FRANKLIN, TN - The ServNet Auction Group recently added Pittsburgh Independent Auction to ServNet’s roster. ServNet officials have announced that two BSC America facilities will join the network of premiere independent auto auctions: Bel Air Auto Auction in Maryland and Tallahassee Auto Auction in Florida.
“ServNet’s owners and board are very happy to join forces with BSC America. The Nichols family operates two top-notch auctions which fill strategic locations in ServNet’s growing national footprint,” said Keith Lelux, owner and managing partner of the Charleston Auto Auction and president of ServNet.
Banking Services Corporation (BSC America), the parent company for both Bel Air Auto Auction and Tallahassee Auto Auction, was founded in 1980 by Raymond Nichols, an industry leader who served as NAAA president in 2002. In 1980, the family-run company acquired Bel Air Auto Auction, and, in 1993, bought the Tallahassee Auto Auction. Ray Nichols serves as Chairman of the Board for BSC America; his son, Charles Nichols, is the company’s president, and his daughter, Michelle Nichols-Neff, is vice president–marketing.
In addition to their responsibilities with BSC America, Charles Nichols and Michelle Nichols-Neff oversee the operations of Bel Air Auto Auction, one of the Mid-Atlantic’s largest and most active auctions, which manages the flow of more than 75,000 vehicles a year. Handling consignments from dealers and private business fleets as well as those from public service and government agencies, Bel Air Auto Auction sells on six auction lanes every Thursday. The auction is strategically located on 50+ acres near I-95, just 28 miles from Baltimore and 80 miles from Philadelphia and provides a wide range of auto-related services, including floor planning, storage, transportation, Internet sales, full reconditioning, and certification.
Every Friday, Tallahassee Auto Auction offers a broad consignment inventory that includes cars, trucks, motorcycles, vans, boats, and heavy equipment. The facility is situated just south of Florida’s state capital and minutes from Tallahassee Regional Airport. General Manager, Ginger White, recognized as Auction Person of the Year 2005 by leaders of the FIADA, leads the auction team at Tallahassee Auto Auction, the fast-growing auction in the region. Like its sister auction, Tallahassee Auto Auction provides a complete spectrum of auction services to serve the remarketing needs of the area’s fleet, lease bank, and finance companies.
As for ServNet’s continuing plans to expand into other markets, ServNet CEO Pierre Pons said that the group is “actively and aggressively identifying, visiting, and speaking with the best and strongest independent auctions in regions of the country where we currently don’t have market representation.”
Pons said that the group is looking to expand into other major markets and hopes to close three or four of those deals by year’s end.
