ARI Network Services, Inc. acquires DCi
MILWAUKEE – ARI Network Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARIS) announced today that it has acquired Direct Communications Inc. (DCi), a provider of differentiated product content and electronic catalog software serving manufacturers, distributors, jobbers and independent retailers in the $300 billion automotive aftermarket. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“The acquisition of DCi will accelerate ARI’s growth in the automotive aftermarket and is consistent with our strategy to grow the business both organically and through strategic acquisitions,” said ARI President and CEO Roy W. Olivier. “The acquisition allows ARI to further expand the reach of our data-driven eCommerce websites and automotive point-of-sale software and will propel the development of new technologies to serve the 500,000 businesses in the automotive aftermarket.”
DCi has been a leader in the automotive aftermarket since its 1981 founding by Nile Cornelison. Cornelison played an important role in the establishment of many industry data standards as well as proprietary data formats used by major resellers. DCi’s product data and product content is delivered to every automotive distribution channel.
DCi will maintain its headquarters in Des Moines, IA, under the continued leadership of Mark Toebben, who will assume the role of vice president and general manager of DCi, an ARI Company.
“At DCi, our mission is to link buyers and sellers and provide solutions for every type of business in the automotive aftermarket,” said Toebben. “For almost 35 years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to that mission and I’m excited to come together with ARI to provide a much wider range of complete solutions for businesses across the aftermarket – from a single-location speed shop to a multi-location warehouse distributor to large and small manufacturers.”
“We expect the DCi acquisition to generate incremental revenue of approximately $4 million and be accretive to EBITDA for fiscal 2016,” said ARI CFO William A. Nurthen.
