On Wednesday, Carvana expanded its growing footprint into Louisville, Ky., the company’s 31st market.
Louisville residents can now search through over 7,000 vehicles on Carvana.com and schedule next-day home delivery of their vehicle following a purchase.
“Our Louisville launch marks our presence in 31 markets in 15 states,” Carvana founder and chief executive officer Ernie Garcia said in a news release. “While Carvana is a new way to buy a car, we look forward to making it our ‘Old Kentucky Home’ and putting Louisville car buyers back in control of the purchase process.”
Louisville residents who wish to experience Carvana’s fully automated Car Vending Machine can also either choose to travel to Nashville to pick up their car or participate in the company's Fly and Drive program.
The program subsidizes $200 of airfare to any of the five cities with Carvana’s Car Vending Machines, such as Austin, Dallas, Houston, Nashville and San Antonio.
Galpin Motors is currently aiming to sell 11,000 vehicles during its annual summer sales event, which kicked off on Memorial Day weekend and will continue through the end of September.
Over the years, the dealership has committed to sales challenges such as the Galpin 3,000, the Galpin 4,000, the Galpin 6,000 and the more recent Galpin 10,000.
Galpin said this year it was time to bring the sale to 11,000.
“The Galpin 10,000 has always been a fun summer sales event, but this year we thought it was time to take it all the way up to 11,” Galpin Motors president Beau Boeckmann said in a news release.
“We need that extra push to go one louder and are very excited about the Galpin 11,000.”
Additionally, throughout the summer, Galpin said, in conjunction with its sale its employees will work with a number of community organizations and charity groups to collectively contribute 11,000 hours of charitable service to the dealership's local community
Employees’ community activities will include volunteer work and city beautification projects, according to Galpin.
“Meaningful philanthropy plays a big role at Galpin and we look forward to positively impacting our community while also reaching our sales goals,” Boeckmann said.
The National Auto Auction Association held a mock auction on Capitol Hill to interactively educate policymakers about the wholesale auction business and the role it plays in both the auto industry and the U.S. economy.
Staffers and legislative aides of the Senate Automotive Caucus joined NAAA in the Russell Senate Office Building on June 16, where NAAA first presented a 30-minute video depicting the entire auction process, such as vehicles arriving via transport truck, inspection, check-in, repair, painting and reconditioning and sales day bidding.
For the mock auction, NAAA brought its audience an auctioneer, eight colorful quarter-scale cutouts of vehicles and stacks of ‘NAAA bucks.’
"We call it 'Wholesale Auto Auctions 101' because we want to give our lawmakers a solid understanding of how auctions operate and how integral they are to the industry," NAAA operations manager and legislative director Tricia Heon said in a news release. "Promoting and protecting the interests of our members and the industry requires proactively educating as well as advocating."
Senate Automotive Caucus chairman Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio arranged the meeting with NAAA.
The caucus provides a bipartisan forum for senators to exchange ideas and influence policy concerning issues that impact the auto industry, according to NAAA.
In attendance were staff from the offices of Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, Sen. James Risch of Idaho, and Sen. Luther Strange of Alabama.
U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi of Ohio and chairman of the congressional Joint Economic Committee also sent representatives.
Following the mock auction, NAAA hosted a reception where staff had an opportunity to meet with NAAA members such as Independent Auction Group co-chair Charlotte Pyle and members from ADESA and Cox Automotive.
ADESA’s Paul Lips, Heather Greenawald, Elizabeth Murphy and NAAA President-elect Warren Clauss participated. And Cox Automotive members in attendance included Craig Amelung and Karyn Wrye.
"I was impressed with the genuine interest and enthusiasm shown by those who attended as well as by the support of the auto caucus," said Pyle, who served as ringman for the mock auction’s auctioneer John Nicholls. "It's rewarding to educate our lawmakers in Washington about our business."
Nicholls is the 2015 NAAA Auctioneer of the Year and president of the Nicholls Auction Marketing Group.
NAAA chief executive officer Frank Hackett, along with Heon and Sante Esposito, president of lobbying firm Key Advocates accompanied the NAAA member delegation for the Capitol Hill visit.
"We received a lot of positive feedback about our program and about returning to do another in the future," Hackett said.
In celebration of its new headquarters in Long Island’s Village of North Hills, Dealertrack was set to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday afternoon for the project’s team members and contributors with state and local officials.
The 10-acre LEED-specified headquarters with a 230,000-square-foot facility is set to be home to roughly 600 team members early next month.
“When Dealertrack originally announced the new building plan three years ago, it was a vision driven by our team members to have a work environment that inspired innovation and collaboration, and overall health and wellness in the workplace,” Dealertrack senior vice president of finance and operations Dean Tilsley said in a news release. “As we have grown over the years, we have done so with an unwavering commitment to the Long Island metro area.”
With a 17-year lease, Dealertrack is committed to remaining in Long Island, according to the company.
“As mayor, I welcome Dealertrack to the Village of North Hills. I am pleased to participate in the ceremonial ribbon cutting for the state-of-the-art building that will serve as the headquarters for this fine company,” Village of North Hills Mayor Marvin Natiss said in the release.
The new facility features indoor basketball and volleyball courts, a cafe, cardio room and yoga studio, indoor and outdoor dining areas, game rooms and a walking trail.
TRITEC Real Estate Company, which served as construction manager for the project, partnered with Castagna Realty as the new headquarters' real estate developers.
“TRITEC Development, LLC, in partnership with Castagna Realty, is proud to have conceived and created this landmark headquarters facility, providing a cutting-edge, amenity-rich environment that will allow Dealertrack to continue to build one of Long Island's most talented teams in the tech industry,” TRITEC Principal Jim Coughlan said.
We appreciate the cooperative efforts of the Village of North Hills, as well as the empowering investments from both the New York State Empire State Development Corp. and the Nassau County IDA; this structure stands as testimony to the success of the public investment in local economic development.”
Spector Group oversaw the building envelope and Combined Resources designed the interior spaces, according to Dealertrack.
“For 51 years, Spector Group has built many landmarks on Long Island. Dealertrack joins the architectural landscape as an icon at the gateway to the Long Island peninsula,” said Spector Group Principal Marc Spector. “It is a fresh, unique design for Long Island and the tri-state area. We believe this design reflects the energy and growth of Dealertrack and we're delighted to be adding such a distinctive structure to Long Island's rich architectural legacy.”
The new headquarters is located at 3400 New Hyde Park Road in New Hyde Park, N.Y.
“We are proud to offer our team members a state-of-the-art facility where they can continue to develop solutions that are changing the way the world buys and sells vehicles, and also contributes to local economic prosperity,” Tilsley added.
ServNet auction owners and members of its executive team met for the group's semi-annual business meeting and a visit with national remarketers at a Meet the Owners event last month.
At the Owners' Meeting, members discussed the group's Leadership Succession, which will occur this fall.
Carolina Auto Auction’s Eric Autenrieth will assume duties as ServNet's president, and current president, Kevin Brown of Missouri Auto Auction, will be succeeded by Patty Stanley of Carolina/Indiana Auto Auction as chairman of the board.
"The dominant competitive advantage of ServNet Auctions is its dynamic Owners Group, many of whom are second- and third-generation auto auction operators. ServNet's semi-annual Owners' Business Meetings are prime opportunities for the auctions' owners, who have decades of experience and a personal investment in the industry, to discuss the challenges of the market, as well as to identify opportunities for growth and explore new methods," said ServNet chief executive officer Pierre Pons.
The group also discussed the role ServNet next generation auction owners will play in building and strengthening the independent auction group.
"While the board as it currently stands is led by first-generation owners Kevin Brown and Patty Stanley, the remaining five seats are filled by next generation owners Eric Autenrieth, Beth Barber (State Line Auto Auction), Steve DeLuca (Auto Auction of New England), Ashley Dietze (San Antonio Auto Auction) and Rob Thompson (Mid-State Auto Auction). These owners have all developed into strong, capable, visionary leaders in their own right, as they continue the pattern set by their parents in building the family businesses," said Pons. "Their participation helps ensure the vitality, longevity and strength of our organization."
Additionally, the group reviewed the impact their moves to smaller, mobile auction operations in secondary markets, as well as the impact of incentives or rebates to high volume customers on both the dealer and commercial sides of the auction business, according to ServNet.
Following the business meeting, ServNet's owners and executive staff met with Dallas-area based commercial accounts and industry partners at a Meet the Owners Luncheon.
During the luncheon, the group announced the seven winners of this year's ServNet Scholarship program for children of ServNet Auction employees attending both two- and four-year colleges.
"We were pleased to expand the scholarship program this year, adding an additional award for $2,500 for a student attending a four-year college," ServNet's Brown said in a news release. "We are very happy to announce the names of seven ServNet scholarship recipients."
Recipients of ServNet’s $1,500 scholarship for study at a two-year college include Darlene Delgado and Douglas Stack.
Delgado begins her freshman year at Glendale Community College of Arizona, where she will pursue an associate of arts degree in social and behavior science and Stack is going into his sophomore year at Corning Community College in New York, where he is a CAD major.
Recipients of the $2,500 scholarship for study at a four-year college or university include Madelyn Andrews, who attends SUNY College at New Paltz, N.Y.; Anne Dabroski of Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pa.; Timothy Fujii, a junior at American University in Washington D.C.; Grant Richardson, a junior at Yale University in New Haven, Conn.; and Nina Emmick, a junior at the University of South Dakota, who has been awarded a second ServNet scholarship.
Last year, Emmick, daughter of Angela Emmick of KCI Kansas City, won one of ServNet's first scholarships as a sophomore, and she is currently pursuing a degree in nursing.
"Encouraging education is vital to the health of our industry, and we're pleased that ServNet's Scholarship program will offer assistance for both two- and four-year college programs," Stanley added.
"The auction industry is as much about 'family' as it is about anything else, and we believe that ServNet's Scholarship Program is both an important way to support that family as well as an investment in our future."
ServNet said the scholarship program was established last year as an ongoing initiative to help employees and their families pursue higher education.
In January, additional information and application forms for the 2018-2019 academic year scholarship awards will be available at www.servnetauctions.com.
Janet Barnard, the president of Cox Automotive Inventory Solutions, will deliver Wednesday’s opening general session at the NIADA Convention & Expo.
Her address on “Driving Wholesale Velocity Together” is set for 8:30 a.m. (PT) and will delve into “how evolving digital and mobile solutions can address rising off-lease vehicle volumes, changing customer expectations and set independent dealer businesses on a path to profitability,” according to the convention’s website.
The conference, which is being held in Las Vegas, began Monday and runs through Thursday.
Other speakers from Cox Automotive set to present at NIADA include:
- Marcus Dame, senior director of product management, Cox Automotive Media. (4:15 p.m. breakout session Wednesday with eBay Motors’ Roy Daves on “Millennials and Their Digital Tools: The Next Big CPO Market.”)
- Todd Kinzle, Cox Automotive senior director of enterprise product strategy (8:30 a.m. breakout session Thursday on “Find Your Sweet Spot & Build The Business You Really Want.”)
- Bob Taar, vice president of sales and client services, Ready Logistics (2:15 p.m. breakout session Thursday on “New Era in Vehicle Transport.”)
- Majd Saboura, director of vAuto wholesale business development (3:15 p.m. breakout session Thursday on “An Evolutionary View of Wholesale Acquisition.”) Saboura is also scheduled for a 9:45 a.m. breakout session Wednesday with Brian Miller of eBay Motors and Kerri Wise of TrueCar on “Competing Against the Emerging Industry Disrupters.”
- Will Chandler of NextGear Capital, who was slated for a 4:15 p.m. Tuesday breakout session on “Floorplanning Tips for the Independent Dealer” along with Ian Anderson of Westlake and Johnny Shroyer of AFC.
- Shane O’Dell, president of Cox Automotive Financial Solutions, who was set to deliver a 10:30 a.m. general session address Tuesday on “Forecasting the Future of the Auto Industry.”
For a complete agenda, visit www.niadaconvention.com.
And be sure to catch members of the Used Car Week and Auto Remarketing team this week at booth #1825.
KAR Auction Services announced that four of its leaders from KAR and its ADESA and Automotive Finance Corp. business units will be featured speakers and panelists at the National Independent Auto Dealers Association Convention & Expo this week in Las Vegas.
The vehicle remarketing and technology solutions provider’s speakers include KAR chief economist Tom Kontos, AFC chief operating officer Joe Keadle, ADESA director of dealer consulting services Doug Hadden and AFC vice president of operations Johnny Shroyer.
KAR said Kontos and Keadle plan to discuss the current and anticipated economic strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to independent dealers on Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (PDT).
On Tuesday, Hadden will deliver a presentation on higher net profits that examines different ways to navigate through lower margins while achieving higher net profits and Shroyer will join other industry experts on the Floorplanning Tips for the Independent Dealer panel.
Both of those are on Tuesday from 4:15 p.m.to 5:00 p.m. (PDT).
For more information about the convention and this year’s speakers, visit www.niada.com.
Along with announcing the newest addition to its national member benefit program the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association highlighted that for the fifth consecutive year, ADESA, AFC and IAA — all part of KAR Auction Services — will auction off a premier vehicle during the NIADA Convention and Expo to benefit the NIADA Foundation.
This year's vehicle is a red 2016 Nissan Frontier SV crew cab pickup with a 4.0L V6 engine, 5-speed automatic, 26,167 miles on the odometer and gray cloth interior.
The truck will be on display in the Expo Hall during the Convention, which begins Monday at The Mirage in Las Vegas. The Expo opens the next evening.
The auction will be held at 1:30 p.m. next Thursday at the NIADA Dealer Lounge in the center of the Expo Hall.
ADESA will transport the vehicle for free for the winning bidder to any location in the continental U.S.
All proceeds from the auction will benefit the NIADA Foundation, which spearheads the association’s commitment to charitable giving as well as awarding scholarships to deserving college-bound students across the nation and providing training and educational opportunities to automobile dealers and the general public.
Past foundation activities include significant donations to charities such as the Heart of a Warrior Foundation, contributions for disaster relief efforts and endowments for university scholarships.
Over the past four years, the ADESA/AFC/IAA-sponsored auctions at the NIADA Convention have raised a total of $97,200 for the NIADA Foundation. During last year's event, a 2015 Chrysler 300 Limited sold for $27,500.
Net Driven partners with NIADA
In other news, Net Driven has joined NIADA’s national member benefit program to provide association members with a variety of digital marketing solutions, from custom websites and SEO to social media and online reputation management.
Net Driven provides digital marketing services exclusively to the auto industry, working with more than 3,000 automotive businesses across North America to deliver custom, mobile-first website design, Internet marketing and SEO, social media management, call tracking and recording, online review management and more.
Net Driven's digital marketing capabilities are coupled with a 97 percent retention rate and customer support.
“Partnering with NIADA creates an opportunity for us to help its members by providing a results-driven program to achieve online success,” Net Driven general manager Eric Wellner said. “The website is just the beginning. What we offer NIADA members is a true business partner that will invest in their online success and work with them every step of the way. We don’t succeed unless they succeed. It’s that simple.”
Association members can take advantage of an immediate cost savings of up to $1,500 and a monthly savings of $25 on Net Driven's services through NIADA’s BenefitHub or by calling Net Driven directly.
Net Driven will set up a free one-on-one demo for NIADA members and offers an evaluation of their unique business needs to develop a custom solution.
“Net Driven's three-part solution is focused on one thing: results,” NIADA senior vice president of member services Scott Lilja said. “One hundred percent of what they do is focused on our industry, so we know our members are in good hands.
“Having a successful online presence today is about much more than just a website. Net Driven can provide services to help our members be present and get found online, and develop a positive and trustworthy online reputation,” Lilja went on to say.
For more information or to request a free personal demo, call (877) 860-2005 or visit netdriven.lpages.co/niada.
NIADA CPO program gets boost from eBay Motors
Furthermore, NIADA said it has launched an enhancement to its Certified Pre-Owned program, powered by eBay Motors.
The improved NIADA CPO program can enable independent dealerships to effectively manage and merchandise inventory, which can help increase sales, profits and inventory turn.
For eBay shoppers, the NIADA CPO program will continue to add quality inventory and instill purchasing confidence from reputable independent dealers.
“Through this improved NIADA CPO program, we're continuing to supply auto dealers with the tools and technology that support enhanced inventory management and lead generation," eBay Motors general manager of vehicles Tony Hoang said.
“We constantly focus on offering buyers the best selection and a convenient, secure experience. Working with NIADA dealers provides buyers additional peace of mind and access to a large selection of certified pre-owned vehicles from trusted independent auto dealers,” Hoang continued.
This strengthened CPO program can give more power to dealers who manage listings on eBay Motors by providing tools that:
—Efficiently export CPO inventory to third-party digital marketing auto portals, including dealers' own websites.
—Process and print standardized buyers guides and window labels.
—Report inventory movement and pricing trends.
The NIADA CPO program’s new merchandising platform can offer value to dealerships and can help drive increased inventory turnover, online lead traffic, market intelligence and cost reductions and efficiencies.
“This new platform builds on the success of previous initiatives of the NIADA Certified program,” Lilja said. "Through this enhanced digital platform, NIADA member CPO program clients will gain increased insights to traffic and inventory leads, which we believe will lead to increased sales.”
For more information, call (877) 310-0288.
For the third year in a row, Donlen has been recognized by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR) as one of Chicago's Best and Brightest Companies to Work For, the company recently announced.
Dolen and other winners will be honored at a symposium and awards celebration on July 17 at the Chicago Marriott Southwest at Burr Ridge.
"Employee satisfaction and development drives our award-winning culture here at Donlen," the company’s human resources business partner Kelly Elliott said in a news release. "We promote an empowering environment that gives our employees the resources and opportunities they need to find success, grow, and contribute to the exceptional fleet experience that Donlen provides our customers.
“We are honored to be recognized by the Chicago’s Best and Brightest organization and we thank our employees for their dedication and efforts to make Donlen a desirable and productive workplace.”
NABR selected this year's winning companies using an independent research firm that evaluates each company's entry in the following categories, according to Donlen:
—Compensation, benefits and employee solutions
—Employee enrichment, engagement and retention
—Employee education and development
—Recruitment, selection and orientation
—Employee achievement and recognition
—Communication and shared vision
—Diversity and inclusion
—Work-life balance
—Community initiatives
—Strategic company performance
—Best of the Best Small Business, Medium Business and Large Business.
“Profitability and stability is essential for businesses in today’s economic climate. Companies that recognize that their employees are the key to their success achieve staying power,” said Jennifer Kluge, president and chief executive officer of MBPA, an affiliate of NABR. “Our 2017 winners create their human resource standards to ensure employee satisfaction and they set standards for every business to aspire toward. We are proud to honor this year’s winners.”
For more information about the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For organization, visit www.101bestandbrightest.com.
XLerate Group recently announced that it has brought on Tom Francois as the new general manager of the group’s Badger State Auto Auction in Fond du Lac, Wis.
Francois succeeds Tim Netz, who is retiring after 18 years of service at the auction.
“We are grateful to Tim Netz for his leadership, service and dedication to Badger State Auto Auction and wish Tim the best in retirement. At the same time, we are excited to have Tom Francois join the XLerate Group Auction family,” XLerate chief executive officer Cam Hitchcock said in a news release. “Tom brings over 30 years in sales and auto auction management, plus extensive experience in the automotive remarketing industry, serving as the past president of the Midwest Chapter and long-standing board member at both the regional and national levels of the National Auto Auction Association.”
Francois said his ability to build and maintain strong client relationships has attributed to his success as a leader, according to XLerate.
“I look forward to linking clients with XLerate’s innovative solutions,” Francois said. “My priority is to ensure every dealer receives top-notch service and great execution.”
Francois holds a B.A. degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin – Lacrosse.
GEAA celebrates 13 years
In other auction news, Greater Erie Auto Auction recently celebrated its 13th anniversary with over 500 cars in the lanes and $10,000 in prizes for dealers during its latest sales event held this month.
“I want to thank all of our dealers and our great employees for 13 wonderful years. Without their daily and weekly support, this would not be possible,” GEAA managing partner Todd Briggs said.
On May 9, AFC and NextGear ran special floor plan promos which drew dealers from 14 states, either in-lane or via simulcast.
Dave Warren of Dave Warren Chrysler Dodge Jeep won the auction’s grand prize, a John Deere riding lawnmower.
“Everyone at GEAA strives to do what is right for our customers daily, and our staff has worked diligently to make Greater Erie a great place to be each week for dealers to buy and sell inventory,” Briggs added.
