Ally Financial announced this week it has donated $10,000 to the Granite State Children’s Alliance in honor of this year’s 2015 TIME Dealer of the Year winner.
The winner, Andy Crews, is the president and chief executive officer of AutoFair Honda in Manchester, N.H. The selected charity, Granite State Children’s Alliance, operates four child advocacy centers that coordinate the investigation and treatment of child abuse and also coordinates child abuse awareness campaigns and prevention education.
"We are so appreciative of the support from AutoFair Honda and Ally," said Joy Barrett, executive director for the Granite State Children's Alliance. "The financial investment we received today will make a difference in our capacity to provide justice, healing and hope to our most vulnerable victims; child victims of abuse."
Continuing its philanthropic contributions to those honored for the award, Ally provides grants of varying sizes to organizations selected by dealer honorees for the annual TIME Dealer of the Year award: $1,000 grants to organizations selected by each of the 55 dealer nominees, $5,000 grants to community causes chosen by each of the three finalists, and one $10,000 grant for the winner.
"We're proud to recognize the incredible efforts of dealers who are making a difference in their communities," said Tom Kolski, Ally’s regional vice president. "Ally has provided more than 150 grants to nonprofit organizations in connection with the TIME Dealer of the Year program over the years. It's inspiring to see dealers like Andy, helping to make their communities thrive."
For more information, visit the Ally Dealer Heroes website.
Auto Remarketing has revealed its 2015 CPO Dealer of the Year, presented by NCM Associates, and taking home the award, now in its sixth year, is Bill Luke Chrysler Jeep Dodge & Ram.
The Phoenix dealership was the automaker’s top certified pre-owned seller in both 2013 and 2014, and it holds the No. 1 spot through three quarters of 2015, as well.
Led by Don Luke — the president and chief executive officer of Bill Luke Dealerships — the store sold 1,771 CPO units in 2014, after moving 1,520 CPO vehicles the year before.
The dealership has posted 1,577 certified sales year-to-date through September, putting it at the top spot yet again.
“Congratulations to Don Luke and his team at Bill Luke Chrysler Jeep Dodge & Ram. They have consistently ranked at the top of Chrysler’s CPO sales leaders, and we’re honored to have them join us at the CPO Forum and Used Car Week,” said Auto Remarketing publisher and Used Car Week chair Bill Zadeits.
“We look forward to hearing Don share his CPO and used-car strategies at Used Car Week and applaud their CPO leadership,” Zadeits added. “Bill Luke Chrysler Jeep Dodge & Ram join a legacy of outstanding dealerships to have won this award, including Hyundai of New Port Richey (Fla.), Galpin Ford (Calif.), Paragon Honda/Acura (N.Y.), Karl Chevrolet (Iowa) and Longo Toyota (Calif.).”
Don Luke and the dealership will be presented the award at 4:05 p.m. on Nov. 16 during the CPO Forum, which is one of four industry-leading conferences making up Used Car Week in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Trevor Robinson — director of detail solutions, training & development at NCM Associates — will present the award.
NCM president and CEO Paul Faletti Jr. offered his congratulations to the dealership.
“Congratulations to Bill Luke Chrysler Jeep Dodge & Ram for receiving the 2015 CPO Dealer of the Year Award. As the automaker’s top-selling certified pre-owned dealer in 2013 and 2014, and leading the pack again through three quarters of 2015, this is a well-placed honor,” Faletti said. “Thanks for continuing to set the pace in CPO!”
Luke will also be among the panelists for the “Top 10 Best CPO Ideas” discussion taking place at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 17 during the CPO Forum.
And at the National Remarketing Conference portion of Used Car Week, Luke will participate on “The National Panel: Opportunities and Hurdles Facing the American Used Car Industry in 2016.” That panel is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. on Nov. 19.
“On behalf of all of us at FCA, I want to congratulate Don and his entire team on receiving this award,” said Eric Swanson, who heads up certified pre-owned at FCA US. “This dealership demonstrates leadership, dedication to doing things the right way and a passion to sell certified every single day.
“This level of success isn’t easy to achieve — Don and his team just make it seem that way, and I’m proud to see them get recognized for the outstanding work they do!”
Among the many auction awards presented during the National Auto Auction Association’s 67th annual convention in Orlando earlier this month includes the newest addition to the association’s Hall of Fame.
Joining the prestigious group is Jay Cadigan, Manheim’s vice president of industry relations, who began his career four decades ago by working at a car dealership during high school and college.
Cadigan has served as an executive in both the corporate auction and the leasing and rental car remarketing businesses while also filling volunteer leadership roles as a NAAA member.
"It's our pleasure and privilege to honor Jay for his hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence," said Frank Hackett, NAAA chief executive officer. "He's a strong believer in the association and what its members can accomplish working together. His efforts have made a positive impact on the remarketing world and provide an outstanding example of professional achievement to future generations in our business."
Cadigan served as the NAAA president in 2010-2011 as well as filling the positions of vice president, chairman of the board and currently executive vice president. He is also a former president of the Eastern Auto Auction Association.
Cadigan earned his bachelor’s degree in management from St. Mary’s College of California in 1976 before joining Avis Car Leasing. At the latter he served in numerous positions, including national auto auction sales manager, which opened his eyes to the larger auction industry. He later worked for Hertz Car Leasing as its national retail sales manager and the car manager for New York Zone before moving to US Fleet Leasing in San Mateo, Calif. as its vice president of car sales.
He joined the Golden Gate Auto Auction in 1989 and eventually became its assistant general manager. He moved to Skyline Auto Auction four years later, where he filled the role of general manager before the auction became Manheim NY Metro Skyline. During those 11 years at Skyline, Cadigan also served as the general manager of the Port Newark facility.
A few handfuls of auctions were honored Wednesday at the NAAA Convention, as NextGear Capital, Enterprise Holdings and Chase Auto Finance revealed annual award winners. Plus, several more awards were announced at the NAAA's Opening Luncheon.
Winning NextGear’s third annual Auction Partner Awards, which recognize independent auctions, were:
- Operational Excellence Award: Acadia Auto Auction in Richmond, Maine
- Operational Excellence Award: Rochester-Syracuse Auto Auction in Waterloo, N.Y.
- Operational Excellence Award: Oklahoma Auto Exchange in Oklahoma City, Okla.
- Operational Excellence Award: Lynnway Auto Auction in North Billerica, Mass.
- Remarketer of the Year: Tallahassee Auto Auction in Tallahassee, Fla.
The Operational Excellence Award goes to facilities that are top-notch in terms of efficiency, sales retention, overall operational performance and responding effectively to NextGear’s needs.
The Remarketer of the Year award is given to the auction with the highest percentage of sales recovered based on percentage of valuation of each vehicle, the best throughput performance and the best sales follow-up (i.e. timing on getting sales process to NextGear).
“We’ve fostered many relationships with auctions over the years, helping make the floor plan process simple and efficient,” said Brian Geitner, president of NextGear.
“However, we recognize that these relationships are a two-way street, and we wouldn’t be who we are today without the dedication, attention to detail and customer-centric focus of our auction partners,” he added.
Chase’s auction awards
On Wednesday, Chase Auto Finance revealed its 2014-2015 Chase Cup for Auction Excellence winners.
Earning honors in the 17th annual Chase Cup — which recognizes top performances in retention, operational efficiency, expense control, accuracy, sales and service delivery — were:
- Manheim Minneapolis: Best National Auction Performance; Best Regional Performance, Midwest
- ADESA Cincinnati/Dayton: Douglas F. Wininger Memorial Award for Best National Performance Service Delivery
- Manheim Seattle: Best Regional Performance, West; Best National Mazda Sales
- Manheim Pennsylvania: Best National Jaguar Sales
- Manheim Riverside: Best National Land Rover Sales
- Brasher’s Salt Lake Auto Auction: Best National Subaru Sales
- Manheim Pittsburgh: Best Regional Performance, Northeastern
- ADESA Lexington: Best Regional Performance, Southeastern
- ADESA Kansas City: Best Regional Performance, Central
To select the winners, Chase reviewed the 31 auctions with which it does business from August 2014 through July of this year, examining how these auctions handled preparation, sales, invoice processing, transport requests, title processing and other capabilities.
“Each year, the Chase Cup aims to honor high-performing auto auctions across the country that display operational excellence and outstanding customer service,” said Sandra Broderick, head of operations for Chase Auto Finance. “These auctions are the best of the best.”
Enterprise gives out 14 Auction Achievement Awards
Enterprise Holdings, which operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands, announced it is honoring 14 U.S. auto auctions with its 2015 Auction Achievement Awards.
The company said this annual program works to recognize auction partners that “have gone above and beyond” to support Enterprise Holdings’ remarketing strategy.
“At Enterprise Holdings, we offer a diverse range of late-model, well-maintained vehicles that reflect the preferences of our consumers. Most of the products we bring to the market are low mileage, serviced regularly, in great condition and provide a great deal of diversity with regards to make, model and trim level,” said Nate Lattimer, vice president of vehicle remarketing at Enterprise Holdings, in a recent Auto Remarketing Q&A.
“Local auctions are an important component of our remarketing strategy. With nearly a million vehicles across the country, we rely on our local auction partners to help us maximize our opportunities and showcase our vehicles in front of as many buyers as possible in all the cities and regions we serve,” he continued. “This year’s Auction Achievement Award winners play a crucial role in these efforts, and we’re thrilled to salute and thank them for their outstanding performance.”
Enterprise presents the awards in two categories: whole-car auctions and damaged-vehicle auctions.
Recipients are honored for exceptional performance in the areas of communication, customer service, marketing and reconditioning, operational success and strategic planning.
The 2015 Auction Achievement Award winners in the whole-car category are:
• ADESA Atlanta
• ADESA Los Angeles
• Manheim Georgia (Atlanta)
• Manheim Nevada (Las Vegas)
• Manheim Omaha
• Manheim Pennsylvania (Manheim, Pa.)
• Manheim Riverside (Riverside, Calif.)
• Manheim Southern California (Fontana, Calif.)
• Manheim Texas Hobby (Houston)
The 2015 Auction Achievement Award winners in the damaged-vehicle category are:
• Dealers AA of the Rockies (Denver)
• IAA Dallas/Fort Worth
• Manheim Central California – TRA (Fresno, Calif.)
• Manheim TRA Tampa
• Metro Salvage Pool (Des Moines, Iowa)
“Because our regional Enterprise teams work so regularly with local auction operators, they’re well-positioned to nominate candidates for the Auction Achievement Awards,” Lattimer said. “These local partnerships are critical to our success. When our auction partners win, we win, too.”
NAAA awards at annual luncheon
Also during the convention Wednesday was the Opening Luncheon, where several awards were handed out, as well.
Presenting the NIADA Auto Auction of the Year was NIADA chief executive officer Steve Jordan, who recognized ADESA Tampa and its general manager Curtis Farris.
Next up, the Bernie Hart Memorial Auctioneer of the Year Award went to John Nicholls, president of the Nicholls Auction Marketing Group, who was presented the award from his father Charles Nicholls, who founded the company and is chairman of its board.
NAAA's Industry Pioneer Award went to Gregg Kobel, who was the 2007 president of the NAAA.
Chase Channell was the owner and operator of his own paint store in West Virginia when he happened to bump into a man at a downtown restaurant who was involved in automotive marketing.
Channell, who opened the Elkins, W.Va., paint store at age 18, chatted with the man, who was in town for a tent event car sale.
A business owner himself, Channell decided to try his hand in the auto market.
Initially, he just wanted to learn the car business and buy a store.
“I thought it’d be real simple,” said Channell, one of the honorees in the inaugural Remarketing and Used-Car Industry's 40 Under 40. “So, the passion was to own my own dealership. And then when I got in the car business, I realized, ‘Wow, this isn’t like the paint business.’“
While he noticed similarities between the two retail worlds — like working with manufacturers, for instance — the car business had a lot more complexities than Channell imagined.
“In the paint business, you order a can of paint, they come in (and say), ‘I want it this color,’ and you sell it to them,” he said. “In the car business, there’s a lot more between fixed operations and understanding variable (operations), and finance and the insurance side of it.”
But it didn’t take long for Channell to excel.
At age 21, he started as a salesperson at a Honda store in Alpharetta, Ga. Within 45 days, Channell said, he was the top salesperson, so the store moved him into a finance manager role.
After a year in finance, Channell went to work for the Rick Case Automotive Group, starting out as a finance manager at Rick Case Kia in Georgia. He held that role for three years before becoming the lead finance manager at that store.
Channell then earned a promotion and became the used-car director for Rick Case’s Hyundai store in Atlanta, which is the flagship store for the Atlanta platform and a “proving ground” for future general managers and general sales managers.
After six months and used-car records there, Channell said, he got his shot. Rick Case’s director of operations for Georgia, Channell said, asked him to be general sales manager at the Hyundai Roswell store, which Channell described as a rather challenging store to turn around.
“And that was really the turning point for me,” Channell said. “I remember starting there on a Saturday, and Day 1 we sold 22 cars, which was an all-time record for most cars they’ve ever sold in a day. And that was with the same eight sales guys.
“We didn’t change anything. We didn’t do more advertising; we didn’t do anything,” he said. “It was just a little passion, a little enthusiasm and a little know-how, and we were able to turn that store around, and we took it to break an all-time, anytime record in new and used cars for Hyundai Roswell. And the store reached sales-efficiency with the manufacturer for the first time in the 10 years we’d owned it.”
After 13 months as the GSM, Channell got the chance to become GM at Rick Case Kia, which is where he started with the organization. Channell, who said he enjoys being a “turnaround king,” has held that role since October.
“I like a challenge. This store had a lot of challenges. Our CSI was under, the store wasn’t profitable. They looked at me the day they offered me the deal and said, ‘Chase, I don’t want you to make any mistake: this store is not doing well … you don’t need to tip-toe around and be afraid of making any changes. You know how to do it, you know the deal. Be aggressive, make the changes, and let’s get this thing going in the right direction,’“ Channell said, “and that’s what I did.”
What Channell also did, from Day 1, was to jump feet first into the business.
When he first started selling cars, Channell said he was selling cars seven days a week, from open to close. Then he would go home, conduct online research and watch YouTube videos to learn the best practices for selling cars.
Or as he put it, it was “immersion in the business.”
Channell also lauds the mentors he has had — leaders like Kevin Kolb in the Rick Case organization and its president and chief operating officer Jack Jackintelle.
“Those guys really wrapped their arms around me,” Channell said. “I think they saw something special in me, and said, ‘This guy reminds me of myself,’ and they really helped me out in many, many ways.”
Editor's Note: This is one of several spotlight features included in Auto Remarketing's inaugural 40 Under 40. Stay tuned for more.
Jenifer Eggert, vice president of digital services at Manheim, has been exploring the digital possibilities for car sales since first joining Autotrader.com over a decade ago.
Eggert, who is one of the Remarketing and Used-Car Industry's 40 Under 40, is now responsible for overseeing wholesale digital strategy and execution at Manheim and its parent Cox Automotive. She first entered the auto world back in 2002, coming on as a sales consultant at Autotrader.
Though this was her first foray into the automotive business, she was no stranger to sales, having held numerous sales and sales management positions, including running her own business outside of the auto industry.
“When it was time to look at something different Autotrader seemed interested so I answered an ad on Monster.com by contacting the local manager directly,” said Eggert. “She is the person who made the opportunity attractive; it wasn't necessarily the car business itself at first. I soon fell in love with it and all the challenges and opportunities that came with it. I love working with car dealers and our customers are passionate and savvy business people.”
Over her 12-year tenure at Autotrader, Eggert served in various positions, ranging from sales manager, to regional manager, regional VP and more.
Describing her years at Autotrader, Eggert said, “An opportunity came up as a regional manager across the country so my husband and I made the move. A year later a larger area of responsibility came up in the Northeast so we went there, and it was hands-down one of the best experiences of my career.
“The team was able to transform the culture for our people and customers positively. Then an opening closer to home came up when the company restructured territories so we moved back. After a couple of years my boss, West VP took on a new area as well allowing me the opportunity to oversee the 13 states in the West Division,” she continued.
After 12 years of ramping up her knowledge of the complex auto industry, Eggert joined the Manheim team. Eggert said it was a tough decision, but the move led to even more opportunities in the digital space.
Now responsible for the wholesale digital strategy for Manheim, which leverages many of the Cox Automotive business units, Eggert said that “pulling from my digital experience from Autotrader it's been an interesting journey thus far, and I've truly enjoyed working with the Manheim team and Cox Auto colleagues. Together we are making some exciting changes to the industry.”
In fact, when asked what she enjoys more about her current position, it's all about the “collaboration,” Eggert said.
“Everyone is very excited about the digital space and are eager to help,” she said. “There is no lack of engagement so it inspires me and my team to get to work and with the organization's help, deliver on behalf of our customers' needs.”
Eggert is now responsible for the growth of digital volume and transactions for Manheim, and she says, that in the end, the company wants customer experience to be at the center of its overall strategy.
“If they want to buy or sell cars in-lane or online, the experience should be the same, regardless,” she added.
In fact, Eggert has played a front-and-center role in the wholesale market adapting to the idea of buying auction vehicles online in the ever-changing remarketing business.
“Over the last 10 years there has been adoption and innovation in digital for the wholesale market although slow moving because we haven't made it easy,” she said. “Trust, confidence and speed is critical, and until we can get that right I don't think we will see much movement.”
Eggert noted she and the company believes physical auction will always be a staple and important to the industry.
“The goal for us is to grow incrementally to in-lane, though we'd rather claim the business if a competitor moves in, so we are mindful of that as well,” she added.
Ultimately, Eggert said the goal is to make things a whole lot easier for buyers and sellers in-lane and online — an effort she is managing at Manheim.
As for what strategies Eggert uses to manage the digital team at Manheim, she said listening is crucial to inspiring and motivating employees.
“I would say exercising listening without judgment has worked for me. Humility is very important; it's not only about getting results, which is expected, it's about how you do it as well that's just as important,” said Eggert. “I also try my best to work from the rule of no surprises. I don't care so much if someone on my team surprises me with something, I just never want to be the person to surprise them with anything.”
And lastly, communication is “key,” she said. Eggert has been in the automotive industry for quite a while now, witnessing evolution in the remarketing industry and growth in the online wholesale market, but the business is still “exciting and growing,” she said.
“If you are looking to work in a fast-paced industry with passionate business people you will not be disappointed,” Eggert said. “Key leaders recognize the need for change and innovation, they understand the next generation of buyers, sellers and employees want a different experience and are ready to deliver.
“We need a fresh perspective to help us get there ever faster,” she concluded.
Editor's Note: This is one of several spotlight features included in Auto Remarketing's inaugural 40 Under 40. Stay tuned for more.
Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst of automotive insights at Kelley Blue Book, may not have started his career right off the bat in the automotive industry — but he was always a self-professed “car guy.”
Gutierrez, one of the Remarketing and Used-Car Industry's 40 Under 40, joined the KBB team back in 2007 after working in the banking industry, involved in personal lending and investments, as well as auto lending, in particular.
“I had always kind of been an automotive enthusiast, so even at that time, I was spending a lot of time following the blogs, tracking the industry, and even going to auto shows already,” Gutierrez told Auto Remarketing, touting a passion for sports cars, in particular.
So when a friend who also happened to be an employee at KBB described an analytics position to Gutierrez, and that he would be working with numbers and establishing the data KBB puts on its website, it was an easy sell.
Gutierrez was already familiar with KBB, having been shown the website back in the late '90s by his father when in the market for his very first vehicle.
“I thought it was the coolest thing ever — it being the unpublished numbers that only dealers used to be able to rely on, and now you can use Kelley's information to buy a car,” he said. “So I jumped at the opportunity, and that's how I got into the industry and in at KBB.”
Playing a role in innovation & modernization
During his tenure at KBB, Gutierrez has been involved in a variety of projects, including Kelley Blue Book's Vehicle Information Management System (VIMS) and Fair Purchase Price transaction data tools.
“Over the years, I have been involved with a lot of technology and data implantation in vehicle valuation as we have strived to modernize our methodology and really increase the rigor in the process in which we set our values,” Gutierrez said.
For example, back in 2008, the KBB valuations team started working with the company's software engineers to build a new application — which would eventually be coined VIMS — that would allow the company to better manage its values and to strengthen the process that would leverage the vast amount of data KBB was acquiring at the time and continues to acquire today.
“Myself and a couple of other analysts on the team got assigned to the VIMS project. We wanted to work with our software engineers and data engineers to design out the system and to guide us along and to test it along the way,” he said. “I think over the course of a year or so, we built it out, launched it, and today it still sits at the center of the valuation process. That was the initial stab to go live.”
Since then, there have been numerous enhancements to the tool that Gutierrez has been directly involved with over the years, such as adding new screens and functionality, as well as new ways to visualize and track data.
“There is something like 21,000 or 22,000 year/make/ model/trim combinations for used cars that are being updated every week. So we needed a system that can sit there and help us to visualize and maintain, for instance, trimto- trim relationships, year-to-year relationships, and more,” he explained.
Gutierrez also noted that as the industry continues to evolve, products such as these are never “done,” but rather every year the company is making tweaks and improvements.
He also played an integral role in launching KBB's Fair Purchase Price tools.
Dating back to when KBB.com launched, the site always had new-car pricing guidance, but Gutierrez pointed out the company was always traditionally viewed as a used-car guide.
“But we knew that there was a tremendous amount of friction and frustration among consumers in the marketplace to buy a new car, and we didn't yet have a transaction- based value product,” he said.
So back in 2011, the company made an investment to revitalize and relaunch a new-car focused effort, “and that led to a lot of research and conversations with dealers, manufactures and consumers,” Gutierrez said.
This research ultimately led to the launch of the Fair Purchase Price product, which is KBB's way of providing range-based pricing on what consumers should expect to pay for a new car based on actual transactions that are occurring in the marketplace.
“A year aft er that, we did a transaction based used-car purchase price product,” Gutierrez said. “And for each of those projects, I was the subject matter expert or product owner from the valuation team that worked with our user experience team, our consumer product team, in not only going through the research, but working with engineering to help design out and work through how the products are going to function.
“There was a pretty big team that pushed those products along, but definitely something I was proud to be a part of,” he said.
The importance of big data
Of course, working with valuation and analytics, Gutierrez has become very familiar with the importance of big data to the automotive industry as a whole, and feels offering analysis and valuation data from KBB to the industry is a key part of his current role.
“Through our Blue Book Market Report, and other reports, we want to provide our perspective on the marketplace and our insight because we do have the advantage of having a tremendous amount of data from a variety of sources, whether you are talking listings, transaction data, wholesale transactions, activity on our website, and more,” he said. “We want to make sure the industry is aware of shifting trends and where there are areas of concern to watch out for.”
Gutierrez offered the example of high leasing rates today. What is that going to mean for the industry a year from now? And which segments are at more of a residual risk than others? These are all questions Gutierrez hopes KBB data can help answer for the industry, or at least keep those in the business a few steps ahead of the game.
“I think if you aren't taking the vast amounts of data, research and analytics out there, from us or otherwise, into consideration as you are making decisions day-to-day and week-to-week and making plans for the future, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage compared to others that have embraced data and are trying to work steps ahead of everyone else,” he explained.
An 'exciting' time for the auto industry
It's an “exciting” time for the auto industry, Gutierrez asserted, which keeps him busy in his current position.
In fact, the ability to innovate and try new things is his favorite part of the job. Whether its diving deep into new analysis and examining what's happening in the marketplace — such as the current drove of vehicle recalls — or working on product innovation, Gutierrez says he enjoys the fast-paced ever-changing environment of the auto industry.
As for what keeps him motivated and inspired on the job, he said, “I think it's the fact that the company gives me the flexibility to work with our engineering and other product groups, as well as within vehicle valuation, to try new things and to think about where the industry is going to be in the future, and to actually try and create the product functionality and enhancements to our values that will help to continue to support and drive the marketplace for years to come.”
For Gutierrez, “no work day is the same.” The one consistent element, he said, is checking in with his valuation team each morning to see what's in the pipeline and for updates on current projects.
“We are working on a variety of tasks this year. For instance, we are working with our consumer product team on the way we present our shopper experience on KBB.com, we are working with our analytics team on the way we categorize vehicles and put them on the website, and a host of other things,” he explained.
Then, it's off to a variety of meetings, focusing on strategies and current projects within the company.
“At any given day, I'm running around doing four, five, six different things, which makes it hard to summarize,” he added, laughingly.
As for advice for young people looking to enter the automotive industry today, Gutierrez once again focused on the excitement of the current automotive market.
He pointed out the tremendous amount of innovation and advancements that have taken place just over the last few years, such as electric cars, and now the possibility of fully autonomous vehicles.
There is obviously a lot of opportunity for those looking to enter the field from an engineering perspective, but Gutierrez pointed out the current auto industry has something for everyone.
“Just about any way you slice it, whether you are an analytics junkie, a salesperson, an engineer, someone in creative, there is tons of opportunity in the industry,” he said. “Whether you want to go independent third-party route, like KBB, or an OEM, or to get in a dealership and innovate in that space, I would just encourage anyone who is looking for an exciting industry to get into, regardless of your field, there is going to be something cool out there. Definitely give the industry a shot.”
Editor's Note: This is one of several spotlight features included in Auto Remarketing's inaugural 40 Under 40. Stay tuned for more.
In 2008, the outset of arguably the worst economic crises since the Great Depression, Jack Cooper Holdings Corp. had 100 employees, says executive chairman Sarah Amico.
Six years later, it had around 4,000.
But perhaps the more inspiring find is what Amico learned while spending week after week interviewing top managers, executive and board members, all part of a quest to outline the core values of the now 87-year-old company.
“What I found was remarkable: In interview after interview, members of the Jack Cooper team told the same stories, even used the same words, to describe the values that made doing business at Jack Cooper special,” said Amico, one of the Remarketing and Used-Car Industry's 40 Under 40. “It wasn't so much what we were doing differently from other companies, but how we were doing it that helped our company grow even in the leanest times the industry had seen in decades. Our values mattered. A lot.”
So, in November, the five Core Values of Jack Cooper were formally announced, those being: integrity, excellence, innovation, imagination, responsibility, and longevity.
“These were not values simply chosen by a board of directors, envisioned by a CEO, or selected to better market services to customers. These were values carefully distilled from nine decades of excellence in operations, an intentional insistence on innovation, and a passion for building teams that outpace every competitor in the key performance indicator that matters most: character,” Amico said. “These values aren't just words on a page, they are an authentic answer to what makes our team excited to be a part of the Jack Cooper family, and what enables us to best serve our customers.”
In fact, the steps Amico and her team have taken to instill these values into the everyday operations of the company is the part of her job in which she takes the most pride.
And, again, while the words behind these values are important — Amico says the core values are on every business card, at every terminal and brought up at every board meeting — actions are paramount. Amico said she has “worked to identify ways to reinforce our values to thousands of our employees, customers and partner firms.”
Amico shared many examples.
“This fall we will launch an annual initiative to collect winter coats for kids in need,” she said. “Next year, we will unveil our inaugural 'Big Idea' contest, awarding scholarships to business and engineering students who identify innovative solutions to help take our service to the next level at Jack Cooper.”
There's also the Jack Cooper Volunteer Day that Amico created in 2014 that is devoted specifically to the “responsibility” value. With two Volunteer Days in the books, Jack Cooper's 50 corporate office employees and many more volunteers have lent a helping hand in the following ways, as listed by Amico below:
• Made lunches for 2,200 kids at risk of hunger during the summer months
• Renovated a local foster home and provided the resident kids with gift cards to purchase meals, school supplies and back to school clothing
• Packed 100 “Project Night Night” bags with books, toys, blankets and personal care items for homeless children (most of the volunteers — including my two daughters — were children ages 1-6 in our Jack Cooper Child Care Center, our in-office daycare)
• Moved over 4,800 pounds of supplies in three hours to help the Atlanta Food Bank's “Kids in Need” program serving teachers in low income school districts; we also gifted new chairs to 4 teachers!
• Provided backpacks of school supplies to kids in need
• Performed much-needed renovations and generous donations to a local no-kill animal shelter, as well as socialized with hundreds of animals looking for forever families
• Prepared a home-cooked meal for 50 families staying at a local Ronald McDonald House
• Provided career coaching, resume critiques and interview preparation for two dozen job seekers at Goodwill Industries; even our CEO took time to personally review resumes for those seeking jobs.
• Created a BINGO tournament for local heroes at a VA hospital
“All of this was done with just 1.25 percent of our total Jack Cooper workforce — in two days,” she said. “Next year, we plan to expand this incredible event to several additional offices, and I can't wait to see the results.
“It is my hope that these values will form the foundation of our family’s business for years to come, enabling us to best serve our remarketing and automotive manufacturing clients for generations,” she concluded.
Editor's Note: This is one of several spotlight features included in Auto Remarketing's inaugural 40 Under 40. Stay tuned for more.
I pressed “send” on the email to notify recipients of the inaugural “Remarketing & Used-Car Industry’s 40 Under 40.”
It wasn’t even five minutes later that I got the first response back. Then another. And another, and another.
It went on like that for a while.
As a magazine editor, this was awesome; folks in my line of work love quick responses.
But that wasn’t the best part. See, it wasn’t that people responded, it was how they responded to earning 40 Under 40 recognition.
Just a few examples:
“Wow! Thank you!”
“This is quite an honor, and I’ll be honest, I’m shocked.”
“ … wow this is amazing, thank you!”
“Thank you for such great news!
It was extremely humbling to hear such positive response from our 40 Under 40 recipients, especially after learning all the great things these folks are doing in this business and within their communities.
It’s touching to know that this award is meaningful and impactful to some of the very people who are making a significant impact in the industry.
And at such young ages, I might add.
As a 32-year-old myself, I’m right at the midpoint of the age range for our honorees. Being a part of this same generation, I can appreciate the broader economic, political and cultural environment in which our honorees grew up, went to school and eventually made their way in the workforce.
That makes this whole project even more rewarding.
And inspiring. If I ever need a swift kick of motivation, reading these people’s stories certainly provides that to a 30-something like me.
Speaking of inspiring, it was also heartening to see how many people nominated their peers.
Unfortunately, the very nature of this project doesn’t allow us to pick all the nominees, although many are equally impressive in their own right.
But good news: this is just the first edition. This industry is full of people under 40 (and under 30, for that matter) who are making waves, and this project is going to allow us to recognize many different folks year after year. Congratulations to all the honorees, nominees and the great companies you represent. And thank you for making this project rewarding!
And now, without further ado, is the inaugural Remarketing and Used-Car Industry's 40 Under 40:
Sarah Amico, Jack Cooper Holdings Corp.
Chad Bockius, CarStory
William Brigance, City Auto Sales
Chase Channell, Rick Case Kia
Jose Delgado, PAR North America
Steven DeLuca, Auto Auction of New England
Joe Derkos, J.D. Power
Dan Diedrich, Auction Edge
Kirby Durham, J.D. Byrider
Jenifer Eggert, Manheim
Josh Elias, Del Mar Recovery Solutions
John Elizaga, Emkay
Summer Ernsberger, ADESA
Scott Fontaine, Ally
Adam Galema, NextGear Capital
Brent Garrett, CarLotz
Alec Gutierrez, Kelley Blue Book
Spencer Henney, Manheim
Jason Herman, U.S. Bank
Casey Hughes, Toyota Financial Services
Chris Knaub, Bill Luke Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram
Joe Mappes, Primeritus Financial Services
John Mathiowetz, Avis Budget Group
Brian McBrearty, ARI
John Messiha, Capital One Auto Finance
Joe Miller, Auto Auction Services Corp.
Nick Ouritski, Thrift Auto Sales
Jodie Plaunt, Grand Rapids Auto Auction
Todd Rea, Dealers Auto Auction of Chattanooga
Jenn Reid, Equifax
David Rice, Cox Automotive
Dustin Ruch, MetroGistics
Christina Schrank, National Auto Care
Michael Scott, Consumer Portfolio Services
Brian Skutta, AutoAlert
Revathi Srinivasan, ADESA
Jessica Stafford, Cox Automotive
Michael Vincent, Newell Auto Group
Jordan Walters, Black Book Auto
Jeremiah Wheeler, Digital Recognition Network
Amal Zahri, DriveTime
These honorees will be recognized during a ceremony at the National Remarketing Conference portion of Used Car Week this fall.
Complete coverage of our 40 Under 40, including special feature stories about these honorees, can be found in the Sept. 1 issue of Auto Remarketing.
Copart recently announced the winners of its second annual Copart Rebuild Challenge, whose participants were tasked with showing how they restored, customized or rebuilt a vehicle.
Automotive enthusiasts and rebuilders from across the country submitted their rebuild projects, aiming for the $2,000 grand prize. After narrowing down the submissions to the top 10, thousands of votes were cast by the public to determine the top-three finalists.
The winner of the contest was Thomas Lea-Anderson, of Michigan, who won the $2,000 prize for depicting his project for the rebuilding of a wrecked 2003 Volkswagen GTI. According to Copart, Lea-Anderson has been rebuilding cars since the age of 16 and currently works at Lea’s Auto Body, his family’s business.
“I’ve worked at my uncle’s body shop for 10 years, and I rebuild vehicles on the side,” Lea-Anderson said. “It’s a hobby and a habit for now, but I hope to start my own business soon.”
Lea-Anderson upgrade the GTI with several modifications, including a new turbocharger and racing coilover suspension. The project took him six weeks and he has kept the vehicle for personal use.
“Thomas Lea-Anderson’s entry in the Copart Rebuild Challenge was a great example of what can be done with a vehicle purchased from our auctions,” said Michelle Hoffman, Copart’s senior director of marketing. “The work he did to turn the damaged Volkswagen into a beautiful, finished vehicle with racecar-like features was really impressive.”
Lea-Anderson has purchased and rebuilt three vehicles from Copart in the last two months, aiming to start his own business out of it.
The second place winner was Daniel Basco, of Florida, who rebuilt a 2006 Volkswagen Passat. Third place went to Jack Parker, of California, who rebuilt a 2007 Chevrolet Corvette.
To view the winning projects, click here.
