Burlington, VT – Dealer.com (www.dealer.com), the leading provider of online marketing solutions for the automotive industry, announced that CEO and founder Mark Bonfigli has been named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 2009 Vermont Small Business Person of the Year.  Bonfigli was selected for outstanding leadership related to Dealer.com’s staying power, employee growth, increase in sales, innovation and contributions to the community.

Bonfigli founded Dealer.com in 1997 to offer automotive dealers a “best in class” solution for their Internet marketing needs.  At the time, the Internet auto market was dominated by two large companies, but Bonfigli persisted.  Despite difficult times in the automotive industry, 2008 saw the highest annual revenue increase in the company’s eleven-year history.  According to Bonfigli, more of the top 125 largest dealer groups in North America use Dealer.com Internet marketing services than those of any other provider. 

Bonfigli attributes the company’s success to employee creativity and hard work, under his guidance, and Dealer.com provides over 200 full-time employees with competitive compensation, training and the potential for career growth.  The company recently opened the doors to its new headquarters in a refurbished factory building.  The revitalized facility is LEED certified, meaning it is environmentally responsible, and incorporates solar panels and natural light to help limit carbon emissions.  Firmly committed to helping improve the community by giving back, Dealer.com also supports local charitable events and holds regular fund raisers to benefit local charities.  

“Dealer.com employees drive our success and are the heart of the business,” commented Bonfigli.  “The company would not be so successful without the many talented and hard-working people dedicated to offering our clients the best service and technology.  I am honored by the award and share it with everyone who is part of the Dealer.com team.”

Bonfigli has more than 20 years of marketing and sales experience in the auto industry, including 10 years as the co-founder of EARTHCARS, Inc., a New England-based automotive retailer.  Bonfigli was named as a Finalist in the 2007 and 2008 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the New England Region and his company has received numerous recognitions including the Deloitte & Touche Tech Fast 50, the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, the Inc 5000 fastest-growing companies in the U.S., and several automotive industry awards for being the leading Internet marketing solution for auto dealers. 

As Vermont’s Small Business Person of the Year, Mark Bonfigli will compete for the national title at National Small Business Week ceremonies in Washington, D.C., May 17-22. 

About Dealer.com

Founded in Burlington, VT in 1997, Dealer.com is the leading provider of online marketing solutions to the automotive industry. Dealer.com offers NADA award-winning SmartSites™ website design incorporating dynamic video; user-friendly lead management tools; the best in search engine advertising and unparalleled metrics and web analytics. Excellent customer service, innovative training and proven results are just a few of the reasons why more of the top 125 dealer groups use Dealer.com than any other vendor. Dealer.com was also the 2008 top rated web provider on Drivingsales.com, the industry’s largest online dealer community. 

Dealer.com’s suite of online marketing solutions is the only set of tools that effectively creates a 360° view of auto dealers’ online and traditional marketing investments and results. Dealers are easily able to track spending and determine which activities are leading to the highest return on investment, allowing them to streamline advertising and marketing efforts into targeted activities that increase sales and improve the bottom line.