CHARLESTON, S.C. -

With its latest acquisition, American Auto Auction Group  has expanded its number of auction operations to 20.

Extending its presence into the Upper Midwest, AAAG’s recent addition is Badger State Auto Auction in Fond du Lac, Wis., which officially became a group member on Friday.

Keith Lelux, AAAG founder and chief operating officer, said: “We welcome Badger State Auto Auction as one of the prime auto auction facilities in the upper Midwest. The auction staff has set a benchmark for service and operations, and we look forward to working with them as AAAG expands into this market area.”

Lelux reports that Badger State AA, which has been in operations since the early 1980s, was acquired by AAAG from Todd Lavey and his family, who has operated the business since 1993. Longtime general manager Tim Netz will continue to oversee the operations.

“Adding our name to AAAG’s family of auctions is an exciting step for all of us at Badger State Auto Auction,” said Netz. “We admire AAAG’s position in the industry and expect to benefit tremendously from their experience and leadership.

“As an AAAG auction, we will continue to build on our efforts to offer the best in service to our customers and expand our influence in our market.”

AAAG chief financial officer and director of mergers and acquisitions, Darris McClure, welcomed the staff at a meeting held Monday at the auction facility.

“We are extremely excited about the opportunity to assist and support you in this highly competitive market to provide your dealers with an expanded product offering,” McClure said.

Bill McIver, chief executive officer of AAAG said: “Badger State is a great addition to the AAAG team and validates our intention to build a national platform focused on dealers and their unique needs. We look forward to combining the best of Badger State with the best of AAAG. This location gives us the opportunity to expand our mobile auction network to dealers in the Milwaukee and Chicago markets.”

The auction offers more than 800 vehicles in five lanes each Thursday, as well as weekly certified re-buildable vehicle sales.

The 20-acre auction facility includes detail and mechanic shops, a full-service cafeteria and transport department. The auction employs ASI technology, and AAAG said it will soon offer Auction Access, Auction Pipeline, Pipeline Simulcast and other services to enhance the dealers’ experience.