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AutoPacific announces 2016 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards

Awards

It’s not that new-vehicle owners can’t get no satisfaction. It’s just that for the first time in years, a non-American brand has earned the distinction of most satisfying popular, non-luxury brand among new-vehicle owners.

Korean manufacturer Kia claimed that honor in this year’s AutoPacific Vehicle Awards, which measures owner satisfaction with 50 attributes ranging from interior comfort and styling to fuel economy and performance. 

“This year marks the 20th anniversary of AutoPacific recognizing the most satisfying vehicles and providing consumers a way to streamline their search for the perfect vehicle,” AutoPacific president George Peterson said in a news release.  “VSAs look at the big picture, which includes owners’ experiences with their vehicle’s quality and safety, but also go deeper into the heart of the ownership experience.”

The most satisfying vehicle overall was the Cadillac Escalade, which also received this year’s President’s Award. This award is given only when the overall score tops the previous high score. The previous President’s Award winners were the 2015 Kia K900, 2014 Mercedes S-Class and the 2010 Hyundai Sonata. 

Tesla is the most satisfying premium brand for the second year in a row.

 “Kia has been coming on strong for years and has won many individual vehicle awards,” Peterson said, “but this year they dominated among popular, non-luxury, brands, with a total brand score that is 16 points higher than the nearest competitor, GMC.

“Tesla was new to the survey results in 2015 and won the top premium brand award by a considerable margin (23 points),” he continued. “They hold the top spot this year, though Cadillac has closed the gap considerably with the highly satisfying Escalade and increases in owner satisfaction across their lineup.”

This year also marks the first year that neither Ford Motor Co. nor Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has a winning vehicle.

“Over the years, Ford has consistently had high-scoring trucks and SUVs while Lincoln has had several luxury car winners,” according to Peterson. “Historically, FCA has not been as strong; however, the Jeep Grand Cherokee was on a 5 year winning streak and had that taken away by the Toyota 4Runner this year.”

Overall for 2016, General Motors received the most wins with seven, followed by Kia and Nissan each with four, Mercedes-Benz with three, and Hyundai and Toyota each with two wins. Volvo, Honda and Tesla each took home one win. 

Six all-new or redesigned vehicles top their segment

Of the 23 winning vehicles, six of had been redesigned for the 2016 model year, including the Kia Optima, Nissan Maxima, Chevrolet Camaro, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Lexus RX and Hyundai Tucson.

“Product planners hold their breath after the release of a new, or redesigned, vehicle, hoping that all their research, designing and planning has successful results,” said Peterson, who worked as a product planner prior to founding AutoPacific 30 years ago. “While six of the winning vehicles were redesigned for the 2016 model year, the Kia Optima and Chevrolet Camaro have greatly exceeded the scores of their nearest segment competitors.”

This year’s VSAs were based on survey responses from more than 65,000 owners of new 2015 and 2016 model year cars and light trucks.

2016 Vehicle Satisfaction Award winners

President’s Award (highest VSA score to date): Cadillac Escalade
Most Satisfying Vehicle Overall: Cadillac Escalade
Highest Satisfaction Premium Brand: Tesla
Highest Satisfaction Popular Brand: Kia

Passenger cars:

Luxury car: Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Aspirational luxury car: Volvo S60/V60

Luxury midsize car: Nissan Maxima

Large car: Hyundai Azera

Midsize car: Kia Optima

Premium compact car: Mercedes-Benz CLA

Compact car: Kia Soul

Economy car: Honda Fit

Sports car: Chevrolet Corvette

Sporty car: Chevrolet Camaro

 
Light trucks:

Light duty pickup: GMC Sierra 1500

Heavy duty pickup: GMC Sierra HD

Compact pickup: Nissan Frontier

Luxury SUV: Cadillac Escalade

Large SUV: Chevrolet Suburban

Midsize SUV: Toyota 4Runner

Premium luxury crossover SUV: Mercedes-Benz GLE

Luxury crossover SUV: Lexus RX

Large crossover SUV: GMC Acadia

Premium midsize crossover SUV: Nissan Murano

Midsize crossover SUV: Nissan Rogue

Compact crossover SUV: Hyundai Tucson

Minivan: Kia Sedona

 

ALS Resolvion honored as one of Georgia’s fastest-growing companies

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ALS Resolvion, a national provider of loss mitigation management services to the auto and commercial finance industry, announced this week that the company has been recognized by the Atlanta chapter of the Association of Corporate Growth (ACG) as one of the Top 40 Fastest Growing Companies in Georgia within ACG’s middle market category.

The company said criteria for consideration include overall revenue size, verifiable revenue growth rate and growth in employee base.

“We are very pleased to have received this honor from ACG,” ALS Resolvion chief executive officer Michael Levison said. “It is the culmination of a lot of hard work by a team that is dedicated to exceeding expectations.”

Autobytel’s Coats is finalist for Entrepreneur Of The Year Award

Winner

EY, a provider of assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services, has announced that Autobytel president and CEO Jeff Coats is a finalist for its Entrepreneur Of The Year 2016 Award in Orange County, Calif.

The awards program, in its 30th year, recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. The program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries throughout the world. 

“I am honored and humbled to be named a finalist of this prestigious award, and I extend my sincere thanks to the (EY member firm) Ernst & Young team for their consideration,” said Coats, who was selected by a panel of independent judges. 

“It’s incredibly rewarding to lead a team of creative innovators who aren’t afraid to disrupt and improve an entire industry for our clients and for the millions of consumers who buy cars each year. Autobytel continues to inspire and motivate me today just as it did when I first became a board member 20 years ago. Congratulations to all of the finalists for a job well done.”  

Award winners will be announced at a June 17 gala at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, Calif. Regional winners are then eligible for consideration for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National program.  Award winners in several national categories, as well as the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala in Palm Springs, Calif., on Nov. 19. The awards are the culminating event of the Strategic Growth ForumT, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Founded and produced by EY, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America, Merrill Corp. and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Orange County is sponsored by Stradling Yocca Carlson Rauth, Hollencrest Capital Management, Lockton Cos., Smart Business, Tangram, Woodruff Sawyer & Co. and HKA Inc. Marketing Communications.

Click here to view other finalists.

Donlen names top auction award winners

row of cars 2

Donlen, a provider of financing and management solutions for the fleet industry, announced the 2015 recipients of its Top Auction awards.

“The partnership we form with auction partners is a vital component of our remarketing program and its success,” said Dan Powers, director of vehicle remarketing for Donlen. “By consistently meeting, and in many cases exceeding our performance goals, this year’s auction partners have demonstrated their commitment to our customers and to Donlen’s world-class remarketing program.”

The winners are:

Auction of the Year – Carolina Auto Auction

Central/Northeast Region – Manheim Milwaukee

South/Southeast Region – Orlando Longwood Auto Auction

West Region – ADESA Portland

Best Days to Condition Report – ADESA Kansas City

Best Retention Dollars – ADESA Cincinnati

Best Days to Sell – Orlando Longwood Auto Auction

Best Expense Control – ABC Bowling Green

Several of the recipients are repeat winners. Carolina Auto Auction has won Auction of the Year the past four years; Manheim Milwaukee has won the Central/Northeast Region for the past three years; Orlando Longwood Auto Auction has won the South/Southeast Region for the last three years; and ADESA Portland is a three-time West Region winner.

Donlen is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hertz Corp.

Hyundai, Lexus earn top CPO program honors

2012 Hyundai Sonata

Hyundai and Lexus took top honors in the non-luxury and luxury categories, respectively, during Autotrader’s recent analysis of the best certified pre-owned vehicle programs.

While manufacturers tend to offer a range of perks with CPOs, Autotrader opted to focus on warranty coverage.

“The No. 1 benefit of any CPO program is the warranty, so we decided that the length of warranty should be the top criteria when choosing this year's Best CPO Programs," Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader, said in a news release. “Hyundai's CPO warranty is an extension of its exceptional new car warranty, and Lexus's warranty is simply the best in the luxury category.”

Hyundai’s CPO warranty offers five years or 60,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper limited coverage and 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage from the car’s original sale date. The warranty offers a relatively low deductible of $50, and it is fully transferable to subsequent owners in a private sale.

Meanwhile, Lexus’s “L/Certified” program offers limited bumper-to-bumper coverage for up to six years and unlimited mileage from vehicle’s original sale date. There is no deductible for covered repairs, and the program offers complimentary maintenance covering the next four factory-recommended services for two years or 20,000 miles.

Honorable mentions in the non-luxury category were Chevrolet/GMC, Ford, Honda, Kia, Mazda, MINI, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Toyota. In the luxury category, they were Acura, Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Porsche and Volvo.

The selections for this year's Best CPO Programs were based primarily on warranty coverage, with a minimum of six years/100,000 miles for powertrain coverage. Other factors were bumper-to-bumper limited warranty length, warranty transferability and deductible amount.

 

GM Financial presents 2015 Auction of Year winners

blueribbon

On Wednesday, General Motors Financial highlighted the winners of its nationwide Auction of Excellence program.

This year marks the first time GM Financial has recognized two winners — one for open and one for closed sale performance. Recipients were chosen after reviewing each of the company’s 46 auction partners’ performances in customer service, marketing promotions, pre-sale activities and overall auction success.

Taking the honor as 2015 Open Sale Auction of the Year is Grand Rapids Auto Auction located in Jenison, Mich.

“I have been privileged to partner with GM Financial for more than 10 years, and it’s an honor for GRAA to be recognized with this coveted award,” said general manager Mark Capel, who received the award on behalf of Grand Rapids AA.

“GRAA has been named to this honor previously, so our staff has had a benchmark to operate at a very high level,” Capel continued. “It’s knowing those high standards that I want to thank GM Financial and my staff — senior management, operations, internal, external, transportation and our compliance department at GRAA — who worked so diligently to operate near perfection for the GM Financial account."

Receiving the accolade as the 2015 Closed Sale Auction of the Year is ABC St. Louis located in Centreville, Ill.

“Our auction team at ABC St. Louis is a very competitive group. It is such an honor to win the Auction of Excellence Award from GM Financial,” said ABC president Jason Hockett, who accepted the award on behalf of ABC St. Louis.

“GM Financial runs at some very strong auto auctions, so to be honored as the top-performing auction is a testimony to the hard work and service of Todd Ritter, general manager, and his team at ABC St. Louis,” Hockett added.

A quarterly and year-end overall winner is awarded to one auction in each of GM Financial Remarketing’s five regions. This year’s Regional Auction of Excellence winners are as follows:

— Midwest Region: Grand Rapids AA

— Northeast Region: Manheim Pennsylvania (Manheim, Pa.)

— Southeast Region: Manheim Georgia, Atlanta

— Southwest Region: ADESA Austin (Austin, Texas)

— West Coast Region: Manheim Portland (Portland, Ore.)

GM Financial senior vice president of remarketing Dan Heinrich extended his congratulations to all awarded auctions.

“Many of these auctions’ successes can be attributed to the extraordinary people who work the GM Financial lanes,” Heinrich said. “Without them, honoring each of these locations would not be possible. Thank you to everyone involved in moving GM Financial vehicles through the auction process. Congratulations to all of our winners.”

Experian’s Zabritski sees cars as ‘exciting’

Women In Remarketing

Melinda Zabritski watched her credit-market workload at a previous post steadily increase with responsibilities in the automotive space. The topic, as well as the people connected to vehicles and how they are financed, prompted Zabritski to seek her current position as senior director of automotive finance at Experian Automotive.

“No offense to other areas of the credit market, but credit cards don’t bring back memories and inspire. Cars, now cars are exciting. Providing insights to help consumers drive away in their dream car, that’s something to pursue,” Zabritski said.

And while she regularly works through enough data to fill an SUV’s cargo area full of hard drives, it’s the opportunity to connect the people to those data points that stirs Zabritski, a 2016 Women in Remarketing honoree.

“I enjoy the passion that is found in this industry and the ability to work across all aspects of this market,” she said. “It’s interesting to be able to view the industry across the entire lifecycle from dealers to lenders to remarketing professionals we all seem to share the same passion for the industry.”

While Zabritski travels the country meeting with clients and industry groups to share Experian’s information, another opportunity she called one of her greatest career highlights is becoming a regular on the morning news program televised by CBS. Zabritski also flourishes in the role of explaining what trends in the auto finance space might mean to the family watching TV while preparing for the day.

“For years, I was frustrated by always hearing people from outside the industry provide credit advice and information. I always felt this information should come from within the industry and finally it happened,” she said.

Whether it’s speaking to parents, dealer principals or finance company executives, Zabritski pointed out the access to information and complexity of analysis are the components of her job responsibilities that has changed most during the past 15 years.

“In a world of Big Data, we’re seeing lenders increase their level of sophistication when it comes to making decisions,” she said. “Whether it is reviewing demographics and targeting new customers or analyzing financial performance trends across a portfolio or reviewing vehicles in operation statistics, data and insights are the keys to understanding the market, the vehicles and the people who buy them.”

“Knowing that so many consumers and industry professionals rely on our data, information and insight to make smarter decisions, makes me strive to provide the best products and services out there,” Zabritski added.

When not scouring data for the latest trends, Zabritski has a bit of an agriculture hobby. “When I’m home, I enjoy my garden and chickens; yes, I have three backyard chickens,” she said.

Traveling is another of Zabritski’s passions, as she makes multiple trips to Europe each year. She recently completed the Cotswold Way, the 102-mile walking trail in England and is looking to spend time in Paris after Used Car Week.

Check out the April 15 edition of Auto Remarketing to learn more about the entire class of 2016 Women in Remarketing honorees.

These outstanding leaders will be honored at Used Car Week 2016, where we will be launching our National Remarketing Conference partnership with the National Auto Auction Association.

Used Car Week is scheduled for Nov. 14-18 at the Red Rock in Las Vegas.

Williamson takes fast track to serving auction world

Kathy Williamson DaytonaPits for ART

While an enthusiastic NASCAR follower, Kathy Williamson acknowledged she had never been to an auto auction prior 2003. Although the vehicles in the auction lanes don’t travel nearly 200 mph, the pace at which Williamson helped to develop technology leveraged in the wholesale vehicle space still moves pretty fast, too.

Williamson and her husband purchased Auto Auction Solutions and operated the company themselves until selling it to Auction Edge last year. She remains a part of Auction Edge, now as vice president of EDGE AOS.

“From a technology perspective, the use of mobile devices has been the largest change,” said Williamson, a 2016 Women in Remarketing honoree. “Smartphones and tablets weren’t even in use 12 years ago. Now you can do almost anything on a phone that you can do on a computer. Online selling, via simulcast and other buy-now or bid scenarios, has also increased in usage significantly over the past 12 years.”

From never have been to an auction previously, Williamson more than made up for it during the 12-year span beginning in 2003. She ventured into nearly 150 auction facilities in 36 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces.

“I view myself in the solutions business versus the car business,” Williamson said “Probably five years into my career, I realized I wanted to not just build software, but to work with end-users to provide solutions that make their jobs easier.     

“There is no shortage of interesting technology challenges,” she continued. “I thought after installing our products at about 20 auctions, we’d have a good handle on the functionality required at auto auctions.  But every auction does business differently. Even today, it’s rare that we leave an install without saying once, ‘No one’s ever asked for that feature before.’ So beyond technology constantly changing, there’s no shortage of user requests.  

“Also the people working at auto auctions are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and many have become friends,” Williamson went on to say.

Before venturing into the wholesale vehicle space, Williams spent 14 years with a company that developed accounting software. When, as Williamson explained it, what’s known as the dot-com bubble “burst” in the early 2000s, she spent about 18 months working for contractors in northwest Florida associated with the U.S. Department of Defense.

Now, when not traveling to watch the best in auto racing compete, Williamson is on the road working with auctions to help them deliver the technology services their dealer customers want.

“Having good relationships with our auto auction customers has been the most rewarding experience. A lot of our sales have come from referrals from our current customers. Receiving personal references from your customers is very rewarding,” Williamson said.

“Understanding the problem being solved is the first step,” she continued. “Once I have a good understanding, is this a similar problem to one I’ve solved before and will that solution work in this instance?   If not, determine the troubleshooting steps that need to be performed to determine the cause of the problem, then perform those steps. If this does not resolve the issue or the cause still can’t be determined — those technological issues that happen randomly — put into place a process to monitor for this issue to get better troubleshooting information.

And the individuals Williamson gets to work with in the auction space inspires her most.

“People who care about their customers — auction owners, front office clerks, IT partners in the auto auction industry — it’s rare that a business can survive without customers of some variety and their successful transactions with our businesses is what keeps them as customers,” Williamson said.

Check out the April 15 edition of Auto Remarketing to learn more about the entire class of 2016 Women in Remarketing honorees.

These outstanding leaders will be honored at Used Car Week 2016, where we will be launching our National Remarketing Conference partnership with the National Auto Auction Association.

Used Car Week is scheduled for Nov. 14-18 at the Red Rock in Las Vegas.

Vander Baan inspired by innovative leaders

Women In Remarketing

When asked to name some of the people she finds professionally inspiring, Leslie Vander Bann points to Richard Branson, Elon Musk and Sheryl Sandberg, among others.

“These individuals won’t accept ‘no’ for an answer,” said Vander Baan, a 2016 Women in Remarketing honoree“They are not limited by their own imagination and they engage in interesting pursuits outside of the workplace, which I find compelling and inspiring.”

They’re all certainly well known for innovation, something very crucial to the model of DRIVIN, where Vander Baan is vice president of strategic partnerships.

The company is on the forefront of a tech and digital revolution that’s occurring in both the retail and wholesale markets and changing how vehicles are bought and sought.

When asked how the car business has changed the most during her career in the area in which she works, Vander Baan said: “The most radical change I have seen is the way in which vehicles are sourced — for both consumers and dealers.

“For dealers, the launch of DRIVIN has completely revolutionized vehicle sourcing, and I’m very proud of the DRIVIN team for taking enormous strides to create a marketplace, evolve sourcing and create efficiencies that dealers had previously not experienced,” she said.

Vander Baan also has a healthy respect for the traditional players in the car business. She finds it important for the voices of both the disruptive and traditional model be heard.

“I would advise our future automotive leaders to cultivate a true appreciation for both the auto veterans who are and deeply rooted in the rich traditions of this industry as well as the progressive leaders who are disrupters in the business,” she said when asked what advice she would have for people looking to become auto industry leaders.

“It’s important to understand both sides in order to lead the industry forward and have a measured impact,” she said.

Vander Baan certainly has experience with both sides of that coin. She grew up in the business of dealerships and auctions, as her father and grandfather worked in the industry.

“My childhood was somewhat shaped by this exposure — the fast-pace environment and potential for growth has always been appealing to me,” she said.

“When I was 12, I told my father I thought that investing in auto auctions was a great idea, so by then I had definitely considered that the automobile industry might be in my future,” Vander Baan said. “I explored other pursuits after college, but I never let go of my ambition to start my own business.

“After a challenging experience selling a vehicle on my own, I knew that a path to entrepreneurship — and specifically one in the automotive industry — was cemented.”

When asked what motivates her in the car business, Vander Baan points to the “innate curiosity which propels me forward.” 

That includes a keen sense of self-motivation

“I don’t want to just stop where I am at any given point; I have internal competition with myself to push forward, even when I can’t see beyond the horizon,” she adds.

And speaking of the curiosity, that extends to her time away from work, as exploring new cities, countries and cultures are among her hobbies.

“I love spending time outdoors with my family. I have two young children that keep me on the go. I also love to explore new cities and countries and immerse myself in different cultural experiences,” she added.

Check out the April 15 edition of Auto Remarketing to learn more about the entire class of 2016 Women in Remarketing honorees.

These outstanding leaders will be honored at Used Car Week 2016, where we will be launching our National Remarketing Conference partnership with the National Auto Auction Association.

Used Car Week is scheduled for Nov. 14-18 at the Red Rock in Las Vegas.

Suozzo: Leadership can be about empowering your team

Women In Remarketing

To be a strong leader, Connie Suozzo said, one doesn’t always have to be at the front of the pack. Often, it’s about empowering the talent around you.

“It’s my belief that great leaders do not always need to stand on the front lines,” said Suozzo, who is senior director of operations at RMS Automotive and 2016 Women in Remarketing honoree“I believe in a very servant leadership style. 

“It is rather simple … surround yourself with great talent, provide them with the vision and tools to succeed and know when to get out of the way and let your team be great,” she said.

In addition to a servant and empowerment leadership style, it’s also evident from a Q&A with Suozzo that she puts a lot of reason and thought behind business decisions.

For example, we asked about her approach to problem solving.

“As it relates to problem solving, often we do not have all the data or facts and we have to balance this with our instinct. To do this, you need to take a step back from the problem and broaden the lens,” Suozzo said.

“More often than not, you will find these problems are truly opportunities to improve,” she said.

“So evaluate, make the best possible decision you can with the information present, never look back with regret, then move on to the next problem to tackle,” she added.

Or, another example would be her motivation to excel in the car business: “For me personally, it’s about rising to the challenge.  It’s the challenge of bringing life to an idea or solving a complex business problem.  The thrill, of course, is the idea or the problem at hand.  The challenge is executing against it to deliver the desired result.”

Suozzo has been in the car business for three years, having joined Manheim after more than a dozen years in healthcare technology. In that industry, she held various leadership roles in program management, product/technology operations and international business development.

Within a year of arriving at Manheim, Suozzo joined the team RMS Automotive, a Cox Automotive software startup that had launched out of Manheim’s UK operations.

“It was the perfect fit where I knew I could provide value with my software and international background while still learning the automotive industry,” she said.

Three years into her auto industry tenure, one area she has found to be at the “conversational forefront” is big data.

“In today’s world, there is no shortage of data.  From OEM to retail consumer, individuals and companies alike have access to more data and insights than ever before,” Suozzo added. “With the ever-increasing possibilities of predictive analytics, we have the ability to transform the approach to our products, our services and how we engage with our clients.”

Outside the car business

Lastly, we asked Suozzo about what interests her beyond the car business.

“Outside of the office, you will find me at my ‘other’ full-time job of being a mom to two amazing children under the age of 7.  The have taught me so much about being a leader and the importance of a proper work-life balance,” she said.

“On the weekends you’ll find us running between the baseball diamond, the ballet studio, a tennis lesson or a birthday party.  In fact, my husband and I started tennis lessons ourselves in hopes to find a family sport that we can all enjoy throughout the years.  When time allows, I enjoy traveling and exploring new places,” Suozzo added. “Sometimes that includes just getting lost in Atlanta and checking out new areas of the city.  And lastly, my personal love is for the American pastime.  There is just something magical about catching a baseball game in the stadium on a warm summer’s night. 

Check out the April 15 edition of Auto Remarketing to learn more about the entire class of 2016 Women in Remarketing honorees.

These outstanding leaders will be honored at Used Car Week 2016, where we will be launching our National Remarketing Conference partnership with the National Auto Auction Association.

Used Car Week is scheduled for Nov. 14-18 at the Red Rock in Las Vegas.

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