Forbes.com Again Ranks OEConnection as an Internet Leader
Honored as "Best of the Web" 4 Consecutive Years
RICHFIELD, Ohio, Oct. 8 -- OEConnection LLC, an industry leader offering web-based solutions that serve the supply chain, order management, and data mining and reporting arenas of the automotive industry, has again been named a leader among Internet based, business-to-business companies by Forbes.com. The honor recognizes leaders in a range of industry categories, in OEConnection's case, the automotive sector.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030515/OECONNLOGO )
The Best of the Web honor is bestowed by Forbes.com, touted as the "home page for the world's business leaders." Eligible sites are rated on five criteria: Content, Design, Speed, Navigation, and Customization. Within the Automotive category, five organizations were selected with OEConnection earning the added distinction as a "Forbes Best of the Web Pick."
President and CEO of OEConnection, Chuck Rotuno, responded to news of the repeat honor by stating, "It's a great point of pride for our organization, our associates, and the partners we serve through our web-based presence. From day one, we've put our people and technologies to work in providing time- saving, forward-looking solutions. It is this type of external recognition and encouragement that feeds our innovation."
Forbes.com's editors reviewed more than 3,700 sites before making their selections. As stated on the Forbes.com site, the editors " ... continue to uncover the most interesting and useful sites ... " when selecting their picks. Forbes Favorites are clearly marked at the beginning of each category.
In addition to this national recognition, OEConnection has also been named a recipient of the 2004 Business Growth Award, an honor granted by Northeast Ohio's Cascade Capital Corporation, a not-for-profit lending institution certified by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Ohio Department of Development. Focused on fostering economic development in a five county area, CCC encourages growth through small business loans and other financing programs.
OEConnection qualified for Cascade Capital's growth award based on increased sales of at least 100 percent or $5 million over the most recent five-year period (1999-2003) and a 50 percent increase in total employment in the same five-year period. In the last year alone, OEConnection's sales and associate base have each grown by 40 percent as the company continues to expand its presence with additional solution offerings.
"We are extremely proud to be recognized with the Cascade Capital 2004 Business Growth Award," said Rotuno. Having led the company from an initial start-up in December 2000 to achieving profitability within 23 months, Rotuno offered, "To receive recognition nationally for our web presence and locally for our phenomenal growth is icing on the cake. It demonstrates that we can weather a tough economic climate and continue to achieve. As an organization, we appreciate being singled out for contributions to our 'Internet neighborhood' as well as for achievements within our local communities."
About OEConnection LLC
OEConnection serves more than 11,000 franchised auto dealerships and collision repair facilities with web-based technology solutions that help improve efficiencies, increase customer satisfaction, and drive original equipment replacement parts sales. OEConnection is headquartered in Richfield, Ohio and is a joint venture of DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and ProQuest Company. For more information, call 1.888.776.5792, ext. 1875, or visit http://www.oeconnection.com/ .
Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030515/OECONNLOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com