ADP Dealer Services Group has announced the acquisition of Houston, Texas-based Traver Technologies, Ltd.

"The acquisition of Traver Technologies adds an integral piece to our existing dealer consulting businesses of Performance Inc., Mike Nicholes, Inc., and ASC," said Mike Martone, president of ADP Dealer Services Group. "The strength of the Traver organization, and their relationships with key dealer groups in the market, is critical to ADP Dealer Services' growth."

Founded in 1991, Traver Technologies provides front-end training and consulting packages to nearly 300 dealerships throughout North America. The firm currently offers more than 51 different courses to automotive retailers, providing dealers with a wide range of choices from which to develop their sales and management teams.

"This market continues to evolve," said John Traver, president and CEO of Traver Technologies. "Today's consumer takes more time, using more intelligent methods, to make their purchasing decisions. We have seen our dealer-partners consistently grow as a result of receiving the proper education and skill sets for today's retail climate.

"Nearly anyone will admit that this is still a people-centric business," Traver said. "Even with all the technology offered to dealership Internet departments, there is still a tremendous need for the 'human factor' if that department is going to represent that retail point as it should. We've always said to our dealer partners, 'Grow your stores by growing the people in them.' This opportunity with ADP Dealer Services immediately gives us access to the tools we need to grow ourselves, and in turn take the dealers to that new level of performance."

With a focus on front-end sales and service, Traver Technologies offers dealers choices in several critical areas, according to Traver. The Training and Service Group provides in-dealership programs for sales process re-engineering, business development and the Internet.

The Software Group utilizes a proprietary CRM/BDC-based software to complement customer prospecting, retention, and sales management and reporting systems that fully integrates into most dealer management systems. The Business Development College provides courses for dealer principals, general managers and sales managers.

"This acquisition is a tremendous opportunity for Traver Technologies and ADP Dealer Services to expand in the critical area of profitable customer relationship management for both automotive dealers and manufacturers."

The addition of Traver Technologies strengthens ADP Dealer Services' position as the dealership's partner of choice with a continued focus on providing solutions, not just dealer management systems, according to Ron Workman, vice president of business development at ADP Dealer Services.

"Dealers today are looking for solutions to address their front-end sales concerns," Workman said. "ADP Dealer Services, along with Traver Technologies, can provide an all-encompassing solution team that is unsurpassed. This acquisition represents our continued focus to deliver solutions that will help dealers improve sales and profitability, while decreasing costs."

About ADP Dealer Services

ADP Dealer Services provides integrated computing solutions to more than 16,000 automotive and truck dealers throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe.

ADP Dealer Services Group is the third largest business unit of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. ADP, with more than $6 billion in revenues and more than 500,000 clients, is one of the largest independent computing services firms in the world.

More information on ADP and ADP Dealer Services is available at www.adpdealer.com.