LEIGHTON, Pa. -

Dealer World, which is a flat-fee, advertising agency for  franchised and independent dealers, has chosen a new director of sales who is no stranger to the auto dealership game. 

In fact, Eric Gidney, the executive chosen for the position, previously founded and served as president of AutoUpLinkUSA, which he described as a self-funded automotive and inventory management agency. By the company's fourth year in business, his leadership had seen the company grow annual revenue to a high of $1 million. 

More recently, Gidney was the regional sales manager for Cox Automotive's vAuto segment, and served as area sales manager at CarNow, a leader in tailored digital solutions to help dealers sell more cars. 

Dealer World chief executive officer Troy Spring said in a news release:  “As a well-known sales leader with more than two decades of experience working in the automotive industry, Eric understands the science behind profitable dealerships. I have known Eric for over 20 years and have always thought it would be great to work with him. I am not only excited that  time has come, but also think it is the perfect timing in our careers.”

In his new position as director of sales, Gidney will be responsible for the development and execution of the strategic sales plan for Dealer World and all associated business development with franchised and independent dealers, the company shared. 

“While running my AutoUplinkUSA franchise I got to know Troy (Dealer World CEO). The way he runs Dealer World, and the way I like to operate as far as taking care of clients is wildly similar,” said Gidney. “When Troy and I looked into the possibility of me joining Dealer World, I sat back and thought about what was important to me in my next job, and that is making a difference. I wanted to be somewhere I felt I had an impact, could positively affect the clients I serve, and be around folks that get it, understand the industry and get things done. Ultimately, the reason I chose to join Dealer World is that the things I was looking for in my next role are the same things dealers are looking for in Dealer World. When those two things were aligned, I knew it was the right choice.”