The National Independent Automobile Dealers Association handed out a group of awards last week at its annual convention and expo, that included inducting a new member in the NIADA Ring of Honor, Lifetime Achievement Awards, scholarships and more.
First up, NIADA has inducted National Auto Auction Association chief executive officer Frank Hackett and NADA Used Car Guide vice president and chief operating officer Mike Stanton into the NIADA Ring of Honor.
Hackett and Stanton became the 24th and 25th industry leaders to be inducted into the Ring of Honor, NIADA’s highest award to a non-dealer.
“NIADA’s Ring of Honor recognizes allied industry leaders who have contributed to the professionalism and growth of the automobile industry through outstanding performance and leadership,” the organization explained.
Hackett has been NAAA’s CEO since 2004.
“Frank has always been a strong advocate for our dealers, our associations and the industry as a whole,” NIADA executive vice president Steve Jordan said. “Like our other Ring of Honor members, he has dedicated his career to the automotive industry, always giving of his time and resources to improve the industry and to assist its dealers.”
Stanton has been in the industry for more than 20 years and joined NADA in 2000 as national sales manager of NADA Used Car Guide and earned a promotion to association director, presenting dealer interests to manufacturers. He returned to NADA Used Car Guide as vice president and COO in 2006.
“Over the years, Mike has been instrumental in working closely with NIADA, assisting the association and promoting the professionalism of independent dealers throughout the country,” Jordan said. “We’re proud to welcome him as a deserving member of our Ring of Honor.”
NIADA Reveals Scholarship Winners
The organization also name five young men and women as the recipients of the NIADA 2014 Scholarship Awards during at the event last week.
Kayla Stock, a junior majoring in automotive marketing and management at Northwood University in Midland, Mich., was awarded the NIADA/AutoTrader.com National Scholarship.
The foundation and AutoTrader.com award a $10,000 national scholarship each year for an outstanding student to attend or continue his or her education at Northwood University in an automotive-related field.
Ian Peczak of Basking Ridge, N.J., earned NIADA’s scholarship from Region I, joining Daniel Hott of Clarksville, Tenn. (Region II), Alex Holtz of Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Region III) and Bradley Davis of Antelope, Calif. (Region IV) as winners of NIADA’s regional scholarships, the organization shared.
Each year the NIADA Foundation NIADA Foundation proudly sponsors a student who has displayed outstanding abilities in education from each of the association’s four regions across the nation with a $3,500 scholarship to the college or university of his or her choice, thanks to the assistance of AutoTrader.com.
NIADA Chooses Past Organization Presidents for NIADA Lifetime Achievement Award
NIADA also chose two past presidents as recipients of its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Last week, past association presidents Bob Lawrence and Charles Teel were selected to receive the Michael R. Linn NIADA Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award was “created to honor individuals who have contributed a career of exceptional and selfless service to the association,” the association said.
It is named for NIADA CEO emeritus Michael Linn, who became the first recipient last year on his retirement from his job as NIADA’s chief executive.
“Bob and Charles helped pave the way to accomplish the goals we had set for NIADA’s future,” Linn said of the award’s two latest recipients. “Without these two individuals, those goals would have never been accomplished. These two individuals are responsible for the success and financial stability the association enjoys today.”
Association Names 2014 2014 NIADA National Quality Dealer
Lastly, NIADA named Marc Powell, president of reCARnation in Albuquerque, N.M., as its 2014 National Quality Dealer of the Year.
Powell was chosen from the 19 State Quality Dealers nominated for highest honor given among NIADA’s dealer members — the candidates are judges on factors, including contributions to the industry as well as community involvement.
And the ceremony was televised live on NIADA.TV.
“Marc Powell has gained an exceptional reputation not only with his customers but throughout the community and the industry,” NIADA's Jordan said. “His business philosophy is grounded in a belief that service to others is the purpose of life. The key idea is that success is meaningful only when shared, leading the company to focus on the success of customers, team members, community and the industry.”
Much of Powell’s business is focused on making sure the vehicles he sell lasts as long as possible for buyers.
“We’ve developed a life-extension service for cars,” Powell told the Albuquerque Journal. “I don’t think anybody else in New Mexico does what we do. “We try to do a great job of extending the life of a car. … People need to keep rolling.”
Powell said his business philosophy emphasizes transparency, honesty and compassion. For example, reCARnation sponsors a different charity every month.
The dealership begins each month with a party for its chosen charity and donates money for every car sold for the next 30 days, the association shared.
“Marc has an unwavering commitment to our community,” New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez wrote in a letter recommending Powell for the award. “In 2013, he donated over 50 percent of reCARnation’s profit to local individuals and institutions in need.”
KAR Auction Services chief executive officer Jim Hallett has won the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014 Award in the consumer category for the Midwest and is now eligible to compete for national honors.
An independent panel of judges selected Hallett as the winner of this award, which honors entrepreneurs for demonstrating excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.
The award is founded and produced by EY, a provider of assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services.
“I am incredibly honored to have been chosen out of such an amazing group of individuals. They all have inspirational stories and incredible results,” said Hallett. “This recognition is not all about me—it reflects the dedication and hard work put in every day by our entire team to make the KAR Auction Services group of companies successful.”
Hallett is now eligible to be considered for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014 national program, which will announce winners in several categories in November.
More information about the program can be found here.
Nissan Motor Acceptance Corp. named its 2013 Auction of the Year on Tuesday, presenting the honor to Manheim New Jersey.
This award is given to the top-performing auction in terms of superior operations, sales performance, effective marketing and value retention.
NMAC said Manheim New Jersey, “delivered a solid sales performance based on percent sold and value retention, executed effective marketing results, exhibited strong lane and simulcast participation and delivered on customer service.
“Their dedicated team worked diligently managing through obstacles to quickly turn inventory and cater to the Nissan and Infiniti buyers,” the company added.
“Congratulations to the entire Manheim New Jersey team! NMAC appreciates their dedicated hard work to service our account as well as their focus on providing a quality buying experience to not only our Nissan & Infiniti dealers/retailers but all buyers of our products,” said Kevin Cullum, director of Nissan and Infiniti Remarketing Services.
“While Manheim New Jersey is the award recipient, honorable mention goes to Manheim Nashville and Manheim Orlando for outstanding sales performance in our fiscal year 2013. We appreciate each Manheim location that facilitates sales for NMAC whether it’s in the lanes or online through Simulcast,” he continued.
They’re spread throughout the country, from Newport Beach, Calif., to Sterling Heights, Mich., and countless towns and cities in between. They sell import brands, domestic brands, luxury rides, family vehicles, trucks and cars. But they’re all part of Auto Remarketing’s Top 100 Used Car Dealers, presented by Black Book.
Throughout this series, which begins with the June 1 print and digital editions of Auto Remarketing, we showcase some of the strongest-selling dealers and dealer groups in the used-car market, courtesy of data provided by Cross-Sell Reports, a division of Dominion Dealer Solutions.
Through Cross-Sell’s data, we are also able to share some of the top used-car dealers within individual states. Additionally, with data provided by Experian Automotive, these Top 100 Used Car Dealers issues showcase the top lenders in the used-car market, both among franchised and independent dealers.
Readers will also be privy to best practices shared some of these leading dealerships, as they voice how they have reached the top of the used market.
In the first part of this series — which appears in the June 1 print and digital edition of Auto Remarketing — we focus on franchised dealers. The second edition of the Top 100 Used Car Dealers series will recognize the leaders of the independent dealer market and will appear in the June 15 print and digital editions of AR.
Stay tuned — together, the dealers and dealer groups we spotlight in our Top 100 Dealers series represent some of the strongest in pre-owned performance. Congratulations to all.
For more information on Cross-Sell data, visit www.drivedominion.com/inventory/cross-sell-reports. More information about Experian Automotive can be found at www.experian.com/automotive/auto-data.html.
Ally Financial has recognized top performing auctions for 2013 with the SmartLane Auction of the Year Award and the SmartAuction Mid-Stream Auto Auction of the Year Award.
Announcing the winners this week, Ally said top honors for its SmartLane performance went, for the second consecutive time, to ABC St. Louis Auto Auction of East St. Louis, Ill.
“ABC St. Louis quickly established itself as a leading auction with Ally since we began working with them, and its commitment to service excellence hasn’t faltered,” said Robert Stahl, Ally Servicing remarketing leader.
“We’re proud to once again recognize their performance with the SmartLane Auto Auction of the Year award, and look forward to future success this year.”
Finishing in second and third place respectively for the SmartLane award were Dealers Auto Auction of OKC and ADESA Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, Ally’s SmartAuction online wholesale auction site announced the 2013 Mid-Stream Auto Auction of the Year Award winner as Flint Auto Auction, based in Flint, Mich.
This is the third consecutive award for Flint Auto Auction, which was the top seller of SmartAuction vehicles among all the auctions that work with the site.
Steve Kapusta, Ally vice president of Dealership Online Services, said Flint Auto Auction is a valued member of SmartAuction’s network and its nearly 8,700 registered buyers and sellers.
“The team at Flint Auto Auction really deserves this award,” Kapusta said. “They have consistently done an outstanding job leveraging the SmartAuction platform and providing the service excellence that our buyers and consignors have come to expect.
“We value their commitment and dedication, and look forward to another great year in 2014.”
SmartAuction also announced Pittsburgh Independent Auto Auction as the winner of its Year-Over-Year Sales Growth Award.
It’s a big week for award-winning auctions, as industry accolades continue to roll in.
On Wednesday, Fiserv released its top auctions list, just one day after Donlen did the same.
Leading the Fiserv list as the top performing auto auction house of 2013 is Carolina Auto Auction, based in Anderson, S.C., which has ranked in the top three overall auctions every year since 2002.
Carolina Auto Auction finished in third place last year and finished in first place six times in the last nine years.
“Carolina Auto Auction is an excellent auction partner,” said Megan Haley, director of remarketing strategies, Lending Solutions, for Fiserv.
“They excel in every aspect of our program, consistently deliver outstanding levels of service and proactively work to exceed client expectations,” she said.
Placing second on the 2013 list is Indiana Auto Auction of Fort Wayne, Ind., which finished first overall in 2012.
In third place is Manheim Harrisonburg, based in Harrisonburg, Va., which has had three overall first-place finishes and top-three performances in each of the last 12 years.
Fiserv began ranking auto auctions in 2001 as a guide for lenders; the rankings are tabulated to reflect overall customer service, operational efficiencies, sale preparation and marketing, with the main emphasis on sales retention.
Also recognized by Fiserv this week are auctions, by region, with the strongest performances in customer service and operational excellence in 2013. They are:
Northeast: Auto Auction of New England, based in Londonderry, N.H.
Central/Midwest: ADESA Cleveland, based in Northfield, Ohio
Southeast: Rawls Auto Auction, based in Columbia, S.C.
Southwest: ADESA Colorado Springs, based in Colorado Springs, Colo.
West: Brasher’s Northwest, based in Eugene, Ore.
Leadership, determination, inspiration, creativity. What do all these traits have in common? They have all been demonstrated by each member of the 2014 Women in Remarketing class.
In what we’re proud to call an annual tradition, Auto Remarketing dedicates a special section of our print publication each year to recognize the leading women of the remarketing and used-car business.
The 2014 Women in Remarketing program — sponsored by Ally Auto Remarketing — honors a class taking on a wide array of leadership opportunities.
From Dominion Dealer Solutions, to ADESA, CarMax and more, the 16 members of this year’s class come from every corner of the remarketing industry and have demonstrated excellence throughout their career.
But the members of this year’s class are more than just great businesswomen. They tell a story beyond the business world, too, of giving back to their communities, mentoring those new to the industry, dedication to innovation and more.
This year’s honorees are as follows, in alphabetical order:
- Ann Cammarata, Client Relations Director, DataScan Field Services LLC
- Angie Chattin, Senior Vice President, CarMax, and President, CarMax Auto Finance
- Cindy Cockerham, Regional Manager – East, Copart Inc.
- Tammie Gray, Operations and Compliance Manager, Ally Financial
- Mary Haller, Chief Operating Officer, Auction Broadcasting Co. LLC
- Catherine Iger, Senior Director of Product Management, AutoTrader.com
- Sherry Keltner, Manager of Online Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA
- Joy Wilder Lybeer, Senior Vice President, Financial Services Group, Equifax
- Charlotte Pyle, Co-Owner, Mountain State Auto Auction, Capital City Auto Auction, Pyle Equipment Auctions, and Joe. R Pyle Complete Auction & Realty Service
- Nancy Rabenold, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Xcira Corp.
- Jennifer Ryan, Director of Inventory Solutions, Dominion Dealer Solutions
- Diane Scharafin, Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Carfax
- Carol Sewell, Vice President of Marketing, ADESA
- Mary Lou Sutton, Vice President, Manheim Credit & Collections
- Sheila Tedesco, Remarketing Manager, Lobel Financial
- Bridget Townsend, Vice President of Inventory Solutions, Dealertrack Technologies
Many of these women take an active role in mentoring those new to the industry, as well.
When AutoTrader’s Iger was asked what advice she would give women entering the industry, she said, “Earlier in my career, I was looking for role models and in that process, I realized that I needed to be a role model myself. I think we all do. So the best tip I can give is to remember that someone is likely looking up to you and you don't even know it, so be someone they should want to emulate.”
Another key to success? Fulfilling a need, says Rabenold, who has played a part in securing a variety of patents for Xcira Corp. over the past 18 years.
“Fulfill a need in an exemplary fashion. From experience I can tell you that the automotive industry is special — gender is meaningless — success is achieved by consistently delivering genuine value,” Rabenold says.
The remarketing industry is forever evolving and opening up to more and more people, and leaps and bounds have been made in the past decade.
Scharafin says, “Now is a great time for women to enter the remarketing industry. Business is growing, and there are so many new and interesting opportunities. The working environment has really grown and matured since I entered the automotive world. There are certainly a lot more women working in the remarketing industry which makes our community stronger.”
We would like to wish a congratulations to these outstanding women. We would also like to thank all our readers who sent in nominations. While there are many more leading ladies worthy of recognition, we could not spotlight all the nominees, as we are only able to recognize a select few each year.
But stay tuned to Auto Remarketing e-newsletters, as we will conduct another call for nominations for this honor early next year.
For more on these leaders of the used-car business, see the print and digital versions of the April 15-30 issue of Auto Remarketing.
The 2014 Women in Remarketing class will be honored during the National Remarketing Conference, scheduled for Nov. 12-14.
NRC is part of the Used Car Week conferences, which will be held Nov. 10-14 at the Red Rock Casino, Resort, and Spa in Las Vegas.
Two Asian automakers ranked highest based on consumer-written dealership reviews, according to the Consumer Rating Index (CRI) for Auto Manufacturers released by DealerRater.
Topping the list among luxury brand was Lexus, while Hyundai headlined the list for mass market manufacturers.
Along with overall rankings, the CRI ranked automotive manufacturers within the “Luxury” and “Mass Market” brand categories.
Lexus ranked highest in the luxury category, with a score of 4.741, followed by Volvo (4.704), Mercedes-Benz (4.703), Audi (4.693) and Acura (4.687).
Among mass market brands, Hyundai was top ranked with a score of 4.719, followed by Buick (4.709), Honda (4.695), Kia (4.687) and Subaru (4.686).
“The CRI provides a comprehensive view of consumer sentiment because feedback is not limited to customers who purchased a vehicle and includes shoppers as well as service customers,” DealerRater chief executive officer Gary Tucker said.
“A consumer can write a review about all aspects of their experience with a dealer on DealerRater,” Tucker continued. “With this level of insight, dealers have a metric indicating whether they should reevaluate their business practices. Consumers can also use this index as a starting point when looking for a dealership that will provide the best shopping experience.”
CRI rankings were calculated by averaging consumer ratings of individual dealerships posted to DealerRater.com. Ratings are based on a five-point scale, representing consumer feedback on all levels of the buying experience, including customer service, quality of work, friendliness, price and overall experience.
The CRI is based on 330,000 verified reviews gathered during a 120month period from March of last year through the same month this year.
For consideration, mass market OEMs must have received 1,000 reviews and premium OEMs must have received 500 reviews during this time period. The rankings are based on numerical averages of all reviews that are attributed to a specific OEM.
Mass Market Rankings
1. Hyundai: 4.719
2. Buick: 4.709
3. Honda: 4.695
4. Kia: 4.687
5. Subaru: 4.686
6. Ford: 4.682
7. GMC: 4.672
8. Toyota; 4.669
9. Volkswagen: 4.664
10, Chevrolet; 4.661
11. Fiat: 4.651
12. Ram: 4.644
13. Mini: 4.630
14. Mazda: 4.629
15. Jeep: 4.623
16. Chrysler: 4.595
17. Nissan: 4.588
18. Mitsubishi: 4.581
19. Dodge: 4.578
20, Scion: 4.574
Luxury Rankings
1. Lexus: 4.741
2. Volvo: 4.704
3. Mercedes-Benz: 4.703
4. Audi: 4.693
5. Acura: 4.687
6. Lincoln: 4.675
7. Infiniti: 4.665
8. Porsche: 4.664
9. Cadillac: 4.611
10. BMW: 4.600
11. Jaguar: 4.555
12. Land Rover: 4.486
Autobytel named a California franchised store co-owner as the Autobytel Dealer of the Month for February.
Earning the honor was Chris Baughman, general manager and co-owner of Sunset Honda in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
The company’s dealer awards program honors exceptional operators who employ the highest standards in customer service and Internet retail sales and lead management processes.
The Autobytel 2014 Dealer of the Year Award is slated to be announced next January at the NADA Convention & Expo in San Francisco — when Autobytel officially celebrates its 20th Anniversary — with the crowning dealer chosen from this year’s pool of monthly winners.
Baughman joins Frank Carrasquillo, general sales manager of Mercedes-Benz of Naples, Fla., who was named the Autobytel Dealer of the Month for January, in that pool of winners.
“Chris and his team strive to give every customer the highest level of service, which is why they have been so successful in their market,” said Jeff Coats, president and chief executive officer of Autobytel.
“Sunset Honda has been an Autobytel dealer for nearly 15 years, and this longstanding history has enabled it to fully optimize its Internet business,” Coats continued. “What’s more, Chris and his team are process-driven and deeply involved with the local community. Bottom line, the dealership is a standout.”
Each month, Autobytel’s sales and dealer operations teams evaluate prospective candidates from a competitive field of thousands of automotive retailers in the Autobytel network with a monthly winner selected based on key online automotive best practices. The company launched its Dealer Awards Program at the beginning of last year, honoring monthly winners throughout the year and in markets throughout the U.S.
Criteria evaluated for the Autobytel Dealer Awards Program include conversion rates, lead management processes, customer service principles, customer and brand retention analytics and Internet department practices, among others.
“The key to our success is really just having a good process,” Baughman said. “We understand that an Internet customer is no different than a customer who walks into the dealership or calls the showroom directly. When a dealer provides a very high level of service to all customers, they really appreciate it.
“We’ve been with Autobytel for 15 years, and have never received this recognition from them, so it's really exciting to be named an Autobytel Dealer of the Month,” Baughman went on to say.
A family owned store opened in 1979, Sunset Honda is a single point Honda dealership in San Luis Obispo, home to California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). It also operates an Acura store in Ventura, Calif.
Its customers consist of many Cal Poly faculty members and alumni, as well as residents from California’s central coast, and customers from as far north as San Francisco and as far south as Los Angeles.
For more information about the Autobytel Dealer Awards program, visit the Dealer Corner at dealer.autobytel.com.
A few surprises top the winners list in the Kelley Blue Book 2014 Brand Image Awards, announced today and based on annual new-car buyer perception data.
Earning Best Overall Brand with the highest average scores among all 12 Brand Watch factors is Honda, for the second year in a row.
Brand Watch factors include affordability, “cool” factor, driving comfort, driving performance, durability/reliability, exterior styling, fuel efficiency, interior layout, prestige/sophistication, reputation, ruggedness and safety.
KBB officials noted that strong consumer perception of the Accord, Civic, CR-V and Odyssey helped drive Honda’s success in earning top honors.
Beating out the 2013 winner in Best Overall Luxury Brand is Mercedes-Benz, highly regarded for its strong lineup and performance AMG variants, topping last year’s favorite, BMW.
Among truck shoppers, Ford reclaims the top spot from Toyota in Best Overall Truck Brand. Ford has won five of the six times Kelley Blue Book has announced this award.
Kia earns its first-ever Brand Image Award in 2014 for Best Value Brand, taking the crown from last year’s winner, Honda. Kia received high marks on affordability and fuel efficiency, largely thanks to the Optima, Rio, Soul and Forte models.
“Kia has come a long way in the eyes of the consumer,” said Arthur Henry, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book. “Once known only as an economy car with good gas mileage, the brand has evolved through product growth and maturity into a high-value brand. This is a similar path fellow import brands Honda and Toyota took in the 1970s.”
Buick is a repeat winner for the Best Value Luxury Brand, and the OEM’s entire lineup, including the LaCrosse, Regal, Verano, Enclave and Encore, has positively influenced car shoppers’ perceptions, KBB noted.
'Most Refined' Brands
Benefitting from its upscale Denali trim models, GMC also wins its first Brand Image Award as 2014’s Most Refined Brand, with high ratings for comfort, interior layout and prestige/sophistication.
Among luxury brands, Mercedes-Benz takes a second consecutive win for this category; the brand has historically scored very high in prestige/sophistication since the inception of the Brand Image Awards in 2008.
MINI wins Best Performance Brand for the second year in a row, with help from the MINI Cooper’s high ratings for “cool” factor and driving performance.
Likewise, Porsche holds steady as a repeat winner as Best Performance Luxury Brand since 2010, due to strong ratings for a number of models in its lineup, including the 911, Cayman, Panamera and Cayenne.
Jaguar earned its first Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Award as 2014 Best Car Styling Luxury Brand for its attractive F-TYPE, XK, XF and XJ series, while Chevrolet reclaimed the Best Car Styling Brand title from last year’s winner, Ford.
“Chevrolet had a slew of redesigns during the past year, which have captured the consideration of car shoppers,” said Henry. “Chevrolet decided to take a daring approach with its styling and it paid off. The models primarily driving the success of Chevrolet’s expressive design efforts are the Corvette Stingray and Camaro.”
The Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards recognize automakers’ achievements in creating and maintaining brand attributes that capture the attention of the new-vehicle buying public.
“The classic saying ‘perception is reality’ falls true with the Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards, as more than 12,000 in-market, new-car shoppers have voiced their opinions about today’s automakers,” said Hwei-Lin Oetken, vice president of market intelligence for Kelley Blue Book.
“With strong marketing communications coming from auto manufacturers and dealers, and the increased importance of peer reviews and ratings, consumers today are more influenced than ever to take interest in a brand, ultimately affecting their vehicle purchase decisions,” he said.
The full list of 2014 Brand Image Award Winners is as follows:
Non-Luxury Brands
Honda, Best Overall Brand
Honda, Most Trusted Brand
Kia, Best Value Brand
GMC, Most Refined Brand
MINI, Best Performance Brand
Chevrolet, Best Car Styling Brand
Truck Brands
Ford, Best Overall Truck Brand
Luxury Brands
Mercedes-Benz, Best Overall Luxury Brand
Lexus, Most Trusted Luxury Brand
Buick, Best Value Luxury Brand
Mercedes-Benz, Most Refined Luxury Brand
Porsche, Best Performance Luxury Brand
Jaguar, Best Car Styling Luxury Brand
