Kelley Blue Book Honored for 2011 'Spotlight Deal of the Year' by Association for Corporate Growth Orange County

IRVINE, Calif., June 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelley Blue Book's www.kbb.com, the leading provider of new car and used car information, today announces its 2011 Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Orange County award win, specifically in the 'Spotlight Deal of the Year' category.  Each year in May, the Orange County chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth recognizes and honors a select group of companies that have demonstrated outstanding growth and leadership within their respective industries.  

As the 2011 'Spotlight Deal of the Year' award winner, Kelley Blue Book is acknowledged for its recent acquisition by AutoTrader.com.  With this deal, AutoTrader.com maintains Kelley Blue Book's independent and unbiased position in the marketplace.  Furthermore, the new parent company is committed to maintaining and strengthening Kelley Blue Book's role as The Trusted Resource® for vehicle valuations and other important information relied upon by consumers, dealers, manufacturers, and financial and governmental institutions.  The agreement, first announced in October and finalized in December 2010, now makes Kelley Blue Book a subsidiary of AutoTrader.com.  

"Being recognized for the company's growth exemplifies our position as industry leaders, especially as a new member of the AutoTrader.com family," said Paul Johnson, president and CEO for Kelley Blue Book.  "With this new investment by AutoTrader.com, Kelley Blue Book will continue to further its expanding portfolio of helpful products and services for both consumers and auto industry partners."

Since its inception in 1926, Kelley Blue Book has grown by leaps and bounds to become the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the industry.  Most recently, Kelley Blue Book launched a fully redesigned version of its top-rated website, www.kbb.com, revolutionizing the way shoppers research new- and used-car information.  With the May 2011 site redesign, the company introduced many all-new useful tools such as Reality Check(SM) for New Cars and Total Cost of Ownership, designed to help shoppers understand the full financial implications of a vehicle purchase.  In addition, kbb.com continues to shatter previous website traffic records with its best month and day to date occurring in March 2011, with more than 19 million visits to kbb.com occurring that month.  In 2010, the company expanded its reach into mobile with kbb.com applications for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone 7.  Furthermore, in 2010 Kelley Blue Book also implemented an industry-changing data system to provide heightened precision and transparency in its valuations.

Founded in 1954, the Association for Corporate Growth is an international organization dedicated to fostering sound corporate growth.  

For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, visit www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), or like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb.

About Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)

Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the industry.  Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website www.kbb.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In and Retail Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new cars this week.  The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies as well as governmental agencies.  Kbb.com is a leading provider of new car prices, used car values, car reviews, new cars for sale, used cars for sale, and car dealer locations. Kelley Blue Book Co. Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AutoTrader.com.

SOURCE Kelley Blue Book