CDK Global announced recently that it has partnered with ActivEngage to create Concierge Chat, a messaging tool built directly into CDK Next Gen Websites. The integration of Concierge Chat with the CDK platform provides customers with a professionally managed chat service fitted with features designed to help to drive qualified sales opportunities, the company said. […] [Read More]

The parade of high-level executive leadership changes at Santander Consumer USA continued on Monday with the resignation of Jason Kulas as president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. According to a news release, succeeding Kulas — who had held the finance company’s CEO role for a little more than two years — is Scott Powell, […] [Read More]

DealerSocket has been approved as a certified digital vendor under the Mazda Digital Certified Program, and now offers franchise and independent dealerships special packages for digital advertising and responsive websites powered by DealerFire. Currently, dealers can choose from three different tiered packages designed to provide various levels of digital support. “Through the new program, Mazda […] [Read More]

Podium recently announced the appointment of Matt Murray as senior vice president of strategic accounts as well as new partnerships with DealerSocket and DealerVault. Podium’s latest integration with DealerSocket and DealerVault automates dealers' common interactions, such as collecting reviews and sending text messages. The new partnerships will allow dealers using DealerSocket and DealerVault to integrate […] [Read More]

Having worked on a number of recent home improvement projects, I’ve learned that a weekend warrior is only as good as her tools. Through my work in the automotive software industry, I’ve learned that the reverse is also true — a tool is only as good as the person using it. The DMS is an […] [Read More]

Dent Wizard International said it is now accepting applications for several open technician and other positions across both the U.S. and Canada. With newly added and expanded services this year, the company is looking to bring aboard new techs to meet its growing demand, the company said. Current high-priority positions include paint technicians, paintless dent removal […] [Read More]

HGregoire officially opened two new Nissan dealerships in Quebec this week, raising its new-car dealer count to seven. The group also owns 12 stores that specialize in pre-owned Nissans. The new Nissan stores added to its lineup are HGregoire Nissan Vimont, and HGregoire Nissan Chomedey, both of which are located in Laval, Quebec. The group hosted […] [Read More]

ADESA announced Thursday that its Kansas City auction recently raised a total of $50,457 for a local children’s hospital. The auction held a special sale and live charity auction event named  “Cars-n-Kids” for Children’s Mercy Kansas City. In addition to donating $150 for every car sold during the sale, ADESA Kansas City sold event T-shirts, hosted a […] [Read More]

Pearl Technology Holdings announced Thursday that it has enhanced its on-demand automotive retail platform ShowroomXpress, also known as SRX, with the release of a dynamic website widget that can calculate and present six different payments to car buyers in seconds. The new SRX website widget functions within the SRP and VDP levels of dealers’ websites and provides […] [Read More]

Westlake Financial Services and Prestige Financial Services each announced updates about securitizations this week, combining for a total surpassing $1.1 billion. The larger of the two securitizations came from Westlake, which actually rolled out its largest issuance in company history. Westlake issued an $800 million asset-backed securitization (WLAKE 2017-2) backed by approximately $860 million of […] [Read More]