Lightspeed has always been more than just software. It’s a legacy—built by dealers, for dealers. And at the heart of that legacy are the innovators who saw potential where others saw problems, and who believed that technology could transform how recreational dealerships operate.
Where It All Began
In the early 1980s, Hal Ethington was running a motorcycle dealership in Salt Lake City, Utah, when he encountered a problem that still resonates today: profits were vanishing, and not because of low sales—but due to inventory mismanagement. Hal needed a better way to understand and control the day-to-day operations of his dealership.
He found a solution in a 17-year-old programming prodigy named Ernie Blodgett, who had grown up writing software for his family’s data-entry business. Together, they developed a program designed to help motorcycle dealers take control of their inventory and accounting—a system that quickly evolved into the industry’s first Dealer Management System (DMS) tailored specifically for motorcycle dealerships.
In 1983, Ernie officially founded Lightspeed, joined soon after by Robert L. Bagley (co-owner 1984-1994), who brought a strong sales mindset and became a driving force in bringing the software to market. While Ernie wrote the code and built the platform, Robert introduced it to dealerships across the country.
Although not a founder, Hal Ethington became the first Lightspeed dealer and one of its most influential early advocates. His deep industry experience and relentless drive to help other (motorcycle, boat & snowmobile) dealers succeed shaped the direction of the platform and accelerated its adoption.
More Than a Dealer: Hal’s Role in Lightspeed’s Growth
By the mid-1980s, the original software—known early on as Parts Buddy—had taken on a new identity: Lightspeed. The name, legend has it, was originally suggested as a band name by a friend of Ernie’s, but it stuck—and reflected the speed, power, and energy the system brought to dealership operations.
As the platform gained traction, Hal didn’t just use the software—he helped others master it. For years, every new Lightspeed dealership traveled to Salt Lake City for an intensive week of training, where Hal was the lead instructor. His ability to translate technical features into real-world dealership benefits made a lasting impression. Later, he officially joined the Lightspeed team full-time, continuing his mission to educate and empower dealers.
Innovation Takes Off
One of Lightspeed’s standout early innovations was FicheFinder, a digital parts lookup tool that revolutionized how dealerships accessed part catalogs. It caught the attention of Bell & Howell, a company whose roots in microfiche made the transition to digital catalogs a strategic move. In 1994, Bell & Howell acquired Lightspeed, ushering in a new era of growth.
Technology and Ownership Evolution
As Lightspeed grew, so did its reach. The platform expanded beyond motorcycle dealerships to serve RV, marine, trailer, outdoor power equipment (OPE), and golf car markets.
Lightspeed’s evolution also included several ownership changes that helped shape its trajectory:
- 1983: Ernie Blodgett started Lightspeed
- 1984: Robert L. Bagley become co-owner of Lightspeed
- January 6, 1987: Lightspeed Software, Inc. filed as an official corporation in Utah with Ernest B. Blodgett, Robert L. Bagley, and Bruce K. Curtis listed as Founders
- 1994: Acquired by Bell & Howell, thanks in part to the success of its FicheFinder digital parts lookup tool.
- 2001: Transitioned to ProQuest.
- 2004: Acquired by ADP. (FicheFinder remained with ProQuest)
- 2014: Became part of CDK Global after ADP spun off its Dealer Services division.
- 2022: Acquired by Brookfield, who then launched LightspeedDMS LLC as a standalone business on May 1, 2023—marking a new chapter of independence and focus.
From its early days running on UNIX-based systems to the Windows-powered LightspeedNXT (1999), and then evolving into the cloud-native LightspeedEVO (2003), Lightspeed has never stopped innovating. Today, Lightspeed is more than just software—it’s an all-in-one dealer management SaaS solution that brings every part of the dealership together in one powerful platform. Built on decades of experience and leadership, Lightspeed continues to set the standard for the industries it helped define.
What Never Changed
As Lightspeed reflects on the past 40+ years, the company remains anchored in the same principles that inspired its founding—solving real dealership problems with real solutions, built by people who know the industry from the inside out. From Ernie coding in hotel hallways to Hal leading training sessions for new dealers, the early team’s spirit of innovation and collaboration still fuels Lightspeed’s culture today.
Lightspeed’s purpose is to power dealers to succeed in the outdoor world. Because Lightspeed has never just been about software. It’s always been about people, partnership, and the pursuit of something better.
