ORWIGSBURG, Pa. -

Dealers hailing from the land of the Midnight Sun and harsh winters now can offer their customers extra protection to help vehicles last longer.

On Thursday, Preferred Warranties (PWI), a business unit of KAR Auction Services, announced the company’s expansion into Alaska.

In Alaska, PWI has partnered with American Auto Shield to offer a broad portfolio of PWI-branded service contract options.

PWI serves independent dealers and small franchised operations and powersports dealers — selling extended service contract protection plans for pre-owned vehicles through licensed vehicle dealers.

“We are proud to introduce PWI’s trusted solutions and dedicated customer service to licensed automotive dealers in the great state of Alaska,” PWI president Edmund Field said. “We want our dealer partners to be successful in all they do. And we look forward to working with them to provide their customers with additional confidence and peace of mind in their used-car purchases.”

Field explained the move is part of PWI’s nationwide expansion effort, and with the addition of Alaska, the company now operates in 47 states. He added that PWI is also advancing a robust product pipeline of tailored protection plans that fit the specific markets and geographies it serves.

“Alaskan dealers not only have access to PWI’s broad portfolio of core products,” Field said. “They can also select new options specifically designed to meet the unique needs of local used car and truck dealers.”

Established in 1992, PWI provides extended service contracts to more than 3,000 independent dealers.

For more information, visit www.warrantys.com.