Auto auction goes back to the future

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Apr 09, 2004 by Rombel, Adam

LaFAYETTE - CNY Auto Auction, Inc is taking a trip down memory lane as it celebrates its 50th year in business.

The auction company, which has about 350 to 400 vehicles on consignment per week, is turning its 1,200-square-foot customer cafeteria into a 1950s-style diner. The cafeteria provides a place for the auction company's auto-dealer customers to hang out and grab a bite to eat before and after auctions.

It is being transformed into a scene right out of the television show "Happy Days." The diner will feature a '50s-style blackand-white tile floor, booths, a pinball machine, and an authentic Seeburg jukebox, like the one that appeared on "Happy Days."

CNY Auto Auction is pursuing the $50,000 renovation to "add to the ambiance and took and feel" of its auction facility and to help customers remember it, says Bryin Herzig general manager.

"It'll be a unique addition that will stick in people's minds. Dealers will remember us," he says. "It'll also add fun. Many auction sites are sterile."

CNY Auto Auction will have a grand opening for the new cafeteria on April 20, featuring a performance by an Elvis impersonator.

CNY Auto Auction has 1,700 registered dealer customers. The company auctions off between 350 and 400 vehicles every Tuesday at its facility on Route 11 in LaFayette. About 60 to 70 percent of those sell, says Herzig.

CNY Auto Auction has experienced rapid growth in the last year, with the number of vehicle consignments increasing about 25 percent. Herzig attributes the growth to more aggressive marketing efforts such as direct mail and blast faxes to dealers as well as contests and prize giveaways.

"We're in a growth phase and this new cafeteria will help continue that," Herzig says. He was unable to provide sales or revenue figures.