Manheim Expands Its Mobile Auction Network Local Inventory

ATLANTA – Meeting dealers where they are, creating local partnerships and providing technology to power auction sales are the driving forces behind Manheim’s mobile auction growth. With dealer and commercial consignors seeking more access to remarketing options, Manheim is expanding its mobile auction network to new cities in the Northeast and Midwest. Currently, Manheim conducts more than 45 mobile auction sales each month, including 27 recurring and 18 event sales. 

We created mobile auction sales over a decade ago to offer dealers local access to inventory, and they continue to play an important role today, especially with the industry’s tight supplies.

The Manchester Rochester location (previously Central Auto Auction), in partnership with Bob Johnson Automotive Group, represents the first-ever physical presence for Manheim and clients in the region. The sale, powered by Manheim technology and staffing, will be the largest Manheim mobile auction in the area. The Novi, Michigan sale was added in August and is hosted by Manheim Detroit.

“We created mobile auction sales over a decade ago to offer dealers local access to inventory, and they continue to play an important role today, especially with the industry’s tight supplies,” said Tim Janego, Manheim regional vice president. “We’re excited about growing sales, with Manheim Rochester being our largest dealer offering in the East.”  

Manheim’s mobile auctions are offered to clients in three ways through:  

• 20+ locally branded facilities nationwide via Digital Block™ sales. These sales can start with one anchor partner and expand to multiple consignors, such as Manheim Iowa that opened in 2018.
• Dedicated units (trailers and buses) outfitted to conduct sales in-person and via Simulcast 
• Event sales, that can be held at different venues based on consignor preference. Sellers provide the vehicles and location, with the ideal mobile auction candidate having at least 100 vehicles for sale each month. In addition to delivering a targeted buyer base, these sales also enable consignors to reduce transportation and travel costs.

All of these options include an auctioneer and support staff, along with the services dealers rely upon, such as financing, condition reports and assurance solutions.  Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, all sales require dealers to wear face coverings, practice social distancing and follow CDC guidelines.

Not only does Manheim bring the technology and expertise to host an auction anywhere, anytime; it also uses targeted marketing to deliver an average of 1.25 online and in-person buyers per car run in each sale.

“Manheim’s mobile auction has been great for our wholesale business,” said Tyler Steinman, vice president and general manager, Foothills Toyota in Burlington, Washington. “We have lower costs, higher grosses and spend less time moving units, giving us more productivity time.”

“We have been very happy with our mobile sale and designed it so that our dealerships can bond together and have a unified remarketing response with our trades and aged units,” said Chad Leavitt, CAO, Findlay Automotive Group. “Prior to this sale, our stores were selling in various lanes and auctions, and our buyers had to work hard to find all of our inventory. I worked with Manheim and Cox Automotive to design this sale specifically to meet our needs while keeping in mind the needs of our buyers and their experience.” 

For a complete list of Manheim’s mobile auctions, click here.

For further information: Lois Rossi, Sr. Director, Public Relations, at 678.557.8904 or [email protected]

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Originally posted on F&I and Showroom