July 17, 2019 — New York-based private equity firm CIP Capital is continuing the roll-up strategy it started in 2016 when it acquired four marketing firms — OneCommand, Peak Performance, TimeHighway and DPS (Dealer Product Services) — combining them into a new entity called Affinitiv.

CIP Capital is acquiring Clearwater, FL-based AutoLoop and will merge the marketing technology firm with Affinitiv.

The deal, which is expected to be announced this week, has been in the works for several months. Overall, it will be the seventh automotive-related acquisition for CIP Capital and the Affinitiv brand, which is led by Scot Eisenfelder. In addition to the four mentioned above, it also acquired WSA Solutions (wireless service tablet software) in 2017 and added Caldwell & Kerr Advertising less than a year ago.

Both Affinitiv and AutoLoop provide software-based marketing solutions for dealerships and automakers. Their products focus heavily on service-related marketing and helping dealers retain customers throughout the entire ownership life cycle.

The Clearwater, FL-based AutoLoop was created by Steve Anderson just over 14 years ago. According to its website, it now has about 460 employees serving more than 2,100 dealerships.

Adding AutoLoop will provide Affinitiv with data analytics and reporting capabilities while putting it in a much stronger position to scale.

It’s not the largest deal in the space, but it will be one of the more significant deals of the year. It puts together two companies with a broad suite of solutions with little overlap along with respectable client bases driving about $200 million in annual revenue.