Our thanks to the team at Dealernews for their August feature
story on Manheim Specialty growth. The story is also available online. A few highlights:
- 24% increase in Motorcycle buyers and 35% increase in number of Motorcycles sold at Manheim Specialty Auctions between 2006-2009
- Approximately 50% of Motorcycle and PowerSports inventory sells online
- Manheim Specialty growth this year includes expansion in Indianapolis (now 40,000 sq. ft) and Daytona Beach (now 45,000 sq. ft)
We think you'll take at least a couple ideas from the article about how Manheim Specialty Auctions can help you Power Your Profits, and we're available at specialtyauctions@manheim.com or 877-704-INFO (4636) to answer any additional questions.
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
While the primary audience for an Economic Forecast and Financial Forum earlier this month in Chicago was automotive, the speakers spent much of their time on economic trends that impact Specialty dealers as well. Check out a full report here, and below are some highlights:
- Melinda Zabritski, director of automotive credit at Experian, said that while
30- and 60-day delinquencies are still increasing, the rates at which they're going up are decreasing. And the highest delinquency rates are on loans originated in 2006 and 2007.
- From Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, senior economist for Ford Motor Co.: "Chronic deficits and debt" continue to drag down the economy and challenge retail sales, we've seen consumer spending increase in recent months
- Mark Vitner, managing director and senior economist for Wells Fargo Securities, cautioned that unemployment is likely to remain close to 10% through 2010. The economy is adding jobs, but that growth will be offset by more job hunters entering or re-entering the market. "High unemployment won't keep the economy from growing, but it may keep it from growing very fast," he said.
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
"Buy exactly the right style and type of pre-owned RVs when you need them, and 
sell inventory that's taking up space for too long (and costing you money)." Easier said than done, right? RV Pro turned to Manheim Specialty Auctions General Manager Karen Braddy to address the topic in their May, 2010 edition. Click here for the full article, and see below for highlights:
- More consumers are looking for pre-owned units: from retiring baby boomers looking to make those trips they've been dreaming about to younger families wanting to experience RVing for the first time, "RV professionals generally agree that the increased demand is very much focused on quality pre-owned units."
- Auctions are increasingly focusing on RV dealers. At Manheim we have 11 locations specifically branded to sell RVs. These locations have dedicated staff - from inspection and reconditioning to sales and marketing to titles and documentation, these auctions have staff trained in the RV space.
- Sourcing and selling inventory 24/7 - Auctions allow dealers to preview and buy inventory online, and they offer dealers opportunities to research condition reports and pricing. At Manheim, we post inventory online and offer buying opportunities in-lane and online. We also produce a monthly market report available at no charge so dealers can see recent sale prices.
Auctions are a dynamic stage where buyers and sellers can maximize profitability. We encourage you to visit a sale, get to know the staff, and learn how you can take advantage. We're always available at specialtyauctions@manheim.com and 877-704-INFO (4636).
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
Manheim is proud to have been selected to host three 2010 Road Rally sales this summer and fall. Harley-Davison Financial Services established this program in response to dealer needs, and each sale will feature both closed sales for Harley-Davidson dealers and open sales for all registered dealers.
Each sale will have at least 150 late-model Harley-Davidson motorcycles
available. Manheim sales will be held June 29-30 at Manheim Seattle, August 24-25 at Manheim Denver and October 20-21 at Manheim Tucson.
Since announcing the Road Rally sales last week, Harley-Davidson Financial Services has seen significant media coverage. Here are just a few of the articles:
Please check back as sale dates approach for more information, and we look forward to you joining the Rally. You may also contact us at specialtyauctions@manheim.com or 877-704-INFO (4636) with any questions.
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
We at Manheim are constantly touched by how active our customers are with community and charitable giving programs. We do our best at the local and
national levels to support charities that matter to our employees and our customers, and one of those charities is the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Ride for Life. This year's event, the largest annual charity ride in the U.S., raised more than $978,000 for MDA this year and has raised more than $15 million since 1986.
A group of 38 Harley-Davidson dealers from the Eastern Harley-Davidson Dealers Association in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia 
organized the event, which began and ended in Reading, PA. More than 1,000 motorcyclists participated in this year's Ride for Life. Congrats to Schaeffer's Harley-Davidson in Orwigsburg, PA for raising more than $235,000 and to Classic Harley-Davidson in Reading for raising more than $117,498. Wow!
"I can't think of any group of business owners that's more active in charitable giving than motorcycle and car dealers," said General Manager of Manheim Specialty and Heavy Truck & Equipment Auctions Karen Braddy. "Manheim is proud to support the MDA Ride for Life and is touched by the generosity of the event organizers and participants."
So who else participated in this ride? Any interesting stories from the day you'd like to share? What other upcoming events would you like fellow Manheim Specialty customers to know about?
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
Manheim Consulting Chief Economist Tom Webb writes a monthly Industry Brief targeting Manheim customers, media and analysts, in which he relates economic
trends to the remarketing business. Many of these trends have a direct impact on the retail Specialty business as well, so we encourage dealers to view a recent article featuring report commentary. The monthly report is available for purchase from Manheim Consulting.
On the whole Webb pointed to numerous signs the economy is strengthening, although not as rapidly as many would like and not without some concerning trends. Highlights of the report include:
- Positive economic signs include increasing total household net worth and retail sales, as well as gradual employment gains
- Negative economic signs include recent declines in consumer mortgage debt occurring in large part due lenders writing off mortgages due to foreclosure and bankruptcy as well as a February decrease in Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) versus a year ago
There is no shortage of economic news, but ultimately we want to hear from dealers. What are you seeing and hearing from customers at your dealerships? What changes in customer confidence, ability to receive retail financing and interest in buying vehicles are you experiencing?
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
Welcome to our latest '5 Questions with...' article, where we interview the Manheim Specialty Auctions staff who serve our customers every day. Today's interview is with David Thompson, Manheim Specialty Auctions manager at Manheim Southern California.
How long have you been in the auction business, and what sparked your interest in auctions?
Although I've only worked at an auction the last 5 years, I've been in remarketing for about 15 years now. I worked for a major rental car company in remarketing in Chicago and New York. I sold a
portion of my units at auction and in almost all cases the auction was a Manheim auction location. I always had great experiences. What really made me want to work for Manheim came down to a handful of instances. I was at a conference and heard Tom Webb speak and describe Manheim. It sounded like a company I really wanted to work for. Denis Worthy, the GM at Manheim Milwaukee, had a lot to do with finalizing my desire to work with Manheim. I admired the way Denis ran his business. That sold me that Manheim was a company I really wanted to work for. Ed Pullen, now retired GM for Manheim, invited me out to visit his auction and possibly work for him. During my visit I got up on the block and feeling the energy, knew I had to work for the auction. Ed gave me an opportunity and here I am.
Manheim Southern California offers all Specialty categories as well as Heavy Trucks. How do you handle the logistics of so many sales?
I am incredibly lucky to have outstanding support from management, the other departments and a team I would put up against anyone. The desire to perform and work as a team runs very deep at our auction. That coupled with constant, meaningful communication to the right people and working as far into the future as our accounts enable us to it actually runs very smoothly. Sale day is the most relaxed and fun day of the week in many ways.
What are the pressing needs and concerns you hear from customers these days?
The easy answer a customer may shoot off the cuff is often about profit or lot traffic but the real answer is a bit more. Both our 
buyers and sellers are always concerned about leveraging technology to meet their goals. Buyers are especially concerned about finding enough inventory and finding financing sources. All customers also want to make sure they are being treated fairly. So much of what we do is about assuring buyers and sellers are getting a fair deal. It could be run order, taking internet bids v. in lane bids, proper announcements and many other things. Buyers and sellers really want to make sure Manheim and the location(s) they deal with have their best interest at heart.
What is the best part of working at Manheim Southern California on sale day?
The energy and seeing the end result of the efforts of a great team. I mean more than just the auction team here too. I count our buyers and sellers as part of the team. If we don't work together and think of it holistically I think we jeopardize everyone's future success.
Tell us a little about yourself we might not know from seeing you on sale day - hobbies, interests, family, etc.?
I am exceptionally lucky to be a part of a great family. My wife and I have a 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter. There is a lot of energy at our house! Every chance we get you'll find us all at the beach. I really enjoy reading and working out when I can.
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
This week the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reported that motorcycle thefts declined by more than 10% from 2008 to 2009. Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Harley-Davidson bikes were stolen most often, and those brands represented almost 80% of all bikes stolen last year.
We're interested in your perspective on this. Have you seen or heard similar feedback at your dealership and from your customers? If so, what do you think is causing the decline - is it simply a matter of fewer motorcycles being sold last year leading to fewer thefts, or is something else happening?
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
Since Manheim Specialty Auctions launched in 2005, we've seen steady growth in online sales. Currently almost 40% of our volume
sells via Simulcast or OVE.com - including
Thursday Thunder sales. Although many dealers are gaining confidence previewing and buying online, we also hear from a lot of customers who still have questions or concerns with going online for Specialty inventory.
To help our customers' online comfort levels, we're kicking off a blog series that helps you understand how to get the most out of http://www.manheimspecialtyauctions.com/. We'll walk you through everything from finding and sorting inventory to saving units in a ‘workbook' so you can review them periodically and receive emails when that type of inventory is available at a Manheim Specialty branded location.
As always, we encourage your feedback and have staff dedicated to.jpg)
each type of Specialty vehicle who can help you - please contact us at specialtyauctions@manheim.com or 877- 877-704-INFO (4636) and let us know how we can help. Also please check out our Online Quick Start Guide, which walks you through utilizing Manheim's online channels in more detail.
Getting Started - Finding and Sorting Inventory
When you're ready to start looking for Specialty inventory, we recommend you turn to one of two pages:
- The Manheim Specialty Event Calendar shows you all upcoming Specialty sales which can be filtered by category and location, and allows you to link to that location's pre-sale inventory. From there you can see specific units available for sale, along with condition report and vehicle description information.
- Manheim PowerSearch allows you to make a broad or targeted inventory search among all Manheim locations. Search categories include vehicle type, make/model, geography and more.
Once you begin pulling up inventory on PowerSearch, you can dig deeper into the units that pop up. What condition is the vehicle in?
What location offers it, and is it available on OVE.com or just in-lane and via Simulcast? You can also sort search inventory by a variety of options to narrow your search to specific vehicles you want to target. All this information and more, including pictures and features, are available.
Manheim also offers insight into helping you estimate vehicle prices. To receive a monthly market report including sale prices for Specialty units, please contact us at specialtyauctions@manheim.com.
We encourage you to spend a few minutes with the Manheim Specialty Auctions event calendar and PowerSearch to become more familiar with the inventory available to you. Be sure to check back soon for an overview of how to set up a Workbook of inventory to monitor periodically so you can continue making the most of your time online. We'll look forward to seeing you soon - in lane and/or online!
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing
Powersports Business has announced that the 2010 Powersports
Business Conference and Expo - ProfitX - will take place September 19-21 at Red Rock Casino Resort Spa in Las Vegas.
Manheim Specialty Auctions was among the more than 350 attendees at the first ProfitX event in 2009. We learned a lot, developed some great relationships with dealers and felt like the event struck a very good balance between trade show, educational seminars, one-on-one discussions and networking.
You can follow event updates at www.powersportsbusiness.com/PSBCE, and we'll blog about where you can find us as the event draws closer. We'll look forward to seeing you there.
Chris Hood is a Senior Marketing Manager at Manheim and has 15 years' experience in auction, sports and event marketing.