BOSTON -

Ron Smith, chief executive officer of S&A Cherokee and Publisher Emeritus of Auto Remarketing, earned the National Auto Auction Association 2014 Marie Hingst Exhibitor of the Year Award during the 66th Annual NAAA Convention & Exposition in Boston this week.

Smith has long been a highly visible fixture in the remarketing industry as publisher of Auto Remarketing, the national trade publication dedicated to providing automobile dealers and industry vendors with the most up-to-date and vital information about the wholesale and retail used vehicle marketplaces.

Smith has worked in publishing and communications for more than 40 years. He started S&A Cherokee, parent company to Auto Remarketing, The National Remarketing Conference, and Used Car Week in 1982 and has operated the company continually since that time.

Today, the burgeoning operation lists three divisions: Cherokee Media Group, which owns and operates print and digital media as well annual industry conferences and events; S&A Communications, a full-service, diversified marketing and public relations firm; and CarMark, which owns and operates CarMark Certified Pre-Owned and CarMark Auto Finance.

“This award is such a great honor, and Ron is so deserving,” said Bill Zadeits, president of Cherokee Media Group and publisher of Auto Remarketing and SubPrime Auto Finance News. “He's been involved with the fine people at NAAA for nearly 30 years, and Auto Remarketing, with Ron at the lead, has been supporting the convention as an exhibitor since the early '90s.

The NAAA Convention has always been a 'must-attend' for Auto Remarketing team, and Ron has been the one to spearhead our investment in time, effort, resources, energy and our preparation and planning for the convention. He believes strongly in the people and companies that make up the NAAA membership and has always been an advocate.”

Frank Hackett, executive director, said the association was pleased to honor Smith for his decades of support to the auction association and the remarketing industry as a whole.

“Ron has been a supporter of the association in providing our industry with news, information and analysis as well as excellent profiles of many of our industry's leaders,” Hackett said. “Auto Remarketing never misses one of our events.”

A lifelong entrepreneur, Smith has served successful tenures as a newspaper reporter and editor, magazine publisher and editor, association executive and public relations counselor. He began his career while in high school by working as a writer for a newspaper.

He worked his way through college as an employee of various newspapers, and he completed college while working at a newspaper full-time. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America since 1976 and was accredited in 1981. He was recognized in 2011 by the NAAA with the prestigious Warren Young Fellow award.

The Exhibitor of the Year Award is named in honor of its first recipient in 2006, Marie Hingst. In recognition of her years of dedication and commitment to NAAA, the award is presented each year at the NAAA annual convention to an exhibitor who displays a similar degree of devotion.

More NAAA & Auction Awards

Elsewhere at the NAAA Convention this week, the associate posthumously honored Don Meadows with its National Auto Auction Association Industry Pioneer Award. His wife, Shannon, and daughter Lucy Meadows accepted the award.

Meanwhile, earning the NAAA Association Bernie Hart Memorial Auctioneer Award was Michael Chambers.

NextGear Capital revealed its second annual auction awards on Wednesday at NAAA, giving the honors to:

Large Market: Southern Auto Auction

Medium Market: Harrisburg Auto Auction

Small Market: ABC Bowling Green

Remarketer of the Year: Akron Auto Auction

Next, Chase Auto Finance announced its 2014 Chase Cup for Auction Excellence winners at NAAA, spotlighting auctions for exceptional performance in retention, operational efficiency, expense control, accuracy, sales and service delivery.

Winners were determined based on Chase’s review of the 31 auctions it does business with from August 2013 through July. The company examined the auctions’ performances in preparation, sales, invoice processing, transport requests, title processing and other capabilities.

“Chase Auto Finance congratulates these auto auctions for their outstanding performance and significant contributions to the used vehicle industry,” said Sandra Broderick, senior vice president and operations executive for Chase Auto Finance. “The Chase Cup celebrates auctions with a strong commitment to exceptional customer service, high-performing financial results and operational excellence.”   

In its press release, Chase said the following about its winners:

  • ADESA Lexington was named the winner of the Best National Auction Performance, in addition to being recognized for delivering the best regional performance in the Southeast.  
  • Manheim Orlando was awarded the Douglas F. Wininger Memorial Award for Best National Performance Service Delivery, an award that recognizes outstanding service in measurable areas such as transportation management, sales, invoicing and other operational measures. 
  • Manheim Seattle received a number of national and regional honors, including best performance in the West and best national performance in Mazda and Subaru sales.  

Other top-performing auctions recognized by Chase were: 

  • Best National Jaguar Sales – Manheim Dallas
  • Best National Land Rover Sales – Manheim Riverside
  • Best Regional Performance, Northeastern – Manheim Pittsburgh
  • Best Regional Performance, Midwestern – Columbus Fair Auto Auction
  • Best Regional Performance, Central – Manheim Denver

Additionally, Chrysler shared that it presented Manheim Detroit with its auction of the year back in June. This marked the second straight year Manheim Detroit has won this award.