Before Labor Day, America’s Auto Auction expanded its national dealer and commercial sales team.
Then after the holiday weekend, the company appointed Jennifer Leocardi to be vice president of institutional sales for the combined America’s Auto Auction and XLerate Group.
A 20-year industry veteran, America’s Auto Auction said through a news release that Leocardi brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this vital role.
Leocardi was most recently GSM at America’s Auto Auction Kansas City and has managed dealer and corporate sales teams for the past two decades.
Throughout the course of her career, AAA said Leocardi continued her growth by expanding her sales and management skills as well as bringing a customer focused leadership approach to her teams.
“I am honored to join the America’s Auto Auction executive team and am looking forward to working with our exceptional auctions,” said Leocardi, who was among the 2018 Women in Remarketing honorees. “I am eager to establish new relationships, build on my current connections and maximize our corporate account market share.”
The company mentioned Leocardi will report directly to AAA executive vice president and chief revenue officer Chuck Tapp, who said, “We are honored to have someone with her experience on our team. With her proven leadership skills, customer service focus and extensive experience in sales and management, she will play an important role in elevating this great company to the next level.”
AAA chief executive officer Cam Hitchcock added, “Jennifer is a rock star, and I am very excited we were able to promote her. Her insights and experience will help us reach our growth targets.”
ACV Auctions filed an antitrust complaint Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York against the National Auto Auction Association, Auto Auction Services Corp., Manheim, ADESA, ServNet Auction Group and the Independent Auction Group.
This news was first reported by Automotive News on Tuesday.
In the filing, ACV alleges a “group of entrenched horizontal competitors …” referring to those traditonally offering physical-only auctions, “… have conspired to prevent competition from newer, more innovative online wholesale used vehicle auction platforms like ACV. ACV brings this antitrust action to stop this unlawful horizontal group boycott.”
Auto Remarketing has reached out for comment to ACV and each of the defendants via email.
“The NAAA is aware of and has retained counsel to review the lawsuit filed against it on Friday evening, August 26, 2022. NAAA has no comment regarding the matter at this time,” an NAAA spokesperson said via email.
In an emailed response, AutoIMS declined to comment, as did IAG, ACV and ServNet.
A spokesperson for ADESA US parent company Carvana declined comment.
A Manheim spokesperson said via email: “We cannot offer any information, as it would be inappropriate to comment on pending litigation.”
More details
The digital auction provider said in the complaint the defendants have “conspiring to limit ACV’s access to legacy inventory management software that most large-scale Commercial Consignors require Auction Service providers use.
“In particular, Defendants Manheim, ADESA, ServNet, and IAG have used their control over Defendants National Auto Auction Association, Inc. (“NAAA”) and Auto Auction Services Corporation (“AASC”) to deny ACV access to critical software called AutoIMS,” ACV said. “AutoIMS is the “industry standard inventory management platform” used by “[n]ational fleet management companies, lease companies, banks and finance companies … responsible for the remarketing of literally millions of off-lease vehicles each year.” Most Commercial Consignors exclusively use AutoIMS to track their inventory throughout the auction process. There are no other reasonable alternatives to AutoIMS. Even if a new platform was developed, many Commerical Consignors have built their entire operations around AutoIMS and would need to expend significant resources to adopt new processes to accommodate an alternative platform.”
ACV argues the defendants “have erected new restrictions” to keep the company from gaining an AutoIMS license.
NAAA members in good standing are automatically eligible for an AutoIMS license, ACV explains.
“But when in late 2018 Plaintiff ACV applied for membership in NAAA, its application was denied because ACV’s business did not conduct Physical Auctions,” the company said.
“That decision was made by the executive leadership and Board of Directors of NAAA, which at that time consisted of representatives from Defendants Manheim and ADESA, as well as members of Defendants ServNet and IAG,” ACV said. “These Defendants’ Physical Auctions have collectively benefitted from foreclosing potential competition by ACV for commercial consignment transactions.”
An AutoIMS license can be obtained directly through an application to AASC (a joint venture between Manheim, ADESA, ServNet and IAG), ACV said
“Despite having promised to license AutoIMS to anyone in the “entire auction industry”—a promise made to induce Commercial Consigners to adopt AutoIMS as the industry standard for inventory management—Defendant AASC has denied ACV’s request for a license,” ACV said.
Later in the complaint, ACV says commercial consignors have “repeatedly told” the company they can’t work with ACV since it does not have AutoIMS access.
“Because Commercial Consigners use AutoIMS for inventory management, they are unable to use their existing systems to manage and monitor their inventory on the ACV platform. One Commercial Consignor told ACV that ‘once you figure out how to use AutoIMS, we will be happy to integrate with you,’” ACV said.
The company added: “Once ACV realized AutoIMS was necessary to do business with Commercial Consignors, ACV sought access to AutoIMS. But, despite promises that AutoIMS would be broadly licensed to the entire wholesale auto industry, Defendants Manheim, ADESA, ServNet and IAG—collectively and through Defendants NAAA and AASC—have conspired to block ACV from obtaining access to AutoIMS.
“Recognizing ACV’s success in competing for dealer-to-dealer transactions, those Defendants—all of whom are either horizontal competitors, or groupings of horizontal competitors (to each other and ACV)—have implemented and engaged in an illegal anticompetitive conspiracy to improperly exclude competition for Commercial Consignors’ used car auctions. Defendants’ unlawful conspiracy is intended to artificially insulate them from competition, further entrench themselves against innovators like ACV, and deny Commercial Consignors, auto dealerships, and consumers the demonstrated benefits of the competitive process.”
Auto Remarketing will have more details on this story as it develops.
ADESA has named a new regional vice president and three new auction general managers.
Appointed to be regional VP for the central region is Craig Estep, and the new auction GMs are Keyvan Nayeri at ADESA Houston, Mina Ibrahim at ADESA New Jersey, and Brandon Clay at ADESA Tulsa.
Estep has been in the auction industry for more than 30 years and had been GM of ADESA Jersey since 2014.
“With Craig’s extensive experience in the automotive industry and strong customer relationships, we’re excited to bring his expertise and leadership to our central region,” ADESA president John Hammer said in a news release.
“His consistent success leading our auction teams to drive positive results will be a huge asset to ADESA customers across the region,” Hammer said.
Nayari was most recently GM at CarMax in Virginia and Ibrahim was most recently assistant GM and ADESA New Jersey. Clay joined ADESA Tulsa in 2020 as the dealer relations manager and has managed the dealer relations and commercial accounts teams there ever since.
“Keyvan, Mina and Brandon all have extensive experience in the retail side of the automotive business, bringing key connections and valuable skillsets to the teams at Houston, New Jersey and Tulsa,” said Hammer. “Each will bring a customer-first leadership approach that will inspire the teams to optimize processes and field resources to meet customer needs more effectively.”
In pre-COVID times, a given year could yield upwards of 10 million vehicles sold at NAAA-member auto auctions.
That’s also about how many questions arose when Carvana announced a deal in February to acquire KAR Global’s ADESA auction business in the U.S.
(Well, at least in this reporter’s mind).
More than six months have passed since the announcement of that deal, which ultimately closed in May, and the go-forward picture of ADESA’s U.S operations is far clearer.
At the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance’s 2022 Summer Roundtable held here in mid-August, Carvana chief executive officer Ernie Garcia addressed some of the early concerns and questions about what the new ADESA would entail …
Read more
Welcome to Auto Remarketing’s second annual High Performance Auto Auctions awards program.
Through a series of recaps, this special feature spotlights the auctions who have taken home “Auto Auction of the Year”- style awards from consignors, auction groups and other industry stakeholders over the last year and change.
Join Cherokee Media Group in congratulating these auctions that have been recognized by their partners for excellence.
GM Financial highlights 2021 Auction of the Year winners
Earlier this year, GM Financial named five regional 2021 Auction of the Year winners and a winner of Most Valuable Auction of the Year, which are part of the consignor’s annual nationwide auction of excellence program recognizing the highest-performing auction locations in 2021.
GM Financial said recipients were selected after reviewing each of the company’s 50 auctions’ performance in retention, operational metrics, presale activities and overall auction operations.
The regional auction of the year winners included:
—Manheim Texas Hobby, Houston
—ADESA Phoenix, Chandler, Ariz.
—Manheim Chicago, Matteson, Ill.
—Manheim Pennsylvania, Manheim, Pa.
—Manheim Orlando, Ocoee, Fla.
“In 2021, the auctions we work with navigated many obstacles and went to great lengths to help GM Financial and our purchasing dealers achieve success in a very challenging year,” GM Financial senior vice president of remarketing solutions Bob Winn said in a news release.
“With the influx in used-car prices, new-inventory challenges due to microchip shortages and ongoing restrictions from the pandemic, these top performers prioritized buyer safety and kept our vehicle sales strong. Congratulations to these top auctions of the year,” Winn continued.
And the Most Valuable Auction of the Year went to Manheim Pennsylvania.
“The entire Manheim Pennsylvania team is humbled and honored to have our location named as GM Financial’s Most Valuable Auction for a third consecutive year,” Manheim Pennsylvania vice president and general manager Joey Hughes said in the news release from GM Financial.
“I’m so proud of our team for their continued commitment to and focus on providing exceptional customer service and results. We look forward to continuing to work closely with GM Financial and building on their success for many years to come,” Hughes went on to say.
CPS honors top auctions
Over at CPS, it shared its award winners for 2021. Those included:
- CPS Top Gun Award (Auction of the Year) – Rawls Auto Auction in Leesville, SC
- CPS Top Gun Award (AOY CPS Small Market) – ADESA Las Vegas in North Las Vegas, Nev.
- CPS Operational Excellence Award (Best Fleet/Lease Dept.) – ADESA Lexington in Lexington, Ky.
- CPS Heavy Hammer Award (Highest Net Recovery Percentage) — Greensboro Auto Auction in Greensboro, N.C.
Ford Vehicle Remarketing spotlights 2021 Auction Service Award Winners
Next up, Ford recognized honorees in its Ford Auction Service Award Program for 2021. Auction winners are those “who outperform their colleagues on Ford’s standards critical to the success of the Ford Motor Company and our dealers,” and are top performers in key metrics.
There are two categories to the award. Starting with the Ford Motor Credit off-lease vehicles, those honorees were:
Manheim New York in Newburgh, N.Y.
Greensboro Auto Auction in Greensboro, N.C.
Manheim Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss.
And for the non-off-lease vehicle category (like company vehicles and rentals) honorees were:
Manheim New York
Manheim Pittsburgh in Cranberry Township, Pa.
DAA Seattle in Auburn, Wash.
“The winning auctions represent best in class performance with inventory handling, lowest days to turn and maximizing wholesale values in an unprecedented business environment. Congratulations to the 2021 ASAP winners who ensured Ford Sponsored Auctions remain ‘the best play to buy,’” said Andrew Ashman, Ford US Used Vehicle Manager, in a news release.
Chase recognizes top-performing US auction partners
Late last year, Chase Auto recognized its top U.S. auto auction partners, spotlighting 10 auctions via Zoom for their performance in its annual Chase Cup for Auction Excellence program.
After reviewing 36 auctions for their respective performances in handling preparation, sales, invoice processing, transport requests, title processing and more, Chase awarded ADESA Kansas City the Chase Cup for Best National Auction Performance honors, while Manheim Orlando earned top honors as Best National Performance Service Delivery.
Also recognized were:
- Best National Jaguar Sales – Manheim Atlanta
- Best National Land Rover Sales – Manheim Dallas
- Best National Mazda Sales – Manheim Milwaukee
- Best National Subaru Sales – Manheim Nashville
- Best National Maserati Sales – Manheim Dallas
- Best Regional Performance, Midwest – Manheim Minneapolis
- Best Regional Performance, Western – ADESA Salt Lake
- Best Regional Performance, Central – ADESA Kansas City
- Best Regional Performance, Northeast – Manheim Fredericksburg
- Best Regional Performance, Southeast – Manheim Tampa
Credit Acceptance honors top auctions
Earlier this year, Credit Acceptance Corp. named its National Auction of the Year award winners for 2021.
The honorees include:
— ADESA Knoxville, National High-Volume Market
— Dealers Auto Auction Group of Huntsville, National Small-Volume Market
— 166 Auto Auction, Midwest Regional High-Volume Market
— ADESA Knoxville, Southeast Regional High-Volume Market
— ADESA Phoenix, West Coast Regional High-Volume Market
— Manheim Baltimore/Washington, NE Regional High-Volume Market
— Manheim DFW, Southwest Regional High-Volume Market
defi REMARKETING presents 2021 Auction of the Year
defi REMARKETING, the end-to-end remarketing services of defi SOLUTIONS, announced its 2021 Auction of the Year this spring.
The company’s top accolade went to ADESA Cincinnati/Dayton, as defi REMARKETING also recognized Manheim Dallas and Manheim Orlando as second and third place honorees, respectively.
Executives highlighted ADESA Cincinnati/Dayton has been a top performing auction for defi SOLUTIONS and its finance company clients for many years, taking top honors for three of the past four years.
ADESA Cincinnati/Dayton helps put cars, trucks, SUVs, boats, jet skis, four-wheelers and other vehicles in buyers’ hands through digital and physical auctions and empowers defi REMARKETING to lower costs, shorten turnaround times and maximize the resale price of off-lease and repossessed vehicles for its finance company clients.
For more than 30 years, defi REMARKETING has been providing comprehensive vehicle remarketing services that include vehicle valuation, title delivery, vehicle transport services, and premium sale lane placement that improves vehicle visibility.
During that, defi REMARKETING said it has been well-supported by experienced staff, leading technology, proven processes and strong industry relationships, such as its partnership with ADESA.
“We very much appreciate the excellence and high standards of the ADESA Cincinnati/Dayton team,” defi SOLUTIONS vice president of client services Steve Bissett said in a news release. “We look forward to building on the current relationship with these dedicated industry professionals as we continue to evolve our products and services and grow our client community.”
Mike Long is general manager at ADESA Cincinnati/Dayton.
“We are honored to receive this award again — it really showcases our team’s dedication to outstanding customer service and outcomes, day in and day out,” Long said in the news release.
“We’re especially proud of our many years of collaboration with defi and the results we’ve driven together — and we look forward to many more years of partnership and positive impact on our customers and industry,” Long went on to say.
Exeter honors top auctions
Exeter Finance announced its 2021 Exeter auction eXcellence and EMI awards at the CAR Conference in Las Vegas, recognizing auctions in divisions based on size and units sold.
Taking home the honors were:
Division III: DAA Seattle
Division II: Metro Phoenix
Division I: Bel Air Auto Auction
The EMI winner was Indiana Auto Auction.
“Our valued auction partners are a vital part of Exeter’s servicing arm. They are asked to transport, recondition and conduct redemptions of thousands of units, as well as – most importantly — market to our dealer base,” Exeter said in a statement. “The stronger the marketing of our brand, the more dealers that come into our auction lane and online to purchase our assets.”
The company added: “Congratulations on your eXcellence awards and for being the best of the best!”
Westlake Financial spotlights 2021 auction winners
Westlake Financial announced its 2021 Auction of the Year Award winner in May, along with Top Regional Auction honorees.
Taking home top honors was Manheim Dallas, which was also the regional winner in the South-Central U.S.
Other Top Regional Auction honorees included:
- Midwest Region: Manheim Milwaukee
- Southeast Region: Rawls Auto Auction
- Northeast Region: Manheim Baltimore-Washington
- Southwest Region: ADESA Salt Lake City
- Pacific Region: ADESA Golden Gate
Manheim Dallas, Rawls, Manheim Baltimore-Washington and ADESA Golden Gate were repeat winners.
Honorees are determined by an average score calculated from the consignor’s remarketing unit sales from last year. Auctions that sold Westlake vehicles at the highest Manheim Market Report book value percentage received recognition.
“Westlake is proud to work alongside the top auction performers in the country,” said William Walters, vice president of remarketing for Westlake Financial Services, in a news release. “I look forward to seeing their continued growth and success!”
Manheim Dallas general manger Rich Curtis added: “Our team at Manheim Dallas is truly honored to be named the 2021 Westlake Financial Services Auction of the Year.
“We thank our team for taking great pride in servicing our clients and helping them achieve their goals,” he said. “We value our long-standing partnership with Westlake and appreciate this prestigious recognition.”
Merchants Fleet names top auction
Merchants Fleet not only received three Stevie Awards as part of the 20th annual American Business Awards, the fleet management company also recognized its Top Overall Auction for 2021.
Claiming the auction accolade for the second year in a row from the fifth largest fleet company in the U.S., according to a news release from ServNet, is North Bay Auto Auction.
“Our entire auction team is thrilled to again be named the top auction in the U.S. for Merchants Fleet,” said David Aahl, partner and general manager at North Bay Auto Auction.
“This award is evidence of the care and attention we devote to our customers. Lease returns never let up even in the height of the pandemic, and Merchants Fleet has been an important partner during a tumultuous time,” Aahl continued in the news release from ServNet, of which North Bay Auto Auction is a member.
Aahl acknowledged the role that Ashley Sackett, the fleet lease representative at North Bay, played in the auction’s success with Merchants Fleet.
“Ashley provides the boots on the ground for Merchants Fleet, making sure that all areas of quality control are met,” Aahl said. “She touches every vehicle, and it is due to her efforts that we know that condition reports are accurate and that all the details of sale preparation and sale are managed with care.”
North Bay Auto Auction has been handling vehicles for Merchants Fleet since 2015. In addition to winning top honors for the account in 2020 and 2021, the auction also won its Top Line Service Award in 2018.
“Merchants Fleet recognizes its top auction based on service, performance, and a variety of metrics, including timeliness of days to sale and conversion rate,” Merchants Fleet remarketing manager Bill Boutwell said. “A group of us determines our annual award recipients, and the decision to name North Bay as our Top Overall Auction was a unanimous one.”
“The team at North Bay does everything you’d hope an auction would do, going out of their way to process our vehicles and get them sold,” Boutwell continued. “While we can only look at photos of our off-lease units, they can really see what’s going on, and they’re proactive in communicating, with status reports, follow up and vehicle assessments. They’ve proved an invaluable part of the remarketing process and have set a standard of excellence for our auctions all over the country.”
As a family-owned independent auction founded in 1993 by Don Morrow in the region stretching from Los Angeles to Seattle, North Bay Auto Auction is situated on 33 acres near the I-80 corridor in between San Francisco and Sacramento in Fairfield, Calif.
Additional Manheim honorees
In addition to the Manheim honorees named elsewhere in this section, the company said eight of its locations were honored in the 2021 Remarketing by Element awards. Those included:
- Manheim Statesville – Gold Award
- Manheim Fredericksburg – Above and Beyond – Mid-Market / Central
- Manheim Atlanta – Above and Beyond – East
- Manheim San Francisco Bay – Above and Beyond – West
- Manheim Riverside – Outstanding Promotions Award
- Manheim Baltimore – Washington – Silver Award – Northeast
- Manheim Chicago – Silver Award – Midwest
- Manheim Phoenix – Silver Award – West
Manheim also said its Manheim Lakeland auction was recognized by Holman as a Regional Auction of the Year.
Manheim spotlighted several of its own auctions with the M Award, which recognizes auctions for exceeding sales and digital volume targets. The award is given out each quarter. Winners are below:
The winners for the second quarter of 2022 were:
Manheim Portland
Manheim Phoenix
Manheim West Palm Beach
Manheim Pittsburgh
The winners for the first quarter were:
Manheim Portland
Manheim Phoenix
Manheim Philadelphia
Manheim Pensacola
In another internal award, Manheim spotlighted facilities for proactively reporting “near-misses” before they occur, recognizing winners in a safety-themed bracket-based “tournament” dubbed Safety Madness.
Manheim San Diego was the winner, with semifinalists Manheim Seattle, Manheim Southern California and Manheim St. Pete.
In an overall company award, Manheim earned recognition as “THE Innovation Driven Company by the Technology Association of Georgia.”
More awards
Over at DAA Seattle, the McConkey Auction Group member was named the 2021 Ford Vehicle Remarketing Auction Service Award Program: Rental Sale Winner; and it also took home the 2021 Exeter Division III Excellence Award.
Down along the Southeastern coast, America’s Auto Auction – Charleston won the Stellar Performance Award 2021 from Lease Plan; while America’s Auto Auction – Savannah took home the Southeast Region Auction of the Year 2021 award from C&F Finance.
Further up the East Coast, Bel Air Auto Auction in Maryland share a few of the awards it earned for 2021:
Santander/Chrysler Capital 2021 Retail Auction of the Year (Northeast Region)
Santander/Chrysler Capital 2021 National Auction of the Year
Exeter Division 1 Excellence Award
Merchants Fleet 2021 Mid-Atlantic Region Auction of the Year
OVE Highest Digital Mix Award
Manheim has been busy fine-tuning its technology, as well as bringing new products to the market and strategic moves to further convenience and efficiency for its clients.
Brad Burns, associate vice president of vehicle information at Manheim, has helped lead the push. Manheim put Burns to work, starting with the promotion to his current role at the start of 2021, in “leading the transformation of Manheim’s vehicle information,” and working to drive …
Read more
The first half of the year was a busy one for Auction Academy’s largest class in the 10-year history of the training program.
Auction Academy officials recently highlighted Class Group 7 includes 30 students from 17 states, representing a variety of disciples within the automotive industry, including auction operations, floorplan and finance, technology and remarketing.
“This new Class Group is our largest and most diverse Class Group to date, and, following the opening session last fall in Nashville, we’re well into an exciting and comprehensive curriculum,” Auction Academy president Penny Wanna said.
“Now in our 10th year, we’re excited to see so many graduates of Auction Academy assuming leadership roles in the industry and, in turn, sharing their knowledge and experience by leading classroom and training sessions,” Wanna continued.
Auction Academy has completed the first half of 2022 with its newest Class Group meeting together in a virtual classroom setting as well as in-person to pursue the academy’s in-depth training curriculum.
The first quarter included a visit in February to Louisiana’s 1st Choice Auto Auction, a first-time host for the program and purchased by EBlock in June, where the students observed auction operations at one of the country’s leading facilities.
The Academy’s visit coincided with the auction’s largest promotion of the year, the Rockin’ Mardi Gras Sale, and the group spent some time learning about the Louisiana concept of Lagniappe, which has been the cornerstone of the service offered at the auction over the past 20 years of its operation.
Training included a session with Joe Miller of AutoIMS and Glenda Gudiel of Auction Edge, as well as David Walsh of Training Services, who spoke on eRevolutionary leadership skills, leveraging people, process and product to achieve goals.
Presentations also were made by several members of the LAFCAA Staff: Who Owns Your Customers by John Poteet, Ecommerce by Andy Poteet, and Auction Training with Matt Alombro (Both are Auction Academy alums).
In May, Auction Academy met together in Dallas, opening with chief executive Pierre Pons speaking on leadership secrets of Attila the Hun, and making a presentation titled, “Where Do Cars Come From?”
Other training sessions were led by number of industry experts, including Scott Mousaw of United Auto Credit, Brent Huisman of Exeter Finance, Doug Evans of Hyundai Capital America, Mark Lindenmuth of Caprock Auto Remarketing and Casey Hughes of Toyota Financial Services.
The following day, Class Group 7 visited Metro Auto Auction – Dallas, where they were hosted by general manager Scott Stalder, controller Rob Gorman (an Academy alum), fleet/lease manager Joshua Mooney and Bill Westlake, who is director of national accounts.
The Dallas session concluded with a field trip to the Union Pacific Railroad facility in Mesquite, Texas, where the Class Group saw first-hand how vehicles are transported and unloaded from rail cars. The field trip was coordinated with the help of Jeff Grandstaff of Gold Star Resources.
Wanna noted that Auction Academy’s in-person sessions during the first two quarters of the year alternated with three virtual classroom meetings.
In January, the group met online for a session on digital sales, in April for a presentation on safety, security, and compliance with Privacy4Cars, and in June for a discussion on electric vehicles and how auctions can and should prepare.
Auction Academy then convened in Spokane, Wash., on July 18, for three days of training that included DAA Northwest’s premier industry promotion, the 27th annual Rock ‘n Roll Sale, which culminated in a concert by Sammy Hagar.
The session began with a presentation by Len Roll of DAA Northwest, one of the industry’s top professionals in auction operations, who covered detailing, body shop services and condition reports.
He was followed by Mitzi Van Voorhis, the McConkey Auction Group’s VP of marketing (an Academy Alum) and Kaylen Bucher, marketing manager at DAANW and a current Class 7 student, who described the McConkey Group’s philosophy and process for its nationally recognized promotions in print and digital media.
Completing the morning’s session was the McConkey Auction Group’s VP of human resources, Ashleigh Mathews, also an alum of Auction Academy, who discussed a topic that personally impacts most Auction Academy students as they assume leadership roles: making a seamless transition from coworker to boss with respect to all.
The Class was then met by two more graduates of Auction Academy — DAA Northwest general manager Collin McConkey and MAG COO Dave Pendergraft — for a tour of the DAA Northwest facilities.
Back in the classroom, the group heard presentations by Sandy Moon of NextGear Capital and Dan Diedrich of Auction Edge. The day ended with a barbecue at the home of Bob and Sandy McConkey, which was attended by a number of industry executives as well as the Auction Academy students.
A second full day of classes and auction observations at DAA Northwest began with IARA CAR Certification Testing. After watching the kick-off sale in the auction lanes at DAA Northwest, the group returned to the classroom, where they heard from Wanna, Academy alum Ben Caffee — AVP digital service at Manheim Express, and Shann Ferch of Gonzaga University.
Then, the group joined auction customers and remarketers from across the country for the main event, the Rock & Roll Concert opened by The Cronkites and followed by headliner Sammy Hagar.
Later this year, the Auction Academy will meet in Baltimore for a full day of NADA training, focusing on the auction process through the dealer’s eyes.
The Nichols family will host the Academy for day two at Bel Air Auto Auction, where classes will be held in the auction lane. Dr. Brittany Boone, an Auction Academy favorite, returns to speak on Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion. The group will also hear presentations from Smart Auction, DealShield, the Holman Group and members of the staff at Bel Air Auto Auction.
Auction Academy is a continuing education program developed by TPC Management Co., (TPC) for professionals in the auto auction industry. Auction Academy’s two-year program provides a training and development experience for auto auction professionals, structured like an Executive MBA program.
With faculty drawn from expert practitioners around the country, Auction Academy’s programs are designed to enhance essential skill sets, promote best practices and yield better auction performance. The curriculum includes site visits, field trips, technical certifications and work with industry experts in all areas of auto auction operations.
For additional information about Auction Academy, contact Wanna at (615) 591-4544 or [email protected]. Or visit the website at www.auctionacademy.net.
National Auto Auction Association chief executive officer Tricia Heon, 2021 NAAA president Charles Nichols and 2022 NAAA president Garrison Hudkins join the show to talk about the upcoming National Auto Auction Week and the annual NAAA Convention.
They share a sneak peek at the convention's agenda, including a look at the show's country concert and a session on "Politics in America."
To listen to the conversation, click on the link available below, or visit the Auto Remarketing Podcast page.
Download and subscribe to the Auto Remarketing Podcast on iTunes or on Google Play.
It was a celebration in the wholesale world for multiple reasons recently in Connecticut.
The National Auto Auction Association (NAAA) has named Garrison Hudkins as a Warren Young Fellow for 2022 and presented the award during Southern Auto Auction’s 75th anniversary celebration.
According to a news release, the honor recognizes Hudkins for his service and contributions to the wholesale auto auction industry and his leadership as part of NAAA’s executive committee.
Hudkins is NAAA president-elect and is president of Southern Auto Auction, Eastern Powersports Auction, and SAFS, Inc. He joined the East Windsor, Conn., auction in 2010, becoming the third generation in the family business founded in 1947 by his wife’s grandfather, Larry Tribble Sr.
NAAA highlighted Hudkins has spent more than a decade in management at Southern Auto Auction and brings a variety of previous business experience to the wholesale auto auction industry.
“Garrison has made significant contributions to our industry as a member of NAAA’s executive committee and as an advisor to NAAA’s joint marketing committee,” NAAA president R. Charles Nichols said in the news release. “It has been my pleasure serving alongside Garrison over the last year, and I have valued his insights and visionary leadership. I know the future of our association is bright with Garrison taking over as NAAA president next year.”
The NAAA Warren Young Fellowship was created in honor of Warren Young Sr., a pioneer of the auto auction industry. The award comes with a $2,500 donation in each fellow’s name to the NAAA Warren Young, Sr. Scholastic Foundation.
Since its establishment in 2004, the Scholastic Foundation has helped students pursue dreams of higher education. The foundation is a self-sustaining nonprofit organization and awards $52,000 in merit scholarships annually for study at accredited institutions.
“NAAA congratulates Hudkins for earning the lifetime distinction of being named a Warren Young Fellow and for joining this exclusive group of individuals who further the legacy of Warren Young, a pioneer of the auto auction industry,” the association said.
After 76 years of operations and sending vehicles down the lanes in northwest Pennsylvania, a part of America’s Auto Auction has a new name.
Members of the AAA corporate team attended the sale at their newly branded facility last week, as this auction celebrated its 76th anniversary and introduced dealers to its new name.
According to a news release, the Corry Auto Dealers Exchange will now be known as America’s Auto Auction Erie.
Along with lanes full of cars, food and giveaways, dealers from surrounding states were witness to the inaugural sale of the new America’s AA Erie, one of the 16 XLerate Group auctions adopting the name and logo of AAA.
Another event folded into the anniversary celebration was the annual benefit for Barber National Institute (BNI), an organization that proves services to children and adults with autism, intellectual disabilities, or behavioral and health challenges.
For every vehicle purchased during the sale, the auction donated $5 to BNI on behalf of their dealers and pledged to match this donation during the 76th anniversary sale.
“We believe in taking care of our community, and we are proud of the money we’ve raised for Barber National Institute through the years,” general manager Kerri Rotunda said in a news release. “This charity event allows us to join with our dealers in giving support to a very important community program, and this year we raised over $1,750.”
