Former AutoNation executive and current Maroone USA founder and chief executive officer Mike Maroone is taking home the hardware as the 2022 David F. Mungenast Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
The board of the American International Automobile Dealers Association presents the award each year to “an industry leader who possesses a similar community spirit and devotion to the international nameplate auto industry as its namesake.”
In a news release Thursday, AIADA president and CEO Cody Lusk said: “Mike perfectly embodies the community-minded, forward-thinking spirit of this award.
“The auto retail industry in the United States owes a great deal of thanks to Mike, and dealers like him, who have spent their careers improving the lives of others and raising the bar for how vehicles are sold in the United States,” Lusk said.
Maroone joined the family business (New York- and Florida-based Maroone Auto Group) with his father, Al Maroone, in 1975.
He joined AutoNation in 1997, working there 18 years and serving as president, chief operating officer and director.
He founded Maroone USA in 2017. The group has Chevrolet, Honda, Ford and Volkswagen store throughout Colorado Spring, Colo.; Longmont, Colo.; and West Palm Beach, Fla.
Maroone is a board member of the Cleveland Clinic enterprise board of directors and is the board chair of Cleveland Clinic Florida. The Maroone Cancer Center is also that the latter clinic.
He will be presented the award on March 13 during AIADA’s 52nd Annual Meeting and Luncheon in Las Vegas.
Cherokee Media Group recognized its 2021 Used Car Awards winners, a program sponsored by KAR Global, at Used Car Week in November. The conference was held Nov. 15-18 at Red Rock in Las Vegas.
Spotlighted during the Used Car Awards Luncheon, also sponsored by KAR, were Andy Mohr Ford, the 2021 Franchise Dealer of the Year, and America’s Car-Mart, the 2021 Independent Dealer of the Year.
Andy Mohr Ford, located in Plainfield, Ind., was Ford’s No. 1 certified pre-owned dealer in 2020, having moved 1,577 CPO units, as reported in Auto Remarketing’s “Best CPO Dealers in the USA” issue earlier this year.
Cooper Lanie, the used-car manager at Andy Mohr Ford, was also among this year’s honorees in Auto Remarketing’s 40 Under 40 program, which were recognized at Used Car Week, as well. Additionally, Keri Price, the business manager at Andy Mohr Ford, was among Auto Fin Journal’s Women in Auto Finance honorees for 2021, an award program that also was spotlighted during the conference.
As for Car-Mart, the company celebrated its 40th anniversary in August. It has grown from its beginnings in a converted Dog n’ Suds fast food joint in Rogers, Ark., to a publicly traded national retailer with more than 2,000 associates and 153 stores in 12 states. Recently, Car-Mart commenced its 13th annual Holiday Toy Drive, where it aims to collect 25,000 toys to share with 25 hospitals across its footprint. In 2020, Car-Mart gathered over 11,000 toys for 15 hospitals as part of the campaign.
“We are excited to conduct our annual toy drive again this year. All of us at Car-Mart will work hard to make this our largest holiday toy drive in our history and to make this season the brightest one yet for children spending the holidays in the hospital,” Car-Mart president and chief executive offi cer Jeff Williams said in a news release announcing this year’s drive. “Th is time of year, it’s all about giving and helping to bring holiday joy to so many deserving children.”
And speaking of Car-Mart, chief financial officer Vickie Judy was hospitals among the Women in Auto Finance honorees, as well.
On Monday, Ally Financial and TIME announced the 47 nominees for the 2022 TIME Dealer of the Year award.
Those dealers are set to be recognized at NADA Show on March 11 in Las Vegas.
Ally president of dealer financial services Doug Timmerman and TIME global chief revenue officer Viktoria Degtar will announce the winner at that time.
The nominees were selected from more than 16,000 franchised dealers across the country.
Leaders of state and metropolitan dealer association make the nominations. Then a faculty panel from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan selects four regional finalists (one from each NADA region) and one overall winner.
“In cities and towns across the country, auto dealers make a big economic impact — going the extra mile to strengthen their communities,” Timmerman said in a news release.
“It’s an incredible achievement to be nominated for TIME Dealer of the Year. The program not only recognizes leadership in business and customer service, but also a commitment to giving back and doing it right.”
The nominees are below:
- Gary Ackerman, Gaudin Ford, Las Vegas
- John Billard, Hempstead Ford Lincoln, Hempstead, N.Y.
- Cary Bosak, Bosak Motors Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Merrillville, Ind.
- Virginia Bowden, McClinton Chevrolet, Parkersburg, W. Va.
- Steve Brown, Brown Motors, Petoskey, Mich.
- Gregg Ciocca, Ciocca Ford of Quakertown, Quakertown, Pa.
- Jason Courter, Honda Auto Center of Bellevue, Bellevue, Wash.
- Wyndi Damato, Fitzgerald Ford Lincoln, Fitzergald, Ga.
- Bill Dodge Auto Group, Westbrook, Maine
- Erik Day, Warren Henry Auto Group, North Miami, Fla.
- Winfred Dodge, Bill Dodge Auto Group, Westbrook, Maine
- Wayne Evans, Prairie Motors, Stanley, N.D.
- Ray Fregia Jr., Courtesy Ford Lincoln, Danville, Ill.
- Bob Giles, Giles Automotive, Lafayette, La.
- Terry Gilmore, Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac, Temecula, Calif.
- James Gramm, Safford Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, Springfield, Springfield, Va.
- Bill Griffis, Griffis Motors, Philadelphia, Miss.
- Kelly Hirning, Hirning Buick GMC, Pocatello, Idaho
- Jason Hoover, Midway Motors, McPherson, Kan.
- Jack Kain Sr., Jack Kain Ford, Versailles, Ky.
- Gregg Kunes, Kunes Country Ford-Lincoln, Delavan, Wisc.
- Steven Lillestol, Thief River Ford, Inc., Thief River Falls, Minn.
- Christopher Lindsay, Lindsay Chevrolet, Woodbridge, Va.
- Daniel Luneau, Handy Toyota, St. Albans, Vt.
- Doug McElveen, McElveen Buick GMC, Summerville, S.C.
- Pat McGrath, Pat McGrath Chevyland, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- David McNeill, McNeill Chevrolet Buick Nissan of Wilkesboro, Wilkesboro, N.C.
- J. Douglas North, North Brothers Ford, Inc., Westland, Mich.
- Todd C. Ouellette Sr., Long-Lewis Ford of the Shoals, Muscle Shoals, Ala.
- Curtis Pascarella, Phillips Chevrolet, Frankfort, Ill.
- Tony Pierce, Snowy Mountain Motors, Lewistown, Mont.
- John Platek, Betley Chevrolet, Inc., Derry, N.H.
- Daniel Reineke, Reineke's Tiffin Ford Lincoln, Inc., Tiffin, Ohio
- Bob Rogers, Bob Rogers Chevrolet, Paris, Ark.
- Michael Schulte, Schulte Subaru, Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Dennis Schworer Honda Cars of Bellevue, Bellevue, Neb.
- Robert Serpentini Jr., Serpentini Chevrolet of Strongville, Strongville, Ohio
- Joseph Shaker, Wellesley Mazda, Wellesley, Mass.
- Robert Sickel, Pine Belt Chevrolet, Lakewood, N.J.
- Bob Siracusano, Sawyer Motors, Saugerties, N.Y.
- Brad Sowers, Jim Butler Chevrolet, Fenton, Mo.
- Michael Stoebner, Honda Windward, Kaneohe, Hawaii
- Annette Sykora, Smith South Plains Ford Lincoln, Levelland, Texas
- Joseph Thurby Jr., Thurby's Riverside Ford, Markleysburg, Pa.
- Tim Urness, C.H. Urness Motors, The Dalles, Ore.
- S. Mitchell Walters, Friendship Ford, Bristol, Tenn.
- Chris H. Wilson, Wilson Motor Company, Logan, Utah
- Phil Winslow, Winslow BMW of Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Chase Auto recognized its top U.S. auto auction partners on Thursday, spotlighting 10 auctions via Zoom for their performance in its annual Chase Cup for Auction Excellence program.
After reviewing 36 auctions for their respective performances in handling preparation, sales, invoice processing, transport requests, title processing and more, Chase awarded ADESA Kansas City the Chase Cup for Best National Auction Performance honors, while Manheim Orlando earned top honors as Best National Performance Service Delivery.
Also recognized were:
- Best National Jaguar Sales – Manheim Atlanta
- Best National Land Rover Sales – Manheim Dallas
- Best National Mazda Sales – Manheim Milwaukee
- Best National Subaru Sales – Manheim Nashville
- Best National Maserati Sales – Manheim Dallas
- Best Regional Performance, Midwest – Manheim Minneapolis
- Best Regional Performance, Western – ADESA Salt Lake
- Best Regional Performance, Central – ADESA Kansas City
- Best Regional Performance, Northeast – Manheim Fredericksburg
- Best Regional Performance, Southeast – Manheim Tampa
“Each year, the Chase Cup honors high-performing auto auctions across the country that display operational excellence, outstanding customer service and strong financial performance,” said Charles Do, head of vehicle remarketing for Chase Auto, in a news release. “These auctions are the best of the best.”
Jim Jackson, a fan of saltwater fishing when he’s off the clock, found quite the catch career-wise some 30 years ago.
After finishing his service in the U.S. Army, Jackson said he was “fortunate enough” to have “stumbled into” the auto industry, with a job at a salvage auction company later purchased by IAA.
Jackson was hooked.
“Lucky and blessed. I kind of stumbled into (the remarketing industry), and didn’t know too much about it,” Jackson said in an interview with Auto Remarketing. “This industry is very addictive. I was like, ‘This is what I want to do forever.’”
The fast pace, the day-to-day changes in the market and the macro factors that play a role.
“It’s never dull and has never been dull in my 30 years of remarketing,” he said.
More than half of those three decades have been spent with leading fleet management provider ARI, a company Jackson joined in 2004, moving up through leadership roles to his current position, where he supervises the company’s remarketing efforts throughout North America.
And Jackson adds another title at Used Car Week: the 2021 National Remarketing Executive of the Year, an award presented by the Independent Auction Group.
He will be recognized during a presentation the afternoon of Nov. 17, during the National Remarketing Conference portion of the event that runs Nov. 15-18 at Red Rock in Las Vegas.
Twelve years after entering the car business, Jackson moved from IAA to ADESA Impact, eventually making his way over to ARI.
Like ARI, Jackson calls the Philadelphia and South Jersey area home — sans his military experience, he has lived in the area his whole life.
Of his role with ARI, he says “I get the chance to lead our remarketer teams in both Canada and the U.S. And I love it. I just love the interaction with our partners throughout the industry … It’s a very talented, dedicated group of professionals. Every day, I enjoy coming to work and working with our partners, and getting to lead the U.S. remarketer team and the Canadian remarketer team, and how talented those folks are.”
Wholesale volume slows; prices ebb-and-flow
For a fleet management and remarketing company — and perhaps any consignor type, for that matter — the lack of volume is currently the top challenge in the wholesale market.
In trickle-down fashion, that’s driven by the chip shortage and OEM supply chain hurdles, among other factors.
That underscores the importance of ARI’s remarketing team constantly monitoring price activity, which has ebbed and flowed like the ocean tides these past 18 months.
“What’s really been interesting is how the prices have skyrocketed. It’s basic supply and demand. There’s not a whole lot of supply, so the demand and the pricing goes forward. We haven’t really changed the way we remarket,” Jackson said. “We really look at the pricing. Again, it goes back to the teams, the remarketer teams, staying on top of how the market has been reacting.
“We all know how it reacted when COVID first hit, and then in May-June, it started to skyrocket and here we are in 2021 and it’s starting to go back up … the supply doesn’t look like it’s coming back time soon on the new-car side,” he said.
Just another crest on a market that “tends to yo-yo” during the last year-and-a-half.
“And we’re just trying to stay on the tip of that wave and get the most money for our clients,” Jackson said.
Working with fleets, those companies have had some rather unique challenges in this environment. They may want to take advantage of high wholesale prices and sell some of their used inventory, but with the disruption in the new-vehicle supply chain, they would not be able to replace those vehicles in their fleets.
It presents a double-edged sword.
“With COVID hitting last year, a lot of the clients that we deal with were liquidating surplus units, something that might have not been utilized 100%. So, they kind of liquidated all that stuff last year,” Jackson said.
“Now, they want to take advantage of the values that they’re getting, but in our business … everybody needs that vehicle. It doesn’t matter if it’s a sales person going from Point A to Point B, or if it’s a cable installer, they need that asset,” he explained. “And they would love to take advantage of the pricing that’s out there now, but how are you going to replace that? What are you going to replace it with?
“That’s the predicament a lot of our clients are in now: we’ve got to hold on until we can get the new vehicle delivered. Which ultimately affects how our typical asset would come back in. So, it’s going to be a model or two model years older with 25,000-30,000 more miles on it,” Jackson said. “They will come in when the supply chain gets corrected.”
At the earliest, Jackson estimates it could be late 2022 when the supply chain gets sorted out, but it’s more likely to be fixed in 2023, he said.
Approach to remarketing
ARI utilizes an auction partner network that spans the U.S. and Canada. And with its consignment typically split evenly between passenger vehicles and work trucks, ARI also leans on specialty auctions and its whole-car auction partners with utility sales.
“We do remarket in a lot of different specialty areas, as well as some retail consignment,” Jackson said.
The company’s auction partner work stretches from Alaska to Hawaii, from Puerto Rico to Canada and everywhere in between.
As far as the channels, ARI looks at the market in a “holistic” way, Jackson said, rather than segmenting some vehicles for online and others for physical auctions.
“We don’t specifically single any types of groups of vehicles to put online or purchase in-lane. We assign those vehicles to our partners,” he said. “They come in, condition reports get done. The remarketers use their expertise to view that condition report, market conditions and put a value on that vehicle.”
The vehicle may first go to a virtual sale, and then if it doesn’t sell there, the listing is removed and the vehicle goes to a physical lane. If it doesn’t sell there, ARI may re-evaluate the price point.
As far as the utility vehicles, ARI has partners in its network that might have special sales for vehicles with buckets or cranes, for example.
“The market’s been so robust for our utility vehicles. That’s been the constant. It’s never really faltered. Everybody’s always looking for work trucks, work vans,” he said.
Particularly following hurricane season, work vehicles see a spike in demand during rebuilds, too.
One challenge in particular that arises for a company that remarkets fleet vehicles, especially work vehicles, is deidentification of those units when it’s time to sell them wholesale.
“That can be a challenge. We’ve been seeing the challenge obviously a lot lately with labor shortages. We’ve been pretty constantly in contact with our auction partners to get that done … We never sell a vehicle that has somebody’s logo or branding on it,” Jackson said. “We have to have that removed before we can actually sell that asset.”
That’s all part of a remarketing job with many moving parts (literally) and constant evaluation of pricing, market dynamics and unique considerations for different vehicle types.
And it’s one in which Jackson finds joy.
“There’s nothing else I would want to do, that’s for sure.”
The National Auto Auction Association recognized Auctioneer of the Year Award winners last week at Charleston Auto Auction during an event that also included a visit from South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.
Receiving the awards on Friday were Billy Carver and Bennie Smoak.
The award is named after Bernie Hart, who was the executive director of NAAA for more than 30 years before retiring in 1988.
Smoak has auctioneered at a litany of sites that includes Charleston Auto Auction, Summerville Auto Auction, Manheim North Carolina, Darlington Auto Auction, Statesville Auto Auction, Carolina Auto Auction, Greenville Auto Auction, Mayo Auto Auction, Grand Strand Auto Auction, Mid State Auto Auction, Atlanta Auto Auction, Airport Auto Auction, Fredricksburg Auto Auction and Greensboro Auto Auction.
Carver has been auctioneering since 1979, working at such facilities as Charleston Auto Auction, Rawls Auto Auction, Darlington Auto Auction and Spartanburg Auto Auction.
Additionally, Charleston Auto Auction, alongside the Carolinas Independent Automobile Dealers Association, hosted Gov. McMaster on Friday. McMaster toured the auction and addressed attendees of the event, which included various auction industry leaders like NAAA chief executive officer Tricia Heon and XLerate Group CEO Cam Hitchcock.
The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) is seeking nominations for one of the highest honors the organization gives.
AIADA asked for nominees to be considered for the David F. Mungenast Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented each year during AIADA’s annual meeting and luncheon to a member of the international nameplate auto retail industry who embodies an “unrivaled commitment” to his/her dealership and employees, community and family.
The association is asking for nominations to be submitted by Oct. 29. Go to this website to obtain the form that can be sent via mail, fax or email.
AIADA recapped that its board of directors created the award to honor the memory of David F. Mungenast Sr., a former AIADA member who also served as chairman of the organization in 1998.
“More importantly, Dave Mungenast was known by family members, employees and those in the industry and community as their founder, mentor, employer and friend. Dave Sr. and his wife, Barbara, were both dedicated to giving back to the communities that helped make them successful,” AIADA said.
The award winner will be announced at AIADA’s 52nd annual meeting and luncheon on March 13 in Las Vegas.
In year seven of Auto Remarketing’s annual 40 Under 40 program, you will find the current- and next-generation leaders of the used-car business who are making big differences in the industry and at their respective companies.
Auto Remarketing is honored to recognize these folks and celebrate their accomplishments.
Stay tuned for more in the October issue of Auto Remarketing, and at Used Car Week in November, where this year's honorees will be recognized during a special luncheon.
The list of this year’s honorees, listed in alphabetical order by last name, can be found below:
Marcus Alley, Automotive Titling Company
Jon Blakely, Coyle Chevy Buick GMC & Coyle Nissan
Melanie Borden, Melanie Borden, LLC
Kim Breidenbach, Black Book
Jake Campbell, FastLane Auto Exchange
Justin Canada, Santander Consumer USA
Michael Carvalho, Costco Auto Program
John Coles, ACV Aucitons
Cara Conklin, Byrider
Lindsey Creech, ACERTUS
Brandon Derrick, Memphis Auto Auction
John Eriksen, Manheim New Jersey
Dan Ferrigan, IAA
Kevin Fitzgerald, Carvana
Ian Frame, CARFAX
Molly Garvey, Cox Automotive
Natalia Giner, A2Z Sync
John Hairabedian, HGreg
Christopher Hart, Copart
Jerome Hoskins, Auction Edge
Mike Jones, EBlock
Jonathan Karasek, Auctions in Motion
Kristen Lampkin, KAR Global
Cooper Lanie, Andy Mohr Ford
Nate Myers, Performance Automotive
Kevin Nunez, The Niello Company
Trevor Ottley, Mid Kansas Auto Auction
Heather Pridemore, TrueCar
Ryan Russell, Greater Erie Auto Auction
Andrew Sellers, McConkey Auction Group – DAA Las Vegas
Adriana Serrano, IAA
Halden Snyder, Credit Acceptance
Anna Stanke, Donlen
Brent Sturman, Digital Recognition Network
Laura Swan, Allied Solutions
Adam Tooman, KAR Global
John Urness, Bridgecrest
Jacob Warren, Louisiana's 1st Choice Auto Auction
Brent Wesner, America's Auto Auction – Harrisburg
Thomas Williams, Mountain View Nissan of Chattanooga/Dalton/Cleveland
And be sure you don’t miss the special ceremony at Used Car Week to recognize this year’s group of honorees. Used Car Week is being held Nov. 15-18 at Red Rock in Las Vegas.
If we were taking a look at new vehicles and how they fit car seats and applied it to report cards, only four would make the honor roll. That's according to the recent 2021 Car Seat Fit Report Card from Cars.com.
That said, automakers aren't the only ones not living up to standards here. More than half of parents surveyed by Cars.com have incorrectly installed a car seat (56%), the site reported, as well, while 67% make vehicle purchase decisions based on car seat fit. Meanwhile, 84% of parents find some level of the process frustrating.
For this year's report car, Cars.com compiled Car Seat Check scores for 51 vehicles evaluated over the last year by its certified child-passenger safety technicians, and assigned a letter grade to each of the 2021-22 vehicles evaluated.
Of the 51 vehicles evaluated, only four made the Honor Roll. Achieving straight A's in their Cars.com Car Seat Checks:
"When it comes to shopping for a new vehicle, our data show that for more than two-thirds of parents, car seats play a significant role in their purchase decision," said Jenni Newman, editor-in-chief at Cars.com and certified child-passenger safety technician, in a news release.
"I've evaluated more than 600 vehicles in my career, and there's no doubt about it: Some cars are just better made to properly and safely fit a car seat. With all the stress and confusion that comes with car seat installation —- especially for new parents — it's so important that families do their homework and select a vehicle that not only works for their needs right now, but also one that grows with their family."
Cars.com's Car Seat Fit Report Card, which compiles a year's worth of comprehensive Car Seat Checks conducted by the Cars.com team of experts, aims to cut down on some of the stress involved with car seat installation and picking a family vehicle.
This year's J.D. Power APEAL (automotive performance, execution and layout) Study results put Porsche ranking highest among the premium brands, Dodge on top for mass market brands, and General Motors taking home the most vehicle segment-level awards. The study showed the "new vehicles are more appealing than ever" with some very successful launches for 2021.
For example, the BMW 4 Series, Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Bronco Sport, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Genesis G80, Kia K5 and Toyota Sienna are all-new or completely redesigned models that achieved segment-topping performances in the study, and helped to ramp up the auto industry's overall vehicle emotional appeal this year.
"One of the biggest factors driving the industry's improvement this year is the introduction of several highly appealing new models," said David Amodeo, director of global automotive at J.D. Power, in a news release.
"The APEAL Study measures owners' emotional attachment to their new vehicle, and the product launches that took place this model year have done a really good job. Some are all-new and some are redesigns, but the new launches demonstrate that automakers are getting even better at hitting buyers' emotional triggers."
Taking a look at the highest-ranking brands this year, Porsche is tops among premium brands and ties Dodge overall with a score of 882. Second up were Genesis and Land Rover, both at 879. Genesis was up four places year-over-year.
For mass-market brands, Dodge was the winner with the aformentioned score of 882, followed by Ram (881) and Nissan (866). Toyota might be a brand to watch next year, as it is the biggest gainer in the mass-market rankings, placing five spots up from 2020.
J.D. Power analysts explained that mass market brands are continuing to increase in emotional appeal, even though premium brands continue to "outscore" them in the study at hand. The gap continue to narrow this year, J.D. Power pointed out. Specifically, the 19-point gap in score this year is down from a 23-point score last year.
Moving along to cover the model-level APEAL awards, General Motors took the win with five awards, followed by BMW AG with four, and Hyundai Motor Group and Nissan Motor Co. coming in third with three awards each.
The complete list of award recipients from J.D. Power is as follows:
- General Motors Company: Cadillac CT5, Chevrolet Blazer, Chevrolet Corvette, Chevrolet Tahoe, and GMC Sierra HD
- BMW AG: BMW 4 Series, BMW X4, BMW X6, and BMW X7
- Hyundai Motor Group: Genesis G80, Kia K5, and Kia Telluride
- Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.: Nissan Maxima, Nissan Sentra, and Nissan Versa
- Ford Motor Company: Ford Bronco Sport and Ford Mustang Mach-E
- Daimler AG: Mercedes-Benz CLA
- Honda Motor Company: Honda Ridgeline
- Jaguar Land Rover Limited: Land Rover Defender
- Stellantis NV: Ram 1500
- Toyota Motor Corporation: Toyota Sienna
- Volvo Motor Corporation: Volvo XC40
The APEAL study measures owners' emotional attachment and level of excitement with their new vehicle on a 1,000-point scale. It asks owners to consider 37 attributes, ranging from the sense of comfort they feel when climbing into the driver's seat to the exhilaration they get when they step on the accelerator.
The 2021 U.S. APEAL Study is based on responses from 110,827 owners of new 2021 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study was fielded from February through July 2021.
