PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — TBC Corp. has sold its R.O. Writer auto repair shop management software business to Constellation Software Inc., a Toronto-based provider of software and services to various public and private sector markets.
TBC said Constellation Software was chosen for this transaction because of its "proven track record and commitment to helping software companies live up to their potential."
Financial terms were not disclosed. TBC said R.O. Writer has a long history of serving independent and franchise automotive repair shops and called it "one of the market leaders" in the industry.
"We're confident that Constellation is the right organization to take the R.O. Writer platform to the next level for its large customer base of Midas franchisees as well as fellow leaders in the automotive aftermarket industry," TBC President and CEO Erik Olsen said.
TBC will renew its focus on its core operating areas — wholesale, franchise stores and company-owned retail stores.
Adam Zimmer, an executive with Constellation Software's Perseus Group, said the acquisition of R.O. Writer "represents a platform investment for the Perseus Group in the automotive repair shop software industry.
"We are looking forward to advancing the development of the product to meet the needs of the thousands of retail and Midas customers."
This is Constellation Software's first foray into the automotive aftermarket.
Constellation Software will continue to support and enhance the R.O. Writer family of products for retail customers and Midas franchises, TBC said. It will continue to be headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens.
The R.O. Writer software product dates to 1989, when the product's developer, Progressive Automotive, launched a DOS-based version. A Windows version followed in 1996.
Midas International acquired the business in 2001, and TBC acquired Midas in 2012.
