Banyan buys Australian retention firm CRMA to bolster Harrier National

What's the deal? Banyan SoftwareDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has acquired CRMADealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → (Customer Retention Marketing Australia), pairing the outsourced dealer retention business with Harrier NationalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Banyan's Australian dealer retention management platform. Terms were not disclosed.

What each does: CRMA, founded by Jason Fisher in 2008, cleanses raw dealer management system data and runs retention programs — service reminders, lost-customer reactivation, warranty contact, and satisfaction outreach — on dealers' behalf. Harrier National runs a Salesforce-powered, cloud-based CRM platform automating dealership communications.

The rationale: Banyan said the two businesses would "strengthen the services available to dealerships across the region." Harrier CEO Matt Robbins said the pairing gives it "the scale and resources to accelerate investment in AI-driven solutions."

Why now? Fisher cited succession as a driver, pointing to Banyan's "long-term, buy-and-hold approach" as giving him "the confidence to make this move." He will stay on to help guide CRMA "through its next phase."

What changes for customers? Banyan APAC group president David Brice said pairing CRMA's dealership relationships with "Harrier's platform and scale means dealerships get more complete retention capability," while CRMA's customers and team gain "the stability of a long-term partner."

The signal: Banyan, founded in Atlanta in 2016 and now operating in eight countries including Australia, buys and holds vertical software businesses. Folding CRMA into Harrier concentrates Australian automotive retention services under one owner, betting that combined data and AI capabilities will lock in dealership loyalty.

Read more: premium.goauto.com.au

Image credit: Generated with Gemini