Insurance Auto Auctions’ latest expansions, at branches in five states, add more than 110 acres to the company’s footprint in Alabama, Arkansas, Minnesota, New York and Texas.

In other auction news, Auction Management Solutions, which provides consulting services to automotive industry clients including independent auto auctions, has added Bloomsburg Auto Auction in Bloomsburg, Pa., as a client.

And one more piece of auto auction news released recently is that Butch Royall has joined Kansas Auto Auction–Wichita as general manager.

Regarding the Insurance Auto Auction news, the company has made land investments at IAA Huntsville (Ala.), IAA Little Rock (Ark.), IAA Minneapolis/St. Paul (Minn.), IAA Long Island (N.Y.), and IAA Houston North (Texas).

IAA said the expansions mark a continuing investment in its future growth, addressing logistical needs of sellers and providing buyers with increased inventory options.

IAA chief executive officer and president John Kett said in a news release that the expansions mean the company can gather and store more inventory for its sellers and offer more selection of vehicles to its buyers.

“By anticipating our current and new clients’ growing volume across the country, we continue to make strategic investments to meet their future needs and most importantly further enhance their auction experience,” Kett said.

Regarding the AMS/Bloomsburg Auto Auction news, AMS said Bloomsburg AA typically runs 200 units each Wednesday. Bloomsburg is the 24th auction in the AMS portfolio, and the third auction to join in the first quarter of 2019. Predominantly a dealer-consignment sale, Bloomsburg features on line bidding through Edge Pipeline as well as Auction Access.

The 15-acre auction is located near Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and Harrisburg and about a two-hour drive from Baltimore and Philadelphia. The auction sits on 15 acres that once served as a truck terminal before John Vance converted the facility into an auction.

After Vance’s long career as an auctioneer along the Eastern Seaboard, he and Heather Vance opened Bloomsburg AA in 2013. Vance followed in his father Jim Vance’s footsteps and is still an auctioneer in the region. Jim Vance was also an auctioneer along the Eastern Seaboard and is still an auctioneer at the two-lane auction.

For Bloomsburg AA, Heather Vance runs the offices and oversees personnel. John’s son, J.D., 22, works in sales, and his youngest son, Parker, 19, performs maintenance and other duties at the auction. John’s mother, Ruth, works the office on sale day. Jim, of course, works the auction block.

“John Vance, his family, and the entire team at Bloomsburg are fantastic people,” Tom Stewart, president of AMS, said in a news release. “We’ll be working together to increase both vendor and buyer business from a strong base.”

“We welcome the opportunity to work with AMS,” John Vance said. “Tom’s knowledge of the industry [coupled] with his hard-working team and contacts, will benefit us tremendously.”

Regarding the Mid Kansas AA news, Mark Ottley, president and chief executive officer of Mid Kansas Auto Auctions said new Kansas Auto Auction – Wichita general manager Royall has won several awards during his career, including the Ford Auction of the Year while he was general manager of Lauderdale Miami Auto Auction. In 2013, Royall teamed with Mike Hockett to build ABC Baton Rouge. The auction sold in 2017, and Royall retired.

“Butch brings a wealth of experience, and we feel he will be a great coach for our young and talented team,” Ottley said in a news release.

Royall said he was coming out of retirement because, “I missed working with fleet accounts and I especially missed working with the dealers. And so, it was pretty easy to talk me into coming back, as the facility is new and Mark has brought together such a great team.”

Sitting on 30-plus acres, the five-lane Mid-Kansas Auto Auction – Wichita has a full reconditioning department featuring a five-bay mechanical shop and a two-line detail operation.

The auction opened in November. It features dealer and commercial vehicles.and conducts sales every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.