MILWAUKEE - (Business Wire) ARI (OTCBB:ARIS), a leading provider of technology solutions that help dealers, distributors and manufacturers in selected vertical markets sell and service their products, today announced that it received Power Equipment Trade magazine’s 2009 Dealers Choice Award in the Business Services category for Footsteps™, ARI’s lead management solution for dealers and manufacturers. The award was presented on October 31 at the 2009 GIE+EXPO Lawn and Garden Equipment and Services tradeshow held in Louisville, KY. The event drew more than 20,000 visitors, including more than 7,000 outdoor power equipment dealers. Winners of the Dealers Choice Awards are selected based on votes cast by qualified dealers either online or attending the show and recognize the best products in five categories: handheld, wheeled, powersports/recreation, accessory/attachment and business services.
“We are very excited to have Footsteps, our powerful lead management tool, selected as the best new product in the Business Service category by outdoor power equipment dealers,” said Roy W. Olivier, President and CEO of ARI. “When we acquired Channel Blade Technologies earlier this year, we believed that Footsteps would help our group of more than 20,000 customers, both dealers and manufacturers, grow their businesses. When used in combination with WebsiteSmart Pro™ and SearchEngineSmart™, our dealer website and search engine marketing solutions respectively, dealers can turn qualified leads into sales more quickly. We are honored to receive this recognition from the people who use our products and services every day,” concluded Olivier.
“We started using Footsteps a little over a month ago to complement WebsiteSmart Pro and we started seeing results immediately,” said Pat Lyons, President of Pat’s Power Equipment, Charlestown, RI. “Within just a few days of our training, we had an entire lead management program in place that gave our sales team an efficient, easy-to-use way to respond to all of our leads and reach out to customers on a regular basis,” added Lyons.
“The purpose of the Dealers Choice Awards is to provide dealers with the opportunity to vote for those products and services that can add significant value to their businesses. We want to reward the companies that listen to dealers’ needs and develop the products and services that specifically meet those needs, helping to make businesses in the Outdoor Power Industry stronger and more profitable. We are happy to recognize ARI and Footsteps as this year’s winner in the Business Services category,” said Dan Shell, managing editor of Power Equipment Trade magazine.
About ARI
ARI is a leading provider of technology-enabled services that help dealers, distributors and manufacturers reduce costs and increase sales in selected vertical markets. Specifically, ARI provides electronic parts catalogs, dealer e-commerce solutions, professional services and/or outsourced F&I services in about a dozen vertical markets worldwide, including outdoor power, power sports, motorcycles, marine, recreation vehicles, appliances, agricultural equipment, floor maintenance and construction. ARI currently serves over 20,000 dealers, over 100 manufacturers and over 150 distributors in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information on ARI, please visit our website www.arinet.com.
About Power Equipment Trade Magazine
Power Equipment Trade magazine, published by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Montgomery, AL, has been the “First Choice of Power Equipment Professionals” for more than 50 years, closely covering the lawn and garden power equipment industry’s dealer segment, new products and technology and industry news and trends affecting power equipment dealers, distributors and manufacturers. For more information on Power Equipment Trade magazine visit their website: www.poweret.com.
ARI
Nancy Krajcir-Bennett
Tel: (414) 973-4380
Fax: (414) 973-4357
Email: bennett@arinet.com
