NEW ORLEANS -

Manheim announced two major deals with two of the country’s largest dealership groups at the NADA Convention & Expo in New Orleans.

The auction company was selected to be the exclusive remarketing partner of Hendrick Automotive Group, the nation’s second-largest privately held dealer group; and in separate news, Manheim has teamed up with Sonic Automotive — one of the biggest public retailers — for a deal in which Manheim helps Sonic centralize their auction selling process through Manheim’s Remote Seller tool.

Besides the Remote Seller announcement, Sonic has also re-signed a long-term exclusive partnership with the auction company in which the retailer consolidates its business from competing auctions to Manheim locations.   

With this Hendrick partnership, Manheim will be primary resource for Hendrick at its 87 dealerships for remarketing cars, be it online, at physical locations or via mobile.

“We believe in selecting partners who are fully committed to our business success,” said Chris Little, Hendrick Automotive vice president, variable operations. “Manheim has continued to demonstrate an ability to identify our pain points, as well as future remarketing needs, and to respond with innovative and efficient solutions to further our growth.  We truly value the relationship we have with Manheim.”


Susie Heins, Manheim’s vice president of dealer sales, added:   “At Manheim, having deeper and richer discussions with customers allows us to fully understand their business, the challenges they face and the direction they want to take in the future. Hendrick Automotive Group believes strongly in investing in partnerships where both companies work hard together and win together.”


As for the Sonic partnership, through the Remote Seller tool Manheim is providing, Sonic’s Retail Trade Center can rep cars remotely from Sonic’s centralized location in Charlotte, N.C.

Doing so lets Sonic buy and sell vehicles simultaneously at the same auction, helping cut travel costs, save time and boost efficiency.

“We’ve been searching for better ways to reduce cost, save time and increase our sales percentages, and we believe we have found the best path for Sonic” said Hal McLarty, Sonic vice president. “Being able to use the Remote Seller tool, along with the pricing resources such as Manheim Market Report (MMR) and Kelley Blue Book, we are selling nearly 95 percent of our vehicles in a much faster and efficient way that leads to a more profitable business model.”

All aspects of the sale are controlled by the Sonic team, which can send instant messages in real time to the auction block and bidders.  This is designed to give Sonic stronger quality control while at the same time letting them leverage inventory and maintain detailed management inventory throughout their 100 stores.

“Delivering solutions to customers that save time and help them compete better, makes our jobs truly rewarding,” said Heins. “We value our relationship with Sonic and look forward to identifying other ways we can deliver new and different solutions to help them grow their business.”