FRANKLIN, Tenn. -

As its inaugural class readies for a second training session, Auction Academy officials have announced the program’s expansion to include additional auction and finance personnel.

Auction Academy chief operating officer Randall McCathren said that while the first Auction Academy group was specifically geared toward the sons and daughters of independent auto auction operators and related companies, its next class will be open to all independent auction personnel.

Simultaneously, the academy will also open enrollment to independent auction operators and financial executives for an Auction Performance Group (20 Group-Style) program, he said, focused on financial and operations metric benchmarking.

“APG is about enhancing the performance of the auction business by using both industry and peer group benchmarking techniques and operational best practices,” McCathren said.

A continuing education program for auction industry professionals, Auction Academy was developed by TPC Management Co. and is structured like an Executive MBA program, with tracks for current and next-generation auction leaders designed to enhance essential skill sets and promote best practices, the company reports.

Auction Academy’s inaugural class, dubbed by McCathren as “Sons & Daughters,” will hold its second training session July 16–18 in Spokane, Wash., in conjunction with this year’s Rock & Roll Sale at DAA Northwest.

“The Sons & Daughters Class was launched this spring in Nashville with a dynamic first session, and we’re anticipating the second session in Spokane to be even more vibrant,” said McCathren.

“Held on a quarterly basis, each session is planned to build on a set of skills that are critical for working successfully in today’s auto auction remarketing and business environments," he added.

The class traveling to Spokane includes 16 students representing 13 independent auto auctions and one vendor company. The group will move together as a class over a two-year curriculum, with classes held quarterly in different cities around the country.

The group will participate in extensive hands-on field work in preparation for DAA Northwest’s two-day Rock & Roll Sale, McCathren said.

This session will also include classroom curriculum on topics such as leadership assessments; institutional accounts, including sales of marine, RV and specialty vehicles; succession planning; condition reports/vehicle reconditioning; dealer funding/floor planning; and technology, and a management presentation on the company’s new Auction Edge initiative.

Bob McConkey of DAA Northwest, whose two sons are part of the "Sons & Daughters" academy class, said, “We are very pleased to host this session of Auction Academy, which makes it possible for the class members to witness the effect that strong promotional sales bring to the marketplace.

“While auto auctions can have many similar practices, students of Auction Academy are able to see the many nuances of the business at different geographic locations encompassing varying market areas.”

For more information, visit www.auctionacademy.net.