FRANKLIN, Tenn. -

Auction Academy, a continuing education program developed by TPC Management Co. for professionals in the auto industry, reports that the first half of the 2016 academic year has been a success.

In February, Auction Academy rolled out a full schedule of its new quarterly Seminar Series, the first of which was its Dealer Sales session. Thirty dealer sales managers from independent auctions gathered in Nashville for a daylong look at issues facing the dealer consignment business segment.

 “As with all of the Seminar Series sessions, the real magic starts in the afternoon when the presenters depart and the attendees can openly and candidly talk among themselves,” said Auction Academy chief operating officer Randall McCathren. “The conversations cover best practices, and the application of unique solutions from one auction to solve a problem at another. It is by far the most dynamic setting I have ever seen for industry discussions.”

The Academy’s Spring Session, held in May in Nashville, drew 34 digital/Internet managers from independent auto auctions who learned about some of the industry’s leading online platforms and service providers including OVE, Openlane, Smart Auction, Auction Edge, Xcira, AutoIMS and Liquid Motors.

Auction Academy marked the graduation of its Class Group 3 during the CAR Conference in Las Vegas, following the completion of its two-year curriculum.

Class Group 4, the largest Auction Academy Group to date, met in Birmingham, Ala., in February for a session hosted at the AutoTec corporate headquarters that featured field trips to ABC Birmingham and ADESA Birmingham.  Class Group 4 met again in May at State Line Auto Auction in Waverly, N.Y., for training that included in-depth reviews from each of the auction’s department managers reviewing how each area of the business operates.

The remaining Seminar Series sessions are planned for Nashville: the Fleet/Lease Managers’ Session Sept. 26-27 and the Compliance Session Dec. 5-6. 

Additonally, the Class 4 Group will head to Dallas Aug. 24-26 for its seventh session, which is hosted by America’s Auto Auction and will include presentations from American Honda Finance and Santander/Chrysler Credit. This group will graduate during its final session Nov. 14-17 in Las Vegas, in conjunction with this year’s National Remarketing Conference/NAAA Convention.