Less than a day after ADESA announced that it has decided not to participate in the remarketing industry’s currently proposed multiplatform system initiative, Manheim sent a message to Auto Remarketing reiterating its position to maintain a commitment to the wholesale market project.

Janet Barnard, president of Manheim North America, described MPS as an industry-wide effort that will be open to all participants in the wholesale and whole vehicle auction industry,

“And the cost of participation for each auction will be modest to ensure ease of access,” Barnard said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Manheim, together with numerous leading industry participants, continues to be committed to working toward the establishment of a multi-platform system (MPS) because it delivers the type of transparency that our customers and partners have been asking for. MPS is an online platform that, if executed, would link together and allow bidding across the virtual auctions of auto auction firms,” she continued.

Barnard also pointed out the benefits MPS can bring.

“As a customer-driven initiative, MPS would put more eyes on more cars, creating a more transparent and efficient virtual auto auction marketplace that will increase competition among auction participants and their wholesale customers and, by so doing, provide benefits to auctions, consignors, dealers and, ultimately, retail customers,” Barnard said.

In light of ADESA’s decision, Barnard closed her statement to Auto Remarketing by projecting what the next step associated with MPS might be.

“It will be up to each auction to determine whether to join MPS when it is up and running, and participants will make their own choices for their own individual business reasons,” she said. “MPS has been carefully shaped with relevant legal considerations in mind — with an eye toward ensuring full access to all auctions, small or large.”