Different Dealers. Different Needs. One Smarter Way to Wholesale.
3 mins
No two dealerships operate exactly the same way.
A franchise store managing trades and aged inventory has different needs than an independent dealer carefully balancing every acquisition. Some dealers are looking for a faster way to move inventory. Others need a more efficient way to source it. And sometimes, having the right person on the other end of the phone can make all the difference.
But across dealerships of every size and business model, there’s one thing everyone could use more of: time.
That’s why OPENLANE is built to make wholesale easier — helping dealers buy and sell inventory more efficiently, reduce friction and stay focused on their business.
We recently sat down with dealers from across the industry to hear how they’re putting OPENLANE to work. Here are four of their stories.
Move inventory without slowing down
For franchise dealers, every trade-in isn’t necessarily a vehicle that belongs on the retail lot. When those vehicles start stacking up, moving them efficiently becomes an important part of keeping inventory — and capital — moving.
Austin Alderfer of Bergey’s Kia uses OPENLANE to help his dealership do just that.
By taking the wholesale process digital, Bergey’s Kia can reach buyers without the time and logistics involved in sending vehicles through a physical auction lane. That gives the dealership another way to move inventory quickly and keep its focus where it belongs: on the vehicles that make the most sense for its retail customers.
For dealers like Austin, efficiency isn’t simply about selling a car faster. It’s about keeping the entire inventory cycle moving.
Technology matters. So do the people behind it.
A digital marketplace can make wholesale more convenient, but great technology is only part of the equation.
When a question comes up or a dealer needs help solving a problem, having a team willing to go the extra mile can turn a transaction into a relationship.
That’s something Dan Hill of Acura Turnersville has experienced firsthand with OPENLANE.
For Dan, OPENLANE’s customer service helps bring a human element to digital wholesale. Instead of feeling like dealers are on their own once they enter the marketplace, there are people behind the platform ready to help.
And in a business where time matters and unexpected issues can quickly become distractions, responsive support can be just as valuable as the technology itself.
Take more control of your inventory strategy
Independent dealers face a different set of inventory challenges.
Every vehicle matters. Every dollar matters. And time spent traveling to auctions or waiting for the right vehicle to cross a physical lane is time that could be spent running the dealership.
For Rhonda Venuto of Turnersville Pre-Owned, digital wholesale provides another option.
Using OPENLANE gives her dealership the flexibility to source and manage inventory on its terms — helping save valuable time, reduce costs and make inventory decisions without building the day around a physical auction schedule.
That kind of control can be especially valuable for independent dealers, where the person buying inventory may also be juggling dozens of other responsibilities.
The goal isn’t to add another tool to the day. It’s to make the day easier.
From the auction lane to the digital marketplace
Wholesale has always been a relationship business. But the way dealers do business continues to evolve.
Maura Shisler of Bergey’s Cadillac has seen that evolution across generations.
Her grandfather did business at physical auctions. Today, Maura is carrying that same dealership forward in a very different wholesale environment — buying and selling vehicles digitally with OPENLANE.
It’s a story that reflects a bigger shift happening throughout automotive wholesale.
Dealers no longer have to organize their schedules around when and where the auction is happening. A digital marketplace can put buying and selling at their fingertips, giving them the ability to act when the opportunity makes sense for their business.
The fundamentals haven’t changed: find the right cars, reach the right buyers and make smart decisions for the dealership.
What has changed is how much easier it can be to do it.
Four dealers. One goal: make wholesale work better.
Bergey’s Kia, Acura Turnersville, Turnersville Pre-Owned and Bergey’s Cadillac represent different dealerships with different inventory needs.
Their experiences also show why there isn’t just one reason dealers choose digital wholesale.
It might be about moving inventory faster.
It could be about saving time and reducing costs.
It might be having support when you need it.
Or it might simply be the freedom to buy and sell without having to be standing in a physical auction lane.
Whatever the reason, the goal is the same: make wholesale work better for your dealership.
That’s what OPENLANE is built to do.
Ready to see what a smarter wholesale experience can do for your dealership?