WILLIAMSTON, S.C. -

As he prepares to take over as manager of the Carolina Auto Auction, Eric Autenrieth is proving that you can go home again.

Autenrieth spent 10 years working alongside his parents, Henry and Patty Stanley, after they purchased Carolina Auto Auction. His roles included outside dealer sales rep, sales and marketing manager, fleet/lease manager and assistant general manager. When the Stanleys bought the Indiana Auto Auction in 2007, their son moved north to manage that facility.

“We’re delighted that Eric will be returning to Carolina Auto Auction,” said Henry Stanley. “He has done an outstanding job at the Indiana Auto Auction in the nine years since we bought that facility. The time was right to make changes to the management structure at Carolina Auto Auction, and we know that the auction will continue to grow and thrive under his supervision.”

 “2007 was not an opportune time to start a new venture in the auction industry,” said Patty Stanley. “The economic downturn presented all of us with serious challenges, but Eric showed tremendous leadership and skill in making Indiana Auto Auction a success. He has grown the sale to offer 800 cars a week, with an excellent balance of fleet/lease and dealer consignment.”

The Stanleys said that thanks to Autenrieth’s efforts, Indiana Auto Auction has been named one of the top auctions in the nation for Fiserv every year since 2011.

“Carolina is ‘home’ to me and my family, and I am excited to start working with the team at Carolina Auto Auction,” said Autenrieth. “Like their counterparts at Indiana Auto Auction, the staff at Carolina Auto Auction really focuses on one-on-one relationships with their customers, and I look forward to working with them all to build on the pattern they have set for excellence in service and performance.”

Autenrieth will transition to his new leadership role over the next several months, dividing his time between Carolina Auto Auction and Indiana Auto Auction.

He will maintain close ties to Indiana Auto Auction, overseeing the management team there, which will be headed by Luke Dietrich.

“I know that I’ll be leaving the operations at Indiana Auto Auction in capable hands with Luke Dietrich at the helm as general manager,” Autenrieth continued.  “He has worked in the auction industry for 15 years, the last five with me at Indiana, and is thoroughly devoted to our customers and employees. He will uphold the Stanley/Autenrieth standard at the auction — that integrity stands above all — and will continue our commitment to service.”

Following Henry Stanley’s lead, who was NAAA president in 1999-2000 and is a member of the NAAA Hall of Fame, Autenrieth has been president of Midwest Chapter of the NAAA, and currently serves on the NAAA board of directors. He is also ServNet’s vice president/treasurer, slated to assume the role of president in the spring of 2018, a position held by his mother, Patty, from 2014 through 2016. She is currently ServNet’s chairman of the board.

Carolina Auto Auction holds sales every Wednesday at 9 a.m., Indiana Auto Auction every Thursday at 9 a.m. with a heavy-duty truck sale every other Tuesday.