Introduction
Founded in 1947, Motor Auction Group is one of the longest-established vehicle remarketing specialists in the UK.
Throughout its extensive history, the company has evolved its expertise, gaining the trust of fleet operators, dealers, contract hire and leasing providers, as well as finance houses, all of which rely on Motor Auction Group (MAG) to secure the best possible returns on their asset disposals.
In recent years, despite challenging market conditions, Motor Auction Group has reached a position where it currently remarkets over 35,000 vehicles annually. Recognising that its existing sites lacked the capacity to accommodate growth in Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) remarketing, Motor Auction Group has decided to significantly expand by opening a dedicated LCV facility in Goole. This new site is expected to sell an additional 12,000 units annually, starting on March 27th of this year.
MAG has achieved its success through a combination of exceptional customer service, industry expertise, and a willingness to make bold decisions. Essential Fleet Manager Magazine recently spoke with Geoff Flood, Head of LCV, about how this company culture and the opening of the new facility will position MAG at the forefront of vehicle remarketing excellence for years to come.
Interview
The decision to open the dedicated LCV centre at Goole confirms a very positive future for MAG. What process led to this decision in what many may feel are challenging times?
Since the acquisition of our Corby site in April 2022, MAG has built a strong digital LCV sales platform. Understanding that certain vehicles still need to be seen and heard, a dedicated Physical LCV Auction Centre seemed the next logical step. In October 2024, we commenced selling LCVs physically at our Bawtry location but have quickly outgrown this site, so it makes perfect sense to move to a larger location.
What facilities at Goole will enhance MAG’s ability to prepare and repair complex vehicle assets for resale?
At Goole everything is being purpose-built with the latest technology and state-of-the-art facilities to cater specifically for LCV remarketing. Goole is a five-acre site with the latest valeting bays, inspection equipment, dedicated transport unloading and loading area, meeting rooms and 24-hour security. That, together with the knowledge the team has built over the years, will enable us to ascertain promptly where revenue should be spent to enhance CAP performance. The Auctioneers and the team always work very closely with vendors to maximise the value of each vehicle that goes through the MAG auctions.
How does the opening of the Goole site better meet the needs of vendors and buyers and how will it adapt to a rapidly changing market in the future?
We believe there is a shortage of auction providers offering dedicated LCV expertise. LCVs are highly specialist, and our vendors and buyers will benefit from our team’s industry experience and knowledge. Strong physical and digital sales channels allow us to act quickly and adapt our offering to changing market conditions.
Because MAG is a family run business, decisions are made instantly. This allows us to adapt rapidly to any changes in the market. The size of the site gives us room for valeting, inspections, refurbishment and sales. The office space allows us to cater very comfortably for Vendors and buyers with fiber optic broadband and excellent meeting facilities. The site’s location is perfect, it’s just off the M62 and has easy access from the M18, the A1, and M1.
Over the coming year, we will be redeveloping the existing building and constructing an extended auction hall. A new valet bay is being built to facilitate cleaning, trade name deletions, and inspections. Additionally, new internal fencing is being erected to enhance security. We are also improving facilities for staff, vendors, and buyers. A new NAMA grading system will be implemented alongside our updated internal computer system. Furthermore, we will be transitioning to a paperless auction format. Exciting times are ahead for everyone involved!
Can you explain the main differences and challenges in LCV remarketing compared to passenger car disposals? How does your team’s knowledge and experience contribute to the best outcomes for both vendors and buyers?
The difference is massive, and MAG fully understands this, so we have assembled a team of the best LCV specialists in the country.
LCV makes, models and derivatives can vary so much so it is important that buyers fully understand what they are buying to maximise the returns for our vendors. The LCV buyer base is unique, and the product is reliant on the UK economy to a greater extent than the car market. For example, if the housing market slows, it affects certain models. My team and I are still learning new things every day, we have relationships with a substantial percentage of the buyer base, both in the UK and abroad, and we know the products they buy. The one thing that is consistent with both Cars and LCVs is the core values of the company. We put our customers first every time and ensure that you get a warm welcome from the moment you walk through our doors.
How do the efficiency and speed of your inspection at the source, transportation services, and prompt condition reporting benefit the vendor?
Goole provides comprehensive pre-sale preparation services, including valet services and vehicle refurbishment. Our team of expert transport coordinators manages operations across 19 strategically located storage facilities throughout the UK. We specialise in collecting LCVs and Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs), whether they are in running condition or not.
Attention to detail in our inspection reports is crucial for our vendors. Meeting vendor service level agreements is essential in our industry, and this is where our team excels. We offer collection services across the entire UK and carefully select our contractors to ensure they share the same values as MAG: professionalism, competitive pricing, and treating every collection as if it were their own vehicle.
How is a vehicle’s condition graded, and do you provide options to vendors that allow them to “upgrade” condition before auction?
From April we will be utilising the new National Association of Motor Auctions (NAMA) LCV grading. Before auction, we also offer our vendors a grade enhancement refurbishment service.
Our inspectors undergo a rigorous training program, allowing us to give both the vendor and buyer peace of mind when they are reclaiming for damage or buying our vehicles online. It is a key part of our operation, and mistakes can be costly for both parties. We offer a refurbishment service to all our vendors; this allows them to repair any minor or major damage at our facilities, which always proves fruitful. History shows that refurbishing a vehicle before auction increases its performance against CAP every time.
After vehicle preparation is complete, what is the process that leads up to the auction?
Once the vehicle is prepared, it is all about marketing it. This is done through our website, but more importantly, our team of experts will spend a lot of time individually targeting buyers with vehicles that match their buying profiles.
A key part of the process is the catalogue check. Because of the model variation, it’s vital that this is done correctly for the rostrum. It allows us to ascertain the correct CAP values and capture the accurate description of the vehicles. The Pre-sales are then sent to our vendors to enable us to get reserves, and then the catalogue is sent to our buyers for their perusal. Our new digital team are involved in automated messaging to our buyer base, matching vehicles to buyers based on their profiles. All vehicles are then pre-cleaned and prepared for sale. You only get one opportunity to present the vehicle the first time, which needs to be perfect. We execute extensive social media campaigns for the sale, along with a call list, text, and WhatsApp messages sent to our buyers. We get a lot of specialised vans, including WAVs, HGVs, etc. and as experts in LCVs we have relationships with the buyers of these products. Those buyers are contacted directly prior to auction, which increases the CAP performance and ensures sales.
Please mention some examples of how the expertise of you and your team combines with the outstanding levels of customer service available at MAG.
It is customer service that has really got me from the position of Account Manager at SMA to Head of LCV for MAG. The need for excellent customer service is instilled in MAG as a business, which is why the company feels such a good fit for me and the team. I have customers, both vendors and buyers, that I dealt with when I started my career over 12 years ago, that I still deal with to this day.
I can list numerous occasions where the team and I have won business because a supplier has let that particular vendor or buyer down. In this line of business, we will always encounter problems, and the key is how you handle them.
Going above and beyond…
We collected an unsold vehicle from another auction house. The best bid they had was £3600 plus VAT, while the vendor wanted £4500 plus VAT. We capped it correctly as a tipper instead of a Chassis cab and sold it for £5100 plus VAT. That vendor still uses our team today.
Valuations are key when a customer is taking in a part exchange. The team spends hours on the phone or answering emails each month helping to get these deals over the line. I am Irish, so I don’t always get it right, but I’m usually very close.
Customers phone us for help getting the service history or finance clearance on vehicles, when they have bought them at other auction houses. They know we, as a team, will get it sorted.
Lastly, there is a positive and proactive culture at MAG that underpins your success. How would you describe that culture and how does it enable you to stand out?
Even though the business is expanding, we are still family-owned with customer service at the forefront of everything we do. We will tailor our services and adapt our processes to fit the needs of our customers, which is something that our larger competitors find difficult to do. My first impressions have been confirmed over the last few months, and I’ve watched our team flex and help customers and vendors every day in a way I’ve never seen in any other remarketing business, plus we always make it fun. We aim to become the ‘Go to’ place for all LCV remarketing needs, whether physical or digital. This business feels like a family; everyone’s welcome, and the directors come and sit with the staff or customers for a chat. There is an open-door policy for everyone to see them. They put total trust in their staff, allowing us to get on with what we do best. Everything is conducted in a positive manner, which is reflected in the auction halls, which have excellent buyer attendance both physically and online. The sales conversions are unbelievable, and when our customers have an issue, we deal with it straight away, which puts us ahead of the competition.
Learn how Motor Auction Group can assist with your fleet disposal needs, contact Geoff : Geoff.Flood@mag.co.uk or visit: www.mag.co.uk
This article appeared in issue 2(2025) Essential Fleet Manager Magazine
