Bobit Business Media and Vehicle Remarketing Reporter presented the Consignor of the Year and Remarketer of the Year awards at the 2013 Conference of Automotive Remarketing (CAR), held March 6-7 in Las Vegas.

The Consignor of the Year award was presented to Bob Graham, vice president of Vehicle Remarketing for ARI. Graham was voted Consignor of the Year in an online ballot by remarketing industry professionals.

Upon accepting his award, Graham said: “I’ve spent my career in the remarketing industry trying to be both a student and a leader, and it’s always gratifying and humbling to be recognized with an award like Consignor of the Year.”

Graham is marking his fourth decade in the fleet industry. He joined ARI in 1973, starting in the new vehicle ordering area, progressing to maintenance management, and, finally, to vehicle remarketing, where he has served as manager, director, and, since 2010, vice president. During his tenure, Graham has been instrumental in moving ARI's remarketing program to a dynamic web-based environment, leading to ARI AutoDirect, ARI BuyDirect, and ARI's Virtual Market programs.

He is active in the industry and served two years as president of the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance (IARA) and currently serves as chairman.

The Remarketer of the Year award was presented to Henry Stanley, owner Carolina Auto Auction and Indiana Auto Auction.

"It is thrilling to receive this recognition from the remarketing community,” Stanley said. "I’m proud to be part of this industry, and am determined to continue spreading the message that the auto auction offers the best and most efficient way to remarket vehicles. I am particularly grateful for the commitment and support I receive from our auction general managers, Tommy Rogers and my son, Eric Autenrieth, along with our fleet/lease managers at both facilities, Sal Terranova and Jeff Aisel. They share my determination to offer the very best service to our customers, and they have proved year after year that our auctions have what it takes to lead the market.”

Stanley began his career in the auction industry in 1960 when he went to work as a ringman for Capital Auto Auction in Columbus, Ohio. He advanced to auctioneer before purchasing the auction in 1969, renaming it Ohio Auto Auction. Stanley and his wife, Patty, sold the auction to GE Credit and, in 1987, retired to Florida.

However, after a short time, Stanley and Patty bought Fort Knox Auto Auction in 1990, renaming it Carolina Auto Auction. In 2007, the Stanley auction family expanded with the purchase of Indiana Auto Auction in Fort Wayne, Ind. Over his five decades in the business, Stanley has sold more than one million vehicles. 

Stanley has also given back to the industry, serving as president of the NAAA from 1999 to 2000. As the Association’s leader, he worked to advance Internet communications and to standardize forms and policies. He has also been an avid supporter of the NAAA’s Warren Young Sr. Foundation, not only working hard with Patty in establishing the scholarship fund, but also founding two of its annual scholarships. The Stanleys’ commitment to the industry has more recently continued with key sponsorship and support of the newly formed Auction Academy, which is designed to train the next generation of auction leaders.

Over the years, Stanley’s auctions have been frequently cited for superior performance by the national remarketing community. Since 2005, Carolina Auto Auction has been named top auction in the nation five times for BB&T and five times for FISERV/RSA. Wheels has recognized Carolina Auto Auction as a Regional award winner on three different occasions along with regional awards from Donlen and Santander Consumer. In its first year of eligibility, Indiana Auto Auction placed second in RSA’s rankings in 2011, following up in 2012 as No. 1 in the nation. In 2012, Carolina Auto Auction was also named Auction of the Year by Donlen, as well as the top auction in the region by ARI. The Indiana Auto Auction was recognized as top auction nationally by Emkay.