OEConnection is Named Finalist for Automotive Industry Pace Award

RICHFIELD, Ohio, Nov. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- OEConnection LLC, the leading online parts and service exchange for the automotive industry, announced that it has been named a finalist for the Automotive News PACE Award, the worldwide industry benchmark for innovation among automotive suppliers.   As the developer of FordParts.com, a content-rich, self-serve OEM parts portal, OEConnection has earned a place as a finalist for the Information Technology and Services category.  FordParts.com is the first-of-its-kind OEM parts portal to give businesses and consumers 24/7 access to the information and tools necessary to accurately select and purchase original equipment parts.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030515/OECONNLOGO )

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030515/OECONNLOGO )

OEConnection, which provides 97% all Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealerships with dealer network parts solutions, was chosen by Ford to develop, manage, and host FordParts.com.   Since its' December 2009 launch, the website has well surpassed Ford's expectations to become the fastest growing parts retail site in today's original equipment automotive parts industry.  To date, FordParts.com has generated significant incremental purchase volume, built a following of 277,000 unique monthly visitors, and already averages a 4.5 out of 5 star customer satisfaction rating.

"It takes a game-changing innovation to become a finalist for the prestigious PACE award, which is why we are extremely proud of this recognition," said OEConnection President & CEO Chuck Rotuno. "While Fordparts.com's growing momentum is an important indicator of success, its real impact is how it is changing the way customers buy parts.  Ford is a world leader in technology and innovation, and they made a bold decision to create a web-based ordering solution to serve both consumers and the repairer community," Rotuno added.

To deliver on the FordParts.com promise of "Any Ford Part, Any Time," OEConnection designed the site to aggregate all in-channel inventory across the Ford dealer network, consolidating it into a single, transparent sourcing solution.  The company's patent-pending Rapid Referral technology automates – and tracks – dealer acceptance behind the scenes, and an online virtual inventory system allows dealers to establish relationships with other suppliers.  Aside from balancing the dealership's need for a lean, just-in-time inventory with the customer's need for immediate part's availability, FordParts.com incorporates a dynamic pricing matrix and other functionality that allows it to overcome the unique challenges of an OEM portal living within a franchised retailer environment.

The Automotive News PACE Awards program honors superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance among automotive suppliers.   In addition to Automotive News, the program is sponsored by Ernst & Young, Transportation Research Center Inc., the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA), and SAE International. Winners of the 2011 award will be announced at the Automotive News Pace Award ceremony on Monday, April 11, 2011 at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit.

About OEConnection LLC

OEConnection is the leading Online Parts & Service Exchange (OPSX) in the automotive industry, serving over 15,000 dealerships, collision repair shops, fleets, tire distributors and manufacturers.  Customers use OEConnection products over 5 million times each month to market, manage and move original equipment parts, facilitating an estimated $12 billion in annual replacement parts trade.  The company is headquartered in the greater Cleveland area at 4205 Highlander Parkway, Richfield, Ohio, 44286.  Additional information is available at www.oeconnection.com.

SOURCE OEConnection LLC

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