WebBuy introduced what it describes as the nation’s first fully integrated car-buying application to dealerships in 2014, and in the last year, WebBuy says it has seen significant growth in U.S. markets. Now, the company boasts a national network of participating dealerships.
On Wednesday, WebBuy announced it has merged with Webgrain, which created the initial WebBuy prototype and later developed the app’s first commercial version.
In announcing the merger with Webgrain, WebBuy said its co-founders Steve Zabawa and Tom Murray wanted to take the app to the next level. The Webgrain merger closed June 16, and the company said it provides the WebBuy team with full-time development resources.
WebBuy named former partners Mike Ohman and Nick Britton to be its director of technical operations and lead developer, respectively. The company said all seven WebGrain employees moved to WebBuy’s offices in Billings, Mont..
Steve Dimock is WebBuy’s chief technical officer who was one of three partners at Webgrain. Dimock acted as WebBuy’s chief technology officer when representing the product and in helping guide its evolution.
He said while his teammates move forward on WebBuy projects, they are also working toward a smooth transition for dozens of Webgrain clients. In 2010, Webgrain was founded as an interactive web development and design company, with web design, database and application development, search engine optimization and secure hosting services among its offerings.
The merger will help WebBuy improve its current app and develop new products, said Zabawa, who is a principal at Rimrock Auto Group and a dealership owner for more than 30 years.
“With the additional development resources, we will bring new WebBuy products and services to market sooner and continue to meet the growing demand for an easy, transparent way to buy a car online,” Zabawa said.
In only one month since the move to WebBuy, Dimock said his company has already seen a strong improvement in its ability to respond to support requests and develop new features “just by being in the office and reducing communication times.”
“Our goal is to create the most complete, stable digital-retailing platform on the market,” Dimock said. “We are already providing one of the most flexible solutions available, and we are excited to use this merger as an opportunity to continue improving on our work.
“It has always been our objective to create a solution that appeals to dealerships, and we’ve done it. We have now accelerated our efforts to incorporate feedback received by dealers, our users, and internally.”
Dimock also said that bringing in an in-house development team is helping WebBuy effectively supercharge development efforts to maintain its position “as the leader in the digital-retailing space,” and it allows the company to support its growing client base.