Entrepreneurs unite to bring leverage to an industry

Sarasota entrepreneur Jesse Biter, who sold a $16 million auto sales software business last year, didn't sit on the sidelines for long.

Indeed, Biter is back — in a big way. Biter and local auto dealership executive Matt Buchanan, son of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, launched a new business, Dealers United. The plan is to build a nationwide network of dealers that will have combined buying power with vendors.

Biter and Buchanan, the operations manager of the Sarasota Ford dealership, say they will spend at least $1 million in startup costs on the business. They've already hired five employees, who work out of a downtown Sarasota office. Biter would like to hire at least five more in the near future, for a Dealers United call center.