June 26, 2014 On the heels of graduating its first Class Group (the “Sons & Daughters” Class) in March during the CAR Conference in Las Vegas, Auction Academy reports a busy second quarter of 2014. Academy President Richard Curtis reports that Auction Academy launched its third Class Group in April, followed in May with a session at Southern Auto Auction for Class Group 3 (“Managers” Group).
“In mid-April we launched our third Class Group, holding the opening session in Nashville, TN,” says Curtis. “The first to address the group was industry veteran Tony Moorby, who highlighted his long career in the auction industry, which began in England and later included assignments as President/CEO of ADT Automotive and as an executive with ADESA . The next day the class visited ADESA Nashville, where General Manager Dan Dietsch led an extensive tour of the facility, followed back at the classroom by Kevin Cullum of NMAC provided an overview of Nissan Remarketing.“
Curtis notes that the two day session also included presentations by Pierre Pons, who reviewed the history of the auction industry, David Nutter of Direct Auction Services who outlined cost benchmarking in auction accounting and Joe Miller who covered working aspects of AutoIMS.
Students in Auction Academy’s third Class Group include: Ryan Bateman (Sanford Auto Dealers Exchange), Julie Daniel (NextGear Capital), Brandon Derrick (Memphis AA), Matt Groller (Bel Air AA), Heath Hale (Alliance AA), Wanda Jowers (Carolina AA), Ashley Magee (Alliance AA), Bill McCready (Charleston AA), Ryan Milletics (Harrisburg AA), Jodie Plaunt (Grand Rapids AA), Angelica Rotsart (Lynnway AA), Shelly Walker (Pittsburgh AA), Andrew Whisenhunt (ABC Birmingham), and Nadina Williams (Alliance AA).
The third Class Group heads to Spokane, WA in mid-July for its next Auction AcademySession, which will be held in conjunction with the DAA Northwest Rock & Roll Sale.
Meanwhile, Auction Academy’s second class – the “Manager Group” – met during the second quarter in East Windsor, CT, where Larry Tribble and Garrison Hudkins of Southern AA presented a curriculum they developed that is geared to understanding both buying and selling dealer habits and strategies, as well as vehicle pricing.
“The students always have much to learn when visiting the largest Independent auction in the country, and the entire Southern team puts on a first class program,” said Curtis. He reports that the Manager Class Group is scheduled to graduate during its eighth and final session, when it meets during the IARA Summer Roundtable in Chicago in August.
Says Pierre Pons, CEO/Founder of Auction Academy: “We are certainly not resting on our laurels following the graduation of Auction Academy’s first Class Group. Dick and the entire Academy team completed a very strong series of sessions this past quarter, and the third quarter sessions will be equally as vibrant and informative.”
Pons added: “As we travel around the country, it is tremendously satisfying to see how the practices and processes observed by the students during the course of the Auction Academyhave been instituted at their own auction locations. Elevating the level of service to our clients and increasing operational efficiencies for the entire independent auction community was always a key goal of this program.”
Auction Academy will register a fourth Class Group immediately following the NAAA Convention this Fall. The two year curriculum for that group will begin in the first quarter of 2015.
The Auction Academy is a continuing education program developed by TPC Management Company (TPC) for professionals in the auto auction industry. It provides a two-year training and development experience for automotive auction professionals, structured like an Executive MBA program. With faculty drawn from expert practitioners around the country, Auction Academy’sprograms are designed to enhance essential skill sets, promote best practices and yield better auction performance. The curriculum includes site visits, field trips and work with industry experts in all areas of auction operations.
For additional information about Auction Academy, contact Richard Curtis by email: rcurtis@auctionacademy.net, or by telephone: (615) 591-0316; or visit the web site at www.auctionacademy.net.