- Major acquisitions and organic growth fuel expansion of capabilities and expertise
- Dealership customer base grew by 67 percent year-over-year in 2015
- Employee count increased 136 percent in 2015; 24 percent increase is projected in 2016
- Unprecedented launches will drive short- and long-term growth through 2016 and beyond
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Feb. 24, 2016 — DealerSocket, the automotive retail industry’s leading technology platform, grew its customer base by 67 percent and its number of employees by 136 percent in 2015, and expanded its unrivaled range of capabilities through the strategic acquisition of four key companies. These companies, DealerFire (digital marketing and websites); Inventory+, including AAX (inventory management); and AutoStar and FEX DMS (independent dealership management systems (DMS)) strengthen DealerSocket’s fully integrated portfolio of solutions, which is unmatched in the industry.
“As we prepare for major launches and global expansion in 2016 and beyond, it’s vital that we continue to deliver the expertise of our industry’s leading experts, and develop and deploy world-class technology, data and guidance to help dealerships operate more profitably,” said Jonathan Ord, CEO, DealerSocket. “Our leadership team has remained constant since our company was founded 15 years ago. That team remains committed to investing significant resources in research and development that power organic growth, and to actively seeking opportunities for strategic acquisitions that position our organization and team for continued success in both the short and long term.”
DealerSocket expects its customer base to grow by 40 percent and projects expansion into three additional countries in 2016.
Hiring surge projected through 2016
Since January 2015, DealerSocket’s total number of employees has grown by 136 percent.
Of these additions, 62 percent came aboard as a result of acquisitions, and 38 percent were hired directly by DealerSocket. The organization projects that its team will grow by approximately 10 percent this year as it actively recruits developers, as well as candidates to fill sales, accounting, finance and IT positions around the world.
In 2015, the organization’s hiring was most significant in Utah (more than 200 employees), California (more than 100 employees) and Wisconsin (more than 60 employees).
Major product launches in 2016
Game-changing platform
DealerSocket, which has experienced year-over-year growth since it was founded in 2001, is preparing for its most significant launch to date. This innovation will redefine how technology empowers dealerships to sell, service and retain their customers.
Complete data integration
Earlier this year, DealerSocket introduced CrossFire, a data-integration solution that allows customers’ (DealerSocket) CRM and websites to work in tandem to create more meaningful, effective follow-up processes, and empower dealers to drive revenue and profitability. By allowing customer-behavior data to flow seamlessly across DealerSocket technologies, CrossFire empowers dealers with information about when customers are actively browsing their websites, and allows dealers to track customer behavior, better understand customer interests and to follow up while customers are actively browsing.
Independent DMS solution
The company’s iDMS platform — a dealership management system designed for Independent and BHPH stores — will launch this summer. This technology, which can be scaled to any size business and evolve with a store as its needs change, empowers independent dealers to more effectively track cost and inventory data, and to streamline collections and daily operations. The iDMS launch underscores DealerSocket’s commitment to developing world-class, cost-effective solutions for independent dealerships, which have been underserved by smaller competitors that lack the ability to integrate solutions and drive profitability across key business areas.
-more-
About DealerSocket
DealerSocket is a leading automotive technology platform that helps dealerships in the United States, Canada and Australia improve profitability through a fully integrated suite of marketing, sales, service, customer experience, DMS, data mining, and inventory management solutions. Headquartered in San Clemente, California, DealerSocket employs more than 1,000 people, serves more than 10,000 dealerships and 300,000 active users in the United States, Canada and Australia. DealerSocket’s advanced technology provides benchmarking data that paces the industry, and its insightful experts identify trends and develop strategic roadmaps that help dealers optimize processes and operate more profitably. Visit DealerSocket.com for more information.