IRVINE, Calif. -

Now that sales lead provider Autobytel posted its first profitable year since 2004, the company retained the services of Capital Markets Consulting Group this week.

Autobytel explained CMC Group is being asked to work in concert with the company’s existing investor relations firm, PondelWilkinson, to augment the company’s investor relations activities and Wall Street profile.

Executives indicated CMC Group managing director Bradley Orr will provide consulting services to Autobytel on a broad range of investor relations projects and capital market interactions. 

“Together, CMC Group and PondelWilkinson are focused on expanding Autobytel’s profile on Wall Street, and communicating the company’s key investment messages, in an ongoing effort to broaden and strengthen Autobytel’s investor base,” Autobytel officials highlighted.

Orr’s 12-year career as an institutional portfolio manager and buy-side equity analyst provides a unique background and perspective for Autobytel to leverage in addressing its investor relations and capital markets communications needs,” they went on to say.

Autobytel’s investment news comes a little more than a month after president and chief executive officer Jeffrey Coats called 2011 a “milestone year” for the sales lead provider.

Autobytel posted its first profitable year since 2004 when it finished with net income for 2011 of $416,000 or 1 cent per diluted share.

To reinforce Coats’ declaration, Autobytel pointed out that in 2010, it sustained a net loss of $8.6 million or 19 cents per share.

Coats told a conference call filled with Wall Street analysts in March that “2011 was a milestone year for Autobytel. We were profitable for the last three quarters of the year and posted our first full-year profit since 2004. Our turnaround is the result of a variety of factors.”

Coats then articulated three reasons, including enhanced purchase requests that are delivered to dealer and manufacturer customers. Coats also touched on how the consumer experience at Autobytel.com has significantly improved, further enhancing those leads that make their way to showrooms and OEM channels.

Furthermore, the company has been “optimizing operating efficiencies and keeping a tight line on costs,” according to Coats.

“We have come a long way and reached an important reflection point. Autobytel is now well-positioned to benefit from our ability to help dealers and manufacturers sell more cars and trucks through our high-quality purchase requests,” the company’s top boss declared.