An Alabama dealership took a day this week to show it cares. On Tuesday, Howard Bentley Buick GMC in Albertville, Ala., joined with United Way of Marshall County in its Day of Caring for the fifth consecutive year. The communitywide initiative connects volunteers and resources with local agencies and schools needing support. Howard Bentley Buick […] [Read More]

Which way is the dealership M&A market headed? Depends on whom you ask. In its Second Quarter 2024 Blue Sky Report, released Monday, Kerrigan Advisors cited a record number of dealership acquisitions during the first half of this year and said the current rate of nearly double pre-pandemic levels projects to a record year with more than 760 franchise sales. A week earlier, Haig Partners’ Q2 Haig Report pointed out a decline in dealership profits in that has slowed demand and the pace of the buy-sell transactions, as well as a decline of dealership blue-sky values. The report projects some 500 stores to be sold, fewer than in 2023, though still the fourth-most active year in history. Another report issued this week ... [Read More]

Oct. 31 will be more than just Halloween for John and Perla Lewis. The Intellaegis founders will be retiring on the last day of October from their respective roles in company management with John Lewis as CEO and Perla Lewis as chief financial officer. According to a news release, both entrepreneurs will remain as shareholders […] [Read More]

Perhaps it’s the most crucial part of the entire underwriting process: Does the applicant for auto financing have the reliable income to maintain monthly payments? With the prevalence of fraud happening now, income verification is an ongoing challenge for finance companies. Point Predictive recently released a whitepaper aimed at helping finance companies through the income […] [Read More]

Capture the flag (CTF) apparently isn’t just a game for recess. VicOne, an automotive cybersecurity solutions provider, and Block Harbor, an automotive cybersecurity engineering company, are spearheading the Automotive Capture the Flag 2024 competition. This year’s global CTF challenge, with more than $100,000 in prizes, is set to engage and educate cybersecurity enthusiasts of all […] [Read More]

Agora Data now has more resources to empower any dealer to operate with the strength of a finance company without altering their current process. On Tuesday, the fintech company announced additional funding capacity from Waterfall Asset Management for up to $100 million. Executives said this new mezzanine line of credit boosts Agora’s ability to support […] [Read More]

F&I Sentinel on Tuesday announced the arrival of former Cox Automotive executive Michael Stancampiano as vice president of technology. The risk-management solutions provider for F&I products in the automotive finance industry said Stancampiano also held executive roles with Foot Locker and the New York Stock Exchange. F&I Sentinel said Stancampiano will keep his eye on […] [Read More]

Kirsten Von Busch, who is director of product marketing at Experian Automotive, made another appearance on the Auto Remarketing Podcast. This time, Von Busch elaborated about a special report Experian Automotive compiled about vehicle buying habits by generation. Von Busch, who also is part of the speaker faculty on deck for Used Car Week, explained […] [Read More]

The countdown is over. The eSTART Coalition’s “countdown to 100” hit zero last week, when America’s Car-Mart became its 100th member. This week the organization announced two more additions — online auction EBlock and the Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association. The eSTART Coalition’s mission is to modernize title and registration processes across the country by […] [Read More]

Similar to a project recently orchestrated by EFG Companies, Car Wars released an industry report on Monday covering insights fueled by artificial intelligence involving dealerships’ interactions with potential customers. Using Car Wars’ AI-fueled Mystery Shop solution, the company’s data analysts conducted research on thousands of dealership calls to examine communication and phone skill trends across […] [Read More]