ATLANTA and CARMEL, IN – Manheim and J.D. Byrider, the nation’s leading used car and finance company franchise, announced a partnership through which Manheim will provide a series of two-day training courses for employees of J.D. Byrider franchises located throughout the country.

These comprehensive buyer training courses will be taught on site by Manheim professionals. The courses pair J.D. Byrider’s existing internal policies and guidelines with Manheim’s extensive training resources, best practices and buying strategies. The first of the courses is set for December 7 at the J.D. Byrider Corporate training facility in Carmel; the full series continue throughout 2011.

“Training and continuing education for J.D. Byrider franchise buyers is essential, especially in this current market,” said Susie Heins, Vice President, Major Dealers, Manheim. “Our goal is to help the key members of the J.D. Byrider team learn exactly how to locate and bid on the best inventory for their customer base in order to stay ahead of market competition.”

As Manheim and J.D. Byrider partnered to meet this need, Manheim team members took the existing internal processes and philosophies of J.D. Byrider and then aligned them with Manheim’s expertise on the auction side, Heins said.

“The result is a comprehensive buyer training course for buyers that covers practically anything they might find helpful to successfully navigate an auto auction,” said James F. DeVoe Jr., CEO, J.D. Byrider.

“With more than 120 J.D. Byrider dealerships across the nation, owned by either franchisees or the company, we’ve sold more than 800,000 vehicles since we began,” DeVoe said. “By partnering with Manheim, we’ll be able to show our dealers across America how to secure the best inventory at the most competitive prices, to ensure they always provide the cars and trucks our customers need and want with affordable payments, warranties and on-site service.”

During day one of the buyer training, all content is specific to J.D. Byrider’s internal processes. Members of the Manheim team will then conduct deep-dive sessions into critical topics such as arbitration, inspections, frame damage and much more. Another day’s training is held onsite at an auction, walking franchise buyers through the location and helping them participate in a condition report. This gives them a broad overview of the auction environment.

“This is a great partnership for us because our two companies share many core principles,” Heins indicated. “The people throughout the J.D. Byrider enterprise know each other well and have a lot of integrity. We found an opportunity to partner with a key customer and get a better idea of how we can help dealers as a whole. Our goal is to leave them with a level of comfort with Manheim so that we’re their first choice for all their remarketing needs.”