CARMEL, Ind. -

ADESA president John Hammer says that although the majority of the company’s sales occur online and through its apps, its customers still experience a strong need for the facilities and services at its auction sites.

“Promoting high-quality, internal candidates into leadership positions at our physical auction locations provides smooth transitions and sets the stage for positive momentum as we continue to provide critical resources for our sellers and buyers,” Hammer said in a news release.

With that in mind, ADESA has named new general managers at two of its 74 North American auctions.

Those new GMs are David Claxton at ADESA Minneapolis and Terry Costner at ADESA Nashville.

ADESA also said Cheryl Toler has returned to ADESA Los Angeles as auction manager. Amanda Brendle becomes auction manager at ADESA Fresno.

Claxton joined ADESA Minneapolis as general sales manager in 2018. With more than 40 years of automotive experience, he learned body and paint repair in high school.

Claxton’s expertise includes owning and operating a licensed detail shop, and he has served as general manager for several dealerships and in sales leadership positions at ADP Dealer Services, DealerTrack eCarlist, and Team Velocity Marketing.

Claxton replaces Jay Fahrendorff, who recently retired.

As for Costner, he started his more than 35 years of car business experience as a car salesman. Eventually he owned and managed his own dealership.

In his role as a dealership owner, Costner was a frequent ADESA customer and brought that customer perspective to ADESA Nashville in 2017, when he joined the auction as general sales manager. Costner will work closely with retiring current general manager Harold Chapman and will transition into the role full-time on May 1.

“Dave is known for his dedication to solid team and people processes, making him a valued ADESA leader since joining the Minneapolis team,” ADESA chief operating officer Srisu Subrahmanyam said in a news release.

Talking about Costner, Subrahmanyam said, “Terry brings a passion for education to the job, approaching each day as an opportunity to discover something new, which will inspire the Nashville team to reach new heights.”

Regarding Toler, she first joined ADESA Los Angeles in 2002 as factory manager for Toyota.

She has held various leadership positions at ADESA Los Angeles and ADESA Las Vegas since then. Those positions include commercial account manager and assistant general manager. She went on to be promoted to her most recent position as general manager of ADESA Fresno.

Toler reports to ADESA Los Angeles general manager Ted Coates in her new position, in which she will focus on accelerating the auction’s reconditioning services.

And regarding Brendle, she has been in the car business all her life, and as a teenager she worked at her father’s independent car dealership.

She helped him open an independent auction, Fresno Auto Dealers Exchange, in 2011. Brasher’s auction group acquired that auction in 2015, and ADESA acquired it in 2016.

Over the years, Brendle’s increasing responsibilities include serving in roles including assistant manager, office manager, general sales manager and, most recently, as dealer relations manager.

“Cheryl’s knack for fostering strong customer relationships, along with more than 30 years of experience in the auto auction industry, make her a great fit for this role at our Los Angeles location,” Subrahmanyam said.

Subrahmanyam continued, “Amanda has established long-lasting relationships with customers in the Fresno market, which positions her perfectly to grow the business at that site organically.”