FRANKLIN, TN – ServNet announced that three of its members have recently acquired new auction locations: Sparkling City Auto Auction of San Antonio, owned by Wade Walker; El Paso Independent Auto Auction, owned by Bob McConkey, Greg Mahugh, and Ron Kemp; and Brasher's San Jose Auto Auction, owned by the Brasher family. Brasher's San Jose Auto Auction held its first sale in July. Sparkling City Auto Auction of San Antonio will premiere in early November, and El Paso Independent Auto Auction plans a late fourth-quarter opening.
"These may be challenging times in the industry, but they are also exciting times, and ServNet auctions are proving once again that they have the experience and commitment to succeed, build and grow," said ServNet's president Jeff Brasher. "ServNet auctions are moving forward, building market share and developing new opportunities for buyers and sellers."
Walker has announced that his new auction, Sparkling City Auto Auction of San Antonio, is set to hold its first sale on November 10th. Built in 2008, the facility was acquired last summer by the Walker family, which has operated Sparkling City Auto Auction of Corpus Christi since 1990. Situated on 33 acres of rolling hills on the north side of San Antonio, the auction will open with two auction lanes, although Walker expects to open three additional lanes within the near future.
"Ever since I opened the Corpus Christi auction, my customers told me that there was a need for a good, strong independent auction in the San Antonio area and urged me to open an auction there. In Corpus, we have 400 to 500 dealers within a 45 mile radius; in San Antonio, there are ten times that many. When the opportunity came to purchase this facility, it didn't take us long to decide it was time to expand and offer ServNet's brand of superior service in San Antonio!"
Walker reports that the San Antonio auction will run weekly on Wednesday. Ashley and Weldon Dietze, Walker's daughter and son-in-law, will manage operations at the new facility, while his son Ace Walker will oversee operations in Corpus Christi. Walker will split his time between the two auctions, in order to serve customers at both locations on sale day.
El Paso Independent Auto Auction (EPI), joins an auction family that includes DAA Northwest (DAA) and Kansas City Independent Auto Auction (KCI). A greenfield site built to serve the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, EPI is owned by Bob McConkey, Greg Mahugh and Ron Kemp. Additionally, industry veteran Robert Sullivan will oversee EPI's launch operations and serve as the auction's national accounts manager.
"The El Paso market is a prime opportunity for us," reports McConkey. "The city itself is an excellent site for an auto auction, with a stable employment base and a vibrant business environment, fed by the federal government, the military and the more than 70 Fortune 500 companies that call El Paso home. The area has been under-served, so we have a tremendous opportunity to serve dealers and institutional accounts that have been transporting their vehicles out of the area."
"We're committed to providing dealers and national accounts with the same levels of service and performance that they've grown accustomed to from both DAA and KCI, and we are thrilled to be working with two industry pros to make that happen," continued McConkey. "Ron Kemp, who will oversee the operation as general manager, is well known in the auction and remarketing world, and knows this market well. We are also very pleased to have Bob Sullivan on our team; his years of experience and his business philosophy are a tremendous asset to us, both as we put our operation in place and serve national accounts."
Brasher's San Jose Auto Auction is a four-lane facility operating as a satellite of Brasher's Sacramento Auto Auction. Located on the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, Brasher's San Jose Auto Auction currently offers new and used car dealer consignments and rental returns every Thursday at 9:30 am.
"We have long looked at the San Jose market as a great opportunity to serve the new and used car dealers in the Bay Area," said John Brasher. "With real estate values being what they are, we determined that this was an excellent time to launch an auction to serve dealers in the heart of San Jose."
Brasher reports that industry veteran Gary Mobley heads the management team at Brasher's San Jose Auto Auction.
"Gary is known throughout the industry as a true professional, a man of tremendous experience and reputation who knows how to run an auto auction," said Brasher. "He is a great find for us at Brasher's, and shares our dedication to superior customer service."
