RENO, Nev. — When it comes to the auction business, Jeff Brasher has seen it all. He opened Brasher’s Reno Auto Auction eight years ago in Nevada, but his remarketing experience goes far beyond that and includes everything from paint and body shop work to finance and collections.
And after 19 years of working full time in the industry, Brasher begins his role as president of ServNet — a group he has worked with for many years — this month.
To shed some light on his goals for his presidency and a bit more of his background in the industry, Brasher, who is the owner and general manager of his facility in Reno, recently talked with Auto Remarketing.
Growing up in Salt Lake City, Brasher began helping out during the early days of summer at his family’s auction — Brasher’s Salt Lake Auto Auction — at the age of 10. He spent his teenage years working in the auction’s detail shops, and by 15 he was doing paint and body work.
After a two-year mission for his church, Brasher did finance and collections work for the auction for five years, beginning at age 21. Then in 2001, he opened the facility in Reno, Nev.
And in his new role, Brasher will lead the ServNet organization with which he shares a long history.
“I’ve been involved with the group for so long, I’m just excited to continue working with the guys,” he told Auto Remarketing, later adding, “I started attending ServNet meetings in my late teens, just rubbing shoulders and meeting people. It’s always been like a 20 Group atmosphere where we bounce ideas off each other … and that’s been a good resource for me.”
He added: “It’s a great best practices format; it’s a great networking format for clients.”
Goals for ServNet
While he doesn’t plan on the group changing course, Brasher hopes to build on strengths of ServNet in his tenure as president.
“We’re always looking for expansion opportunities with the right owner and operator. We’re always looking to further our online presence through AuctionPipeline,” he noted, adding that the group plans to continue working closely with TPC Management Co. as well as “keeping things on the track it has been on for 20 years.”
One of the strong suits for ServNet has been its auction owners’ relationships with clients, Brasher pointed out.
“Our main talking point has always been our ability for clients to work one-on-one with owners,” he shared. “Most of the auctions have the owners out there on the block on selling days. The big advantage is how involved they are on a daily basis.”
He also indicated that ServNet auctions also have “some of the best facilities in the country and some of best service in the country.”
Changes in the Industry
Since Brasher began working full time in the remarketing industry almost two decades ago, there have been sweeping changes impacting various aspects of the market, particularly in the last few years.
When asked to name the way that the industry has changed or evolved the most during this professional tenure, Brasher pointed to the Internet.
“I imagine it has got to be the online activity,” he noted. “The online sales that are happening now are probably the biggest change we’ve seen.”
And this, he said, has highlighted how important customer service is for the auction industry. With Web sales becoming more and more prevalent on the wholesale side of the market, customer service is vital to building trust in buyers.
“It’s probably more important that it has ever been. Basically, (auctions are) having a buyer put his trust in the auction even when he’s not there. That has become even more important,” Brasher stated. “The customer service element has always been a constant and continues to be so.”
While the burgeoning presence of the Internet has certainly made its impact as of late, the overall economic struggles and auto industry downturn in the last 18 to 24 months has been felt throughout the remarketing industry, as well.
“I think the biggest challenge is that portfolios have shrunk,” Brasher pointed out. “The remarketing side has been more competitive, and the need for auctions to excel has become more and more important.”
So what role can ServNet and its auction members play in the recovery of the remarketing industry?
“ServNet has auctions strategically placed … covering all the markets,” he shared. “The ability to network buyers and sellers through AuctionPipeline is great.”
Brasher also went on to emphasize the service levels that ServNet auctions provide and pointed out the awards that the auctions have won over the years.
“(They provide) just consistent, top-level service,” he stated. “Their performance has always been consistent.”
He also stressed that ServNet auctions have also strived to maintain strong relationships with dealers and other clients, which has helped, as well.
“Most, if not all, ServNet auctions have been really dealer-conscious in their day-to-day business,” Brasher noted, echoing the same sentiment about fleet/lease and other clients. “Having that close relationship with dealers on both the buying and selling end certainly helps.”
Source: http://www.autoremarketing.com/ar/news/story.html?id=10561
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