LONG BEACH, Calif. -

Jim Yates, president and chief executive officer of Alliance Inspection Management (AIM), has announced his retirement from the company and is moving into a 12-month consulting role effective immediately, according to a news release from the company posted on Wednesday.

Yates, an automotive industry veteran who began his career at an auto dealership in 1975, was one of the original founders of AIM in 2005. With his guidance, the company has become a leading inspections provider in the automotive industry with clients that include Ford, Nissan, Hyundai and Toyota. AIM is a multimillion dollar company with more than 1,500 employees who inspect in excess of 12 million vehicles throughout North America and Canada annually.

“I am extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished since founding AIM more than 10 years ago. We set out to create the industry’s first truly independent, objective, third-party inspection company, and we are now the leading inspections provider in the automotive industry,” Yates said. “The great work that we’ve begun, like the AIM joint development project with Cox Automotive, will continue and I’m excited about what the future holds for the industry.”

“We can’t thank Jim enough for his partnership and the many contributions he’s made to further our industry and we wish him all the best in his retirement,” said Joe George, board director and senior vice president of Manheim Vehicle Advantage.

Prior to forming AIM in 2005, Yates spent some 30 years in the automotive industry, starting out as a dealer and later working at Chrysler, Subaru of America and Nissan North America.

“Jim has seen the auto industry grow and evolve through numerous business cycles,” said Joe Rakauskas, AIM’s chief financial officer who will serve as interim CEO until a permanent successor is named. “His ongoing commitment to innovation helped AIM take advantage of emerging technology and trends that benefited our clients and the automotive industry. AIM will continue to gain from his remarkable work and ideas in the years ahead.”

Yates will serve as a consultant during the executive search and transition period. The AIM board of directors said it will be moving quickly to find a replacement for his role.