ORLANDO, Fla. -

The National Auto Auction Association has honored two industry veterans for their accomplishments and service, presenting one with the Industry Pioneer Award and the other with the 2012 Bernie Hart Memorial Auctioneer Award.

The award presentations were made this week during the NAAA’s 64th annual conference held in Orlando.

Recognized with the NAAA’s Industry Pioneer Award for his achievements and contributions to the remarketing profession was Jake Hershey Jr., former owner of the Pennsylvania Auto Dealers Exchange.

The Industry Pioneer Award acknowledges an individual who has “innovated or enhanced methods of improving services to remarketers through NAAA member auctions; has championed NAAA member auctions as providing services for motor vehicle remarketers unavailable from any other source; and has consistently followed the ethical standards of the NAAA Code of Ethics,” the NAAA reports.

Those who have worked in the wholesale motor vehicle industry and/or NAAA are eligible to win the award.  

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this honor than Jake Hershey, who is a shining example of service and commitment to moving our industry forward,” said Larry Tribble, award presenter and past NAAA president, who is owner and president of the Southern Auto Auction in New Windsor, Conn.

“Not only is he a man of high ethical standards, vast industry knowledge and progressive business vision, Jake is also a real family man, good friend and great guy,” Tribble said.

NAAA noted Hershey’s willingness to share business practices, take active roles on various committees and the executive board, and serve as secretary.

Tribble added, “Jake helped build and develop a well-oiled machine that provides an excellent model to independent auctions of how to keep moving ahead. His business survived and thrived in the face of extreme competition for dealer-to-dealer consignments.”

NAAA reports that PADE was founded in 1957 by Hershey’s father; Hershey Jr. joined the family enterprise in 1980, adding his experience in auto leasing and rentals. Along with a cousin, Skip Wolfgang, Hershey took ownership of PADE after serving as its vice president and corporate secretary, and oversaw its expansion to serving customers from 49 states and 33 countries.

PADE, one of the oldest and largest independently owned and operated vehicle auctions in the U.S., was acquired by ADESA in 2008. Hershey is now retired.

Girvin Earns NAAA Auctioneer Award

Also receiving an award at this week’s conference is Jerry Girvin, who was presented the NAAA Bernie Hart Memorial Auctioneer Award for 2012.

The award is named for Bernie Hart, who served as NAAA’s executive director for more than 30 years before his retirement in 1988, and recognizes the industry’s “most visible person,” NAAA said.

NAAA said that in Girvin’s first four decades of auctioneering, he missed just two sales — one for a blizzard and another when he broke his foot.

Girvin’s professional auctioneering career spans more than 45 years and continues today at two Manheim facilities in Pennsylvania, as well as auctioneering for numerous charitable organizations, NAAA said.

A likeness of Girvin in auctioneering action appeared on the cover of the 2004 NAAA Member Directory, the organization noted, and was used as the logo and website icon for the 2012 National Auto Auction Week promotion.

An Air Force Vietnam veteran, Girvin followed his brother Tom into the auctioneer profession, taking odd jobs at Garden Spot Auto Auction in Ephrata, Pa., to learn the ropes of the business, before selling cars there and later at Manheim Auto Auction (The Top of the Market).

Girvin still calls for his two favorite Manheim auctions, doing the exotic, BMW and Friday sale, and is a fixture on the Ford Motor Credit lane, NAAA noted.