ATLANTA -

As the company ramps up efforts to make contributions to help people recover from Superstorm Sandy, Manheim today recapped its continued effort to help dealers buy, manage and sell their vehicle inventory more effectively through its annual dealer advisory board meeting.

Manheim recently hosted its top 20 dealers from across the country for a two-day event in California’s Napa Valley. Manheim executives addressed dealers’ most pressing questions, offered insights into industry trends and discussed how to strategically utilize the power of Manheim’s marketplace to drive business results.

“This was a great opportunity to listen to our customers and hear what’s on their minds,” said Susie Heins, vice president of dealer sales at Manheim. “We also wanted to provide a collaborative and interactive environment for these top Manheim customers by offering them a hands-on experience with our products so they could see all the ways our tools make it easier for dealers to do business.”

The event included a series of presentations, panels and breakout sessions that were led by a range of Manheim’s remarketing industry experts. The contingent included Janet Barnard, executive vice president and chief operating officer; Joe George, senior vice president of product development; and Nick Peluso, senior vice president of customer management.

During the meeting, executives indicated dealers were given the opportunity to “test-drive” some of Manheim’s latest technological innovations, including the recently launched myMobileListing app, a mobile application that allows dealers to list and disclose the condition of vehicles directly from their iPhone or iPad.

In addition to discussing remarketing topics and business opportunities, Manheim executives used the event to share the company’s vision for the future with customers and provide a sneak peak at some upcoming solutions that will reinforce Manheim’s mission to enable dealers to conduct business anytime, anywhere and in any way they choose.

“All the technology Manheim has launched should get our wholesale units out to more buyers, turn inventory quicker and, best of all, bring in more money,” said Hal McLarty, vice president of pre-owned vehicles at Sonic Automotive and a 2012 dealer advisory board attendee.

Along with being a part of this Manheim gathering, McLarty is joining other industry executives at this week’s National Remarketing Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. McLarty is set to be part of a panel on Thursday titled, “Top Trends in the 2012 – 2013 Used Car Industry.”

It’s a discussion of critical wholesale and retail underpinnings with a focus on dealer consignment, retail used-car sales volume and certified pre-owned opportunities.

For more details about this year’s conference, visit nrc.autoremarketing.com.

Manheim’s Donation Plan to Support Sandy Victims

Now through Dec. 31, 11 locations in Manheim’s Mid-Atlantic and Northeast markets will donate $5 to the American Red Cross for every flood unit registered and sold at these operations.

The sites include:  

—Manheim New Jersey
—Manheim Philadelphia
—Manheim Fredericksburg
—Manheim Baltimore-Washington
—Manheim New England
—Manheim New York Metro Skyline
—Manheim New York
—Manheim Albany
—Manheim Pennsylvania
—Manheim Central Pennsylvania
—Manheim Harrisonburg

Tim Janego, Manheim’s East regional vice president said, “When devastating events such as Hurricane Sandy happen, people truly want to show their support in some meaningful way. This donation is just one way our employees felt they could help so many families that were severely affected.”   

Manheim’s relief plan goes along with other initiatives taken by Cox Enterprises, which includes AutoTrader.com.

Cox Enterprises in partnership with the James M. Cox Foundation gave combined cash donation of $100,000 to the American Red Cross to assist the relief and recovery efforts of the communities affected by Hurricane Sandy.

AutoTrader.com and Cox Communications also provided in-kind support for the American Red Cross through banner ads and public service announcements.

“Our company has a history of supporting the communities where we operate,” said Jim Kennedy, chairman of Cox Enterprises. “This storm left incredible damage, and we believe it’s important to empower our employees and communities during this time of recovery.”