CENTENNIAL, Colo. -

CU Direct Connect announced Wednesday that it has signed an agreement with AutoNation that names CU Direct Connect as a preferred lender for all of the dealer group’s stores in Colorado.

The agreement is effective as of today.

Officials said that CU Direct Connect, through its 34 member credit unions, is collectively the largest auto lender in Colorado; while AutoNation, through its 17 Go dealerships, is the largest volume auto dealer in the state.

The companies expect this agreement to lead to mutually beneficial increases in automotive loan and lease volume and revenues.

Through three quarters of this year, CU Direct Connect enjoyed a 43-percent increase year-over-year in loan volume and a 67-percent spike in lease volume.

“It makes sense for the Colorado automotive market’s largest lender group and largest dealer group to cooperate for mutual growth and benefit,” CU Direct Connect chief operating officer Tom Helmers said.

“We’ve enjoyed a positive relationship for many years, and this new preferred lender agreement will help us move that relationship to an even higher level going forward,” Helmers concluded.