NAAA Names Ron Hope Exhibitor of the Year
CARS Recon Inc., president and CEO recognized for longtime loyalty and support
ORLANDO, Fla.— Ron Hope, president and chief executive officer of CARS Recon, Inc., has been named the Marie Hingst Exhibitor of the Year for 2015 by the National Auto Auction Association (NAAA). The association, which represents more than 300 auto auction members in North America, presented the award at its 67th annual convention this month in Orlando, Fla.
The award is given each year to recognize an exhibitor who displays a similar dedication and commitment to the NAAA as its namesake and first recipient in 2006, Marie Hingst.
“Ron is a longtime and loyal exhibitor,” noted NAAA Chief Executive Officer Frank Hackett. “He and his entire staff at CARS Recon are very involved in our association, always willing to volunteer and serve in our efforts to improve and advance the industry.”
Hackett cited Hope’s frequent contributions to the Warren Young, Sr., Scholastic Foundation, NAAA’s scholarship fund, as just one example of his devotion to giving back. “Ron understands the importance of education and of developing the next generation of industry leaders, so he likes to mark his company’s milestones by making donations to our scholastic foundation.”
Hope founded CARS Recon, Inc. in 2003, but as an exhibitor he brings to the convention knowledge of the industry going back to the start of his automotive career in the 1960s with the Chrysler Corporation. Beginning at the Chrysler Nu Car Prep Center in Southern California, he went on to hold management positions there and at a second center in Chicago before being named manager of the California location. Each center employed about 300 people, processing new vehicles for dealers and serving as a base for Chrysler Leasing Corporation auctions.
Leaving Chrysler in the mid-1980s, Hope relocated to Atlanta, Ga., to oversee the construction and staffing of the reconditioning facilities under development by Anglo-American Auto Auctions (later ADT Auction Group). Soon named the director of client services, his duties included health and safety, customer relations, factory sale operations and special projects.
In the autumn of 1995, Hope left ADT to be vice president of ADESA’s Auto Auction Operations. Four years later he formed Global Automotive Solutions and served as a consultant and director of client services for British Car Auctions. Using London as a base, he helped the company expand across Europe.
Returning to the U.S., Hope formed Capital Automotive Reconditioning Services, which began at Manheim Pittsburgh in March 2003, with 12 full-time employees. Now headquartered in Franklin, Tenn., CARS Recon operates 36 shops, including 29 auto auctions, nationwide with more than 700 full-time employees and has processed in excess of 8 million vehicles. Services have grown from detailing to other facets of the reconditioning and operations processes, such as mechanical, body and paint inspections and repair, condition reporting, sale-day arbitration, auction facility planning, operational and financial audits for auction operations and consulting.
| ### |