inventory,” AutoRevo said.

The company says that when it comes to buying and selling, messaging from a dealer to its consumers is a helpful tool.

But those techniques need to be updated to how consumers want to communicate, paired with quickly accessible data. Without that updating, those older habits can slow the sales cycle, causing sales teams to stumble.

AutoRevo says its new product, called inLine Text, can eliminate that frustration and lost sales opportunity. It does that by connecting consumers with dealers through a text-on-the-go, real-time connection.

According to AutoRevo, the open rate for text messages is 98%. Users read 90% of those within three minutes.

The company says inLine Text can provide a direct, clutter-free channel for dealers to educate, market to, and sell to consumers.

Mike Anderson, general manager at Hopper Motorplex in McKinney, Texas, said in a news release that inLine Text is “a much simpler yet data-rich texting tool for car dealers.”

Anderson continued, “It auto-populates our CRM and accesses our inventory management system, pushes the salesperson’s business card, directions to the dealership, images, documents, and more to the prospect. Our salespeople love it.”

Time kills deals, said AutoRevo chief executive officer Ken Roberts.

“And this product was designed with that in mind, having all you need to close a deal quickly,” Roberts said.

Roberts continued, “inLine Text is changing the way dealers can communicate with their customers. With real-time actionable information, our dealers can use this application to communicate across many of their advertising mediums in any language.”

AutoRevo says inLine Text moves prospects from initial inquiry to a closed deal with the following features:

— CustomerID: Dealers can receive a real name, address, age range, and more when a customer calls or texts them. Instant Customer ID and Social Profile — including real name, address, age range, photo and social signals — can help start the conversation on familiar ground.

— Integrated Facebook Messenger: Dealers can connect directly with customers while pushing to their CRM.

— Lead attribution: Dealers can assign their advertising channels to see which sources are working and which ones are not.

— Trade appraisals: When a customer sends a VIN, dealers can get vehicle values from NADA, Black Book, CARFAX, and the inLine market pricing tool.

— Integrated inventory: With real-time integration, dealers can match inventory with customers and cross-sell.

— Digital business card: A dealer can send a vCard through text with the click of a link. That allows customers to add the dealer to their contacts.

— Vehicle deposits: With Square integration, the dealer’s team can be PCI-compliant through elimination of salespeople’s handling of sensitive information.

— Real-time language translation: That allows the dealer to have text conversations with customers in 100 languages.

As a result of a partnership between SureSale and AAA Club Alliance, a new program will allow auto dealers to brand used-vehicle inventory as “AAA Inspected.”

The program is scheduled to launch initially in Kansas and Oklahoma.

AAA Inspected vehicles have passed a background check and come with a clean title, a 150-plus point vehicle inspection, a five-month/5,000-mile limited warranty and a five-day exchange guarantee. 

AAA Inspected is powered by SureSale.

SureSale offers a platform to guarantee used-vehicle quality across 30 different makes and hundreds of models.

AAA Club Alliance is the third-largest AAA auto club in the national AAA federation.

The new-vehicle affordability crisis is driving a market shift toward quality used vehicles, said AAA Club Alliance director of auto buying and sales Keith McIntyre.

He notes that with the rise in new car costs, consumers’ attention has shifted to quality used vehicles.

That has driven the growth of OEM certified pre-owned vehicles, which are now seeing their 10th consecutive year of record growth, according to SureSale. 

 “AAA Inspected increases auto dealers’ opportunity to meet consumer demand for quality used vehicles with a turnkey program, all while ensuring the rigorous quality of the vehicles for AAA members — from extensive inspections, to VIN-specific history and comprehensive warranties,” McIntyre said in a news release.

SureSale president Jeffrey Schwartz said AAA is one of the world’s most trusted and valued brands.

“The SureSale platform enables AAA Club Alliance to offer their members a rock-solid vehicle inspection program that lives up to the AAA brand, while increasing both the range and affordability of quality used vehicles their members have access to,” Schwartz said.

Steele Auto Group operates 40 dealerships in Eastern Canada, but its chief executive officer Rob Steele says the company has been planning to establish itself in the Austin-San Antonio area.

That expansion became official recently, as Steele Auto acquired its first U.S. dealership, Luling Chevrolet Buick GMC in Luling, Texas.

Steele said in a news release that the company was excited to have a presence in the area.

“This is a great, well-run dealership,” Steele said.

Steele Auto Group describes Luling as a small city of 5,400 people, but the company noted that the dealership serves customers from the greater San Antonio-Austin area.

Steele Auto Group president Kim Day was happy the company was adding “a well-established Chev dealership to our group.”

Day continued, “We’ve enjoyed a great relationship with General Motors in Canada and are very proud to partner with General Motors here in the U.S. We love the Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC brands and their product direction.”

Day also said the company has met with the Luling team and is adding its members to Steele’s team of 2,200.  Day also said PJ McCafferty would continue in his capacity as general manager.

“Customers should continue to expect the same friendly, professional experience they have grown to know,” Day said.

Steele Auto Group also operates two Powerhouse Equipment stores and eight collision centers and is headquartered in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Noting that in 2019 it became the first Canadian dealership to receive the GM Canada Innovation award, Day said it planned to deliver “some innovative solutions” to improve the customer buying experience.

Day provided an example, noting that the company intends to use real-time video updates from service technicians while customers’ vehicles are being repaired. 

“We pride ourselves on creating new and innovative ways to enhance the experience for our customers; it’s a benefit of being part of a larger network and group,” Day said.

Day continued, “This will also create new opportunities for the existing Luling team members.  We strongly believe in developing and promoting from within so both career advancement opportunities and mobility around our network are accessible.”

Long-time Luling Chevrolet owner Carroll Barron thanked his customers and employees for their loyalty throughout the years.

“We are confident the Steele team will continue to deliver quality customer service,” Barron said.

He continued, “We’re impressed with their professionalism and their track record. They will be good for the dealership and for our part of Texas.”

McCafferty was happy to continue as general manager of the dealership.

“I am confident that being part of a larger dealer group will bring new benefits to our customers and employees,” McCafferty said.

McCafferty added, “We will continue to offer excellence in customer service and experience.”

Rob Steele also said that although the company is making its first venture into the United States, it planned to continue pursuing near-term opportunities in the Austin-San Antonio area.

“We would like to create some critical mass in Texas and are open to opportunities in the U.S. that fit our acquisition criteria.” Steele said.

Sonic Automotive will locate a dealership and regional headquarters for EchoPark Automotive in Duluth, Ga.

A news release this week from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Sonic is investing $20 million in the project. EchoPark Automotive locations specialize in pre-owned vehicles.

For the company’s EchoPark brand, the new facility will serve as a regional headquarters, showroom and customer experience center.

According to the governor’s office, the EchoPark site, located in Gwinnett County, will create 130 new jobs.

Sonic Automotive is based in Charlotte, N.C., and operates more than 100 dealerships across 12 U.S. states. EchoPark Automotive launched in 2014 and currently operates nine U.S. locations.

EchoPark Automotive also plans to continue expanding, with three new store openings slated for this year.

“EchoPark Automotive will bring a unique guest experience to residents of Gwinnett County and surrounding areas,” said David Smith, chief executive officer of Sonic Automotive and EchoPark Automotive Inc.

Smith continued, “We are thankful for the support of Governor Kemp, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Partnership Gwinnett, Georgia Power and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Our mission is more than just selling cars, and we are looking forward to becoming an integral part of the Gwinnett County community in the coming months.”

Smith added, “Our facility development team will transform the existing building into a space that empowers guests to shop the way they want and at their desired pace. Rather than tearing down the existing building, our team will bring this facility back to life.”

“We are excited to welcome Sonic Automotive’s new regional headquarters to Gwinnett County,” said Gwinnett County Commission chair Charlotte Nash.

Nash continued, “As the first location in the state, this site will provide the company with unparalleled access to their customer base, as well as a diverse and talented workforce.”

“We’re proud to welcome Sonic Automotive to metro Atlanta and our thriving ecosystem of diverse industries and companies,” said Hala Moddelmog, president and chief executive officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

Moddelmog continued, “With the region’s robust supply chain, rich talent pool, and business-friendly resources, Sonic is in the right place for continued company growth.”

 “Congratulations to Sonic Automotive Inc. on their decision to locate in Duluth,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development commissioner Pat Wilson.

Wilson continued, “I have no doubt that Georgia’s top-ranked business climate will enable the company to find new levels of success, and I am proud to work with our incredible economic development partners in Gwinnett County and metro Atlanta to make exciting announcements like this one possible.”

Gary Tucker says locating and recovering loaner vehicles is challenging for rental and fleet managers.

But it is just as challenging for dealership operators, said Tucker, who is chief executive officer for Zubie, a connected-car platform and telematics data insights provider.

“We are enthusiastic about our partnership with AutoMap, giving dealership general managers a proven telematics solution to help protect their assets and optimize their business with the same success we’ve provided to rental and business fleet operators,” Tucker said in a news release.

Tucker is referring to the companies’ recent announcement about Zubie’s new integration partnership with AutoMap, an inventory tracking and audit product for dealerships.

The integration launches a new product, AutoMap Pro, which will add the capability of off-lot tracking for dealership loaner fleets.

The AutoMap system currently provides dealerships with the means to track their inventory using a Bluetooth-based product.

That is good for flooring audits and vehicle movement across departments, the companies say.

Now, the product can use what the companies say is “the most comprehensive system available” to alert the dealership to recall alerts.

With the addition of Zubie’s telematics capabilities, dealers’ reach is extended to track their loaner vehicles when they leave the lot.

That allows them to locate and recover vehicles quickly and efficiently, according to the companies.

Zubie says the partnership expands their product base beyond fleet and rental operations, moving into dealership loaner fleet management.

AutoMap says its device installs and removes in seconds. It automates tracking and reporting. According to AutoMap, that eliminates human error and simplifies the logistics process of on-lot vehicle tracking for sales teams, service managers and auditors.

“The ability to take our strong existing on-lot solution and expand it beyond the boundaries of the dealership is an exciting proposition for dealership general managers,” said AutoMap chief executive officer Mark Sargeant.

Sargeant continued, “With this Zubie partnership, AutoMap customers can now track their loaner cars once they leave the dealership with the same efficiency and simplicity as when they’re at the dealership.”