With a commitment to meeting the needs of local dealers and establishing auction operations in underserved markets, Manheim has partnered with TR Group to establish 4 Star Auto Auction in Valley, Ala. Built from the ground up, the new location sits on nearly 22 acres and will operate two auction lanes with the ability to expand to three lanes, as needed. 

The $4.2 million facility leverages Manheim’s technology, expertise and staffing, along with the services dealers rely on such as financing, condition reports and assurance solutions. The first sale was held on May 29 and attracted 189 dealers in-lane and online. Of the 85 vehicles offered, nearly half were sold.

“When Manheim approached me about partnering on this new location, I thought it was a great opportunity,” said Terry Ratliff, owner and principal of Opelika, Alabama-based TR Group. “The Manheim brand is synonymous with quality, something I’ve spent 20 years building at TR Group, so the partnership was a natural fit.”

Manheim’s mobile strategy was initially developed to offer independent and small franchise dealers more convenient ways to buy and sell vehicles. The Valley auction joins Manheim Birmingham to give the wholesale auto auction company two operating locations in Alabama. 

“Since we began offering mobile auctions in 2014, we have learned a lot,” said Doug Kramer, Market Center leader for Manheim’s southeast region. “In addition to bringing convenient and needed inventory to dealers where they live and work, mobile auctions provide quality inventory and services, along with historically solid conversion rates, to help our dealers grow their business.”  

4 Star Auto Auction is planning a grand opening sale event on July 24.