United Auto Credit has shared its 2020 Auction of the Year winner, and earning the annual award is Louisiana’s 1st Choice Auto Auction.
The company said its annual award considers all pieces of the remarketing process, including metrics like recovery percentage, conversion percentage, reporting accuracy and auction efficiencies, the latter measured by transport time, condition report time and repair completion.
“The team at Louisiana’s 1st Choice consistently put up strong results despite the many obstacles that 2020 presented,” Scott Mousaw, director of loss mitigation at United Auto Credit, said via email.
“Not only as it relates to the pandemic, but also in August had the added challenge of Hurricane Laura,” he said. “In the face of it all, we never saw a dip in performance in the auctions processes or the sale results.”
Louisiana’s 1st Choice Auto Auction has also been an honoree in each of the first five years of Auto Remarketing’s Best Auto Auctions Work For program, the only auction to do so.
During her first year on the job in 2007 as a cashier and telemarketer for America’s Auto Auction Greenville, Mechelle Montgomery was talking to customers about an upcoming sale. One day, a company vice president was in the office and observed her on the job.
The vice president told, her, “You keep that up, and I’ll put you in sales.” The next week he did, and she was visiting dealers by the end of her first year at the auction.
This month, Montgomery received the company’s November Spotlight Award. She is currently serving as fleet/lease manager, and she has been in that post since 2014.
Montgomery says working in an environment where co-workers consider themselves as extended family and southern hospitality is strong makes work enjoyable, says Montgomery, adding that the environment has helped the staff overcome market challenges as a result of the pandemic.
“The auction business is a great one,” Montgomery said in a news release. “I love the ‘chase’ to get new accounts, and I enjoy the relationships we have built with our customers. Sale day, even in COVID times, is a thrill, and when you have a great sale and the customers are happy, there’s nothing better.”
She said America’s Auto Auction places a strong focus on customer service, and she says it fits her personal philosophy. That is, “Whether a customer sells 100 cars a month or just one, we treat everyone with the same kindness, the same respect, and we value their business.”
Montgomery said, “The people who work with me love the company, love their work, and love their customers. “That all makes my job a piece of cake.”
Jeff Easterday, general manager at America’s Auto Auction Greenville, praises Montgomery for her skill in relating to and working with customers.
“Mechelle has what it takes to be a great fleet/lease manager,” Easterday said. “She makes it a point to really know and understand every one of them, she’s attentive to detail and great on follow up. She always does what’s best for the client, which makes our customers happy, and makes everything run smoother at the auction.”
America’s national sales director Tammy Swofford said, “Mechelle is a firecracker, a real mover and shaker, who puts her full energy into everything she does. She is also a tremendous team player, not only helping sister auctions with potential business, but always reaching out to me with information or leads that would benefit us on the national level.”
Swofford continued, “Our clients, her colleagues at America’s Greenville, and her counterparts at other AAA auction locations all admire her and appreciate her contribution to the business of buying and selling vehicles at the auction. Her dedication and loyalty to Americas Auto Auction is invaluable, and she plays a big role in our success.”
KAR Global employee Jenny White has volunteered as a sponsor and advocate with Compassion International, making five trips to Uganda and “forging and making connections with children that will last a lifetime,” according to KAR.
Because of that work, KAR recognized White during the annual Jefferson Awards ceremony, which honors community volunteerism. The awards are a program of nonprofit service organization, Multiplying Good.
KAR executive vice president and chief people officer Lisa Price said KAR is passionate about “giving back and doing good.”
“And we celebrate our incredible employees who create positive change in communities across the globe,” Price said in a news release. “As a Multiplying Good Champion partner, we’re honored to recognize Jenny for her meaningful volunteer work, supporting children worldwide.”
This is KAR’s second consecutive year as a partner with Multiplying Good via the Champions program. Peers nominated nearly a dozen employee volunteers for the award. A judging panel of members of KAR’s management team chose the following Jefferson Awards honorees: Gina Kerr of KAR Global, Randy Murphy of OPENLANE, and Kathy Sabaski of AFC Philadelphia. The panel chose White of KAR Global as the company’s finalist.
White works with Compassion International, which serves in 25 countries to release children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty.
In addition to her time traveling abroad on mission trips, White also serves as an advocate for the organization, raising awareness and funds.
KAR says it believes in “second chances for cars, people and communities.”
At each of KAR’s more than 200 operation locations, the company teams up with organizations that rebuild and strengthen society, “supporting programs that lead people toward a better future.” Information is available about KAR’s community initiatives.
Multiplying Good, a national nonprofit that uses service to others and recognition as tools to “unleash potential, inspire individuals, and transform lives,” presented the 2020 ceremony as a one-hour streaming video. The ceremony shared stories from honorees and presented awards in various categories.
National Auto Auction Association president Laura Taylor said Mike Browning has played a strong role in many industry programs, and she said he has been “a quiet force behind the scenes in his leadership with NAAA's Executive Committee.”
In recognition of his various contributions to the industry and association, NAAA has named Browning a Warren Young Fellow.
Browning, who is general manager of Manheim San Antonio and past NAAA president, joins an exclusive group of 121 others who have earned the lifetime distinction of being named a Fellow.
He received a gold medallion and a framed commemorative certificate. Browning’s name will be engraved on a plaque of esteemed Fellows at NAAA headquarters.
NAAA bestowed the award with a $2,500 donation in Browning’s name to NAAA’s nonprofit Warren Young Scholastic Foundation. A Fellow is a donor at that level, or in whose honor or memory a contribution is made in that amount, to support the scholarship organization.
The Warren Young Scholastic Foundation was established in 2004 and named in honor of Warren Young Sr. NAAA described Young as “a pioneer of the auto auction industry,” who retired after 35 years of service to his profession and NAAA.
The foundation has helped 180 students pursue a higher education and raised more than $2.5 million. It awards $52,000 in merit scholarships each year for study at accredited institutions.
Taylor said Browning played a strong role in establishing NAAA's Disaster Relief Fund, which helps auction employees and their families recover from natural disasters.
She said he was also instrumental in creating the Auto Auction of the Year Awards for Excellence in Community Service “to show appreciation for the charitable acts auctions and staff volunteers perform, as well as encourage even greater public service."
NAAA said those initiatives came from personal experience. Browning, a native of Baton Rouge, La., was general manager of Manheim New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, and in the aftermath of the storm, he witnessed firsthand the difference individuals can make by getting involved and giving back.
Since the disaster relief program began in 2016, NAAA has so far donated more than $150,000 to auction employees who have been victims of natural disasters.
Active in the association since 2007, Browning was secretary, vice president, president and board chairman of NAAA’s Southern Chapter before his term as president in 2016-2017.
He has also served on the NAAA board of directors and as its chairman. Currently, he is NAAA executive vice president, serving on various committees.
Browning started his automotive career in 1989 as a car salesman before working his way up the career ladder over the next eight years to become the general manager for Hopkins Toyota in Vicksburg, Miss.
He joined the auto remarketing industry in 2003, as the GM of Manheim’s New Orleans auction. In that post, he spearheaded the charge to rebuild a strong customer base.
That resulted in a 200% increase in revenue.
He became general manager of Manheim Mississippi, in Hattiesburg four years later and in 2014 became GM for Manheim San Antonio.
Browning’s professional memberships in addition to NAAA include the Mississippi Independent Auto Dealers Association, Louisiana Independent Auto Dealers Association and the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association. For that latter association, Browning earned the NIADA Eagle Award two years in a row.
He has raised a family of three with his wife, and his community involvement has included coaching Little League and volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, Catholic Charities and the Thames Elementary Annual Christmas Drive, and he served as a special deputy with the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office.
Dealers Auto Auction of Chattanooga says auctions receiving ARI’s regional award must prove their performance every day of the year.
ARI’s various benchmarks for each auction partner include days to sell, days to condition report, percentage of Black Book, and days to fund.
Dealers Auto Auction of Chattanooga said on March 17 that it received the 2019 South East Regional Auction of the Year award from ARI.
The announcement marks the second time that Dealers Auto Auction of Chattanooga has received the award. The company first received the award in 2017.
“We are extremely honored to receive this award from a great business partner,” DAA Chattanooga general manager Doug Rodriguez said in a news release.
Rodriguez continued, “Our team has worked hard to ensure that all of our customers receive the best service we can offer.”
DAA Chattanooga is part of the Dealer Auto Auction Group.
The group’s additional six Southeast auction locations include Dealers Auto Auction of Memphis, Dealers Auto Auction of Murfreesboro, Dealers Auto Auction of Huntsville, Dealers Auto Auction of Jackson, Dealers Auto Auction of Mobile and Dealers Auto Auction of East Tennessee.
DAA Chattanooga offers eight lanes on more than 60 acres, and it offers full recondition, mechanical and transportation services.
“We value our partnership with ARI and are very proud of this recognition,” said Dealers Auto Auction Group owner and chief executive officer David Andrews.
He continued, “We look forward to a continued partnership and even more successful year ahead.”
ARI manager, North America remarketing Chris Clarke said ARI was proud of DAA Chattanooga’s accomplishment.
“They worked hard on our account, and it shows in their performance,” Clarke said.
In winning the category of Best National Auction Performance as part of Chase Auto’s “Chase Cup for Auction Excellence” awards, Manheim Minneapolis stood out among other competitors with a balanced performance showcasing value in vehicle reconditioning, number of buyers, condition report accuracy and overall financial results.
Manheim Minneapolis was one of nine auctions nationwide to receive recognition from the Chase Cup for Auction Excellence awards.
For the 21st annual Chase Cup awards, Chase looked at 35 national auto auctions and evaluated them on how well they handled preparation, sales, invoice processing, transport requests, title processing and other capabilities.
The Douglas F. Wininger Memorial Award for Best National Performance Service Delivery is another of the event’s honors. It recognizes outstanding service in areas such as transportation management, sales, invoicing and other operational measures. Manheim New Jersey was honored with that award for this year.
Chase Auto presented the awards at a dinner reception in Scottsdale, Ariz.
“Each year, the Chase Cup honors high-performing auto auctions across the country that display operational excellence, outstanding customer service and strong financial performance,” Chase Auto head of partnerships Jagdeep Dayal said in a news release.
“These auctions are the best of the best,” Dayal added.
Additional Chase Auto honorees for top performance included:
— Best National Jaguar Sales: Manheim Nashville
— Best National Land Rover Sales: Manheim Palm Beach
— Best National Mazda Sales: Manheim Milwaukee
— Best National Subaru Sales: Manheim Seattle
— Chase Partnership Award: ADESA Salt Lake
— Best Regional Performance, Western: Manheim Seattle
— Best Regional Performance, Central: ADESA Kansas City
— Best Regional Performance, Northeastern: Manheim Pittsburgh
— Best Regional Performance, Southeastern: Manheim Nashville
Kesler-Schaefer Auto Auction has been a big part of Steve and Mary Ann Kesler’s lives. Steve’s grandparents founded the company in 1943, and Steve grew up in the business. About a decade after Steve married Mary Ann, she began her career at the auction in 1998, and they now oversee an operation that runs 1,000 to 1,200 vehicles each week through its five lanes.
Steve is currently secretary of the National Auto Auction Association’s Midwest Chapter and is a past president. He co-chairs the membership committee and has attended more than 40 NAAA conventions, many with Mary Ann accompanying him.
For the Keslers’ professional achievements, contributions to the industry and service to the association, NAAA recognized them as Warren Young Fellows.
NAAA presented the honor in Indianapolis at its 2019 Annual Convention earlier this month.
The Keslers join a group of 113 others who have attained the lifetime distinction. The couple received a gold medallion and a framed commemorative certificate. Their names will be engraved on a plaque of esteemed Fellows at NAAA headquarters.
The NAAA award included a $2,500 donation in the couple’s name to the association’s nonprofit Warren Young Scholastic Foundation. A Fellow is someone who contributes at that level, or in whose honor or memory a contribution is made in that amount, to the scholarship organization. NAAA represents 347 auctions and 144 associate members.
The Scholastic Foundation was established in 2004 and has raised more than $2.3 million toward helping 180 students pursue higher education. Each year, it awards $52,000 in merit scholarships for study at accredited institutions. The scholarship fund was named in honor of the late Warren Young, an auto industry pioneer with a more-than-35-year career who served as NAAA secretary, treasurer, president, and president emeritus.
More on the Keslers’ industry involvement: Steve’s father, Jack, took over the business from Steve’s grandparents, Ken and Eleanor Schaefer, in 1956. Steve and his brother moved rocks on the lot until he got his driver’s license, and he officially joined the auction in 1978. Steve proposed to Mary Ann at an NAAA meeting on Hilton Head Island.
“Kesler-Schaefer was started 76 years ago by a couple, Ken and Eleanor, and this independent, family auction has always been team-driven,” outgoing NAAA president Chad Bailey said during the presentation ceremony.
He continued, “And today it’s no different. As individuals but also as a team, Steve and Mary Ann have played a vital part in their business, the industry, and our association. So it is my pleasure and privilege to award them both as Warren Young Fellows.”
DAA Northwest Auto Auction made a long-term commitment four years ago to Sunset Elementary students and staff, “adopting” the school that is located just two miles from its site. More than 200 auction employees volunteer to participate in a payroll deduction plan, providing healthy weekend snacks to students through the “Bite2Go” program. The program includes a company match for all contributions.
Because of DAA Northwest’s participation in that program and various additional activities, the National Auto Auction Association awarded the auction its 2019 Western Chapter Auto Auction of the Year for its outstanding public service.
In earlier announcements, NAAA named Louisiana’s 1st Choice Auto Auction as the winner of its Southern Chapter Auto Auction of the Year and Columbus Fair Auto Auction as the winner for the Midwest chapter. Another announcement highlighted ADESA Boston as NAAA's 2019 Eastern Chapter Auto Auction of the Year.
The four finalists representing NAAA’s Eastern, Midwest, Southern and Western chapters are competing for NAAA’s top honor of “Auto Auction of the Year Award for Excellence in Community Service.” At the association’s annual convention in October, NAAA will recognize all contenders with a crystal trophy. They will also be highlighted in NAAA’s member publications and receive $5,000 payable to a charity of the auction’s choice.
In 2016, NAAA established the awards in recognition of current charitable acts auctions perform and to encourage more volunteer involvement. The “Auto Auction of the Year Award for Excellence in Community Service” winner receives a large crystal loving cup and is featured on the covers of NAAA’s On The Block magazine and annual Membership Directory. The winner is also featured in an article in the publications and receives $20,000 payable to the auction’s chosen charity. Those funds are in addition to the previous $5,000 prize as a chapter finalist.
NAAA chose DAA Northwest of Spokane, Wash., for the Western chapter honor in part because of its fundraising and volunteer efforts addressing children’s challenges in its historically impoverished community. Those areas of concern include domestic violence, abuse, homelessness, hunger, school absenteeism and achievement gap.
DAA team members participate in various additional projects to help the community. Once a week for the accredited mentoring program, PrimeTime Mentoring, they spend lunch hours with students, and they have purchased items such as board games and yo-yos and work on craft projects with the children. They also thank school staff for their dedication to education by regularly bringing them lunch and home-baked treats.
The DAA team does much more than that. In conjunction with DAA’s annual Anniversary Sale every November, the auction hosts a dinner and fundraiser auction. That work has resulted in the contribution of more than $1.8 million to various local nonprofits such as the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery and Union Gospel Mission. In addition to selling items, DAA produces embroidered caps and gives them away for a $50 donation. All of those proceeds go to the featured charities.
The team has also contributed to various organizations over the past year, including the American Cancer Society, Adult & Teen Challenge, YMCA, Young Life, Spring of Hope International, Spokane River Forum, Northwest Harvest, Meals on Wheels, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Joya Child and Family Development, The Gee Foundation, Community Cancer Fund and school athletic programs.
Chosen in part because of its support of local police and fire departments, veterans, citywide events and municipal projects, ADESA Boston was named the National Auto Auction Association’s 2019 Eastern Chapter Auto Auction of the Year for its exceptional community service.
In an earlier announcement, NAAA named Louisiana’s 1st Choice Auto Auction as the winner of its Southern Chapter Auto Auction of the Year and Columbus Fair Auto Auction as the winner for the Midwest Chapter.
Those auctions will be three of four finalists representing NAAA’s Eastern, Midwest, Southern and Western chapters competing for NAAA’s top honor of “Auto Auction of the Year Award for Excellence in Community Service.”
Those contenders will receive recognition with a crystal trophy at the association’s October annual convention. They will also be highlighted in NAAA’s member publications and will receive $5,000 payable to a charity of the auction’s choice.
To recognize the many charitable acts auctions already perform and to encourage additional volunteer involvement, NAAA established the annual awards in 2016.
The winner of the “Auto Auction of the Year Award for Excellence in Community Service” will receive a large crystal loving cup. That auction will also be featured on the covers of NAAA’s On The Block magazine and annual membership directory and will be featured in an article in both publications.
In addition to the previous $5,000 prize as a chapter finalist, the winner receives $20,000 payable to the auction’s chosen charity.
ADESA Boston has performed various acts of community service to earn consideration for the honors. The auction began a partnership with the Framingham Police Department in 1994, raising funds to establish the Police Athletic League for youth.
The auction is still the primary sponsor of many of the league’s programs that provide a safe alternative to the streets for hundreds of children and young adults, giving them a place to play sports and learn valuable life lessons.
The auction has also helped the police build a tactical SWAT vehicle. Additional activities include providing facilities for training the K9 and tactical operations teams, offering advice on fleet management practices, and overseeing efforts in creating a 9/11 memorial.
Last year, ADESA Boston helped police raise more than $10,000 for Home Base. That Red Sox and Massachusetts General Hospital program operates a large private-sector clinic to help provide trauma care and wellness for veterans and their families.
The auction also helped raise funds for the Framingham Fire Department. That money went toward the purchase of special gloves, LED flashlights and other safety equipment. Also, the auction has donated vehicles for extrication training. Firefighters also use the auction’s large facility for practicing hands-on firefighting techniques.
In addition, ADESA Boston supports the community's Flag Day Parade, Concerts on the Green, and Framingham Housing Authority’s National Night Out. The auction has also helped develop a new city park.
The auction’s Classic Car Show and 30-mile motorcycle run has collected more than $1 million since 2002, and 100% of those proceeds went to several children’s charities.
He is a three-time world champion auctioneer who since 1974 has called bids for items such as collector cars, livestock, multi-million-dollar real estate sales and charity benefits.
Paul Behr, who is president and owner of the World Wide College of Auctioneering and the World Automobile Auctioneers Championship, has conducted more than 9,000 auctions in 30 states, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Those accomplishments led to the National Auto Auction naming Behr a Warren Young Fellow. NAAA presented Behr with the honor earlier this month during the 2019 championship event at the Charleston Auto Auction.
Behr joins 112 honorees who have earned the lifetime distinction of being named a Fellow. For the honor, Behr received a gold medallion and a framed commemorative certificate. His name will be engraved on a plaque of esteemed Fellows at NAAA headquarters.
NAAA president Chad Bailey, who is also a member of the National Auctioneers Association, said in addition to his wide-ranging experience, Behr was honored for his devotion to educating and training future generations of auctioneers.
After returning home in 1971 from serving as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam, Behr was the last in the profession to be personally trained by legendary auctioneer Col. Joe Reisch. Today he continues instructing students at his World Wide College of Auctioneering in Mason City, Iowa, according to NAAA, and last year he was inducted into the National Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame.
In 2011, the association recognized Behr as NAAA Auctioneer of the Year with the Bernie Hart Memorial Award, named after long-time NAAA executive director Bernie Hart, who served the association for more than 30 years before retiring in 1988.
He is one of only two people in auctioneering history to be named a World Champion Auctioneer three times. The other was Jeff Stokes, the 2005 recipient of the Bernie Hart award.
Behr also earned the titles of International Auction Champion in 1988 and World Livestock Auctioneer in 1989.
“He has worked at many of the major auto auctions around the country as well as being a factory car auctioneer for Ford, GM, Chrysler, Toyota and Subaru,” Bailey said in a news release.
For the honor, NAAA made a $2,500 donation each in their names to NAAA’s nonprofit Warren Young, Sr., Scholastic Foundation. A Fellow is a donor at that level, or in whose honor or memory a contribution is made in that amount, to support the scholarship organization.
The Scholastic Foundation was established in 2004 and named in honor of Warren Young, Sr., a pioneer of the auto auction industry who retired after 35 years of service to his profession and NAAA. The foundation has helped 168 students with higher-education funding and raised more than $2.3 million. Each year, it awards $52,000 in merit scholarships for study at accredited institutions.
