Black Book announced that its entire team of vehicle value editors and data analysts has become Certified Auto Remarketers under the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance (IARA). There have been only 64 professionals in the industry to pass the 20-course module, and this is the first time an entire guide book’s editorial staff has become certified.

Led by 30-year industry veteran, Ricky Beggs, Black Book’s editorial staff report the wholesale market as it happens, with a team of editors working with field survey personnel monitoring sales activity at more than sixty wholesale auctions daily throughout the country. As Black Book’s senior vice president and editorial director, Beggs was the third person ever to become certified by the IARA in 2009 and recertified in 2013 as part of the program.

“Black Book has proven to be a very proactive company by engaging their team in the pursuit to become Certified Automotive Remarketers,” said Dave Sutton, chairman of the CAR Certification Committee. “Education and training comes in many forms but the IARA’s member-developed curriculum is the most comprehensive source of Automotive Remarketing knowledge in the world.”

Industry professionals who undergo the certification program must pass a series of 20 course modules, which can take several months to complete. Once certified, those professionals have a deeper understanding of the overall industry and tend to be more in tune with the unique needs of remarketers, dealers, fleet managers and auto lenders.

“This significant accomplishment is just the latest example of our commitment to continuous improvement and learning,” said Tom Cross, Black Book president. “The better our team of editors understands the industry, the more accurate we can report and interpret the market, ultimately helping our clients make the most profitable decisions possible.”

Every phase of remarketing is covered in the program, including consignment, auction selection, reconditioning, arbitration, and condition reporting. 

“The process of becoming certified is designed to take up to three years to complete, yet we challenged our team to complete the program in ten months,” Beggs said.

In response to the challenge, every editor completed the full course in six months, and one editor successfully passed all 20 modules on the first attempt during a five-week period. During the test phase, a proctor visited Black Book’s campus on 15 separate occasions, spending three hours each visit administering the exams.