Carmel, IN, March 2, 2022 – XLerate Group (XLerate), the parent company of America’s Auto Auction, Auction Credit Enterprises (ACE), XLerate Auctions and XL Funding (XLF), has named Laura Taylor, John Swofford, Jason Nichols and Brian Thomas as senior vice presidents. The four new SVPs will join the leadership of the current executive team: Cam Hitchcock, CEO; Chuck Tapp, EVP; and Charles Kunkel, EVP/Chief Financial Officer.
CEO Cam Hitchcock says, “There is great talent in the America’s organization, and we are thrilled to welcome John, Brian, and Jason to the combined senior team. We are also happy to announce the promotion of Laura Taylor, former GM of Charleston Auto Auction, to SVP as she joins Brian and John in oversight of our auction operations.”
Laura Taylor joined Charleston Auto Auction in 2004 and has been GM since 2009. Her years of commitment to the auto auction industry have led to an impressive array of achievements, including her tenure as 2020 NAAA President and her current roles on the executive boards of IARA, IAASC, and HOME (a regional charity for displaced male youths). Taylor is a 2012 CAR and Northwood University graduate, a Warren Young recipient, and has served on numerous IARA and NAAA committees.
John Swofford joined America’s Auto Auction in 2009 and served as a senior vice president through 2021. He has been responsible for co-managing and overseeing the performance of the company’s auction locations, managing auction GMs, and developing greenfield auction locations. Before joining America’s Auto Auction, Swofford spent 16 years in various management-level positions with Manheim and ADT Automotive. He was part of a Manheim management team responsible for opening its first location in China. Swofford is a licensed auctioneer and has been in the industry for over 30 years.
Brian Thomas, who also served as a senior vice president with America’s Auto Auction through 2021, was responsible for directing auction operations across America’s Auto Auction’s locations. Thomas’ purview included customer service, management, sales, performance, new business, auction operations, management, and overall performance of the auction locations. He began his career in the auto auction industry as an Operations Manager at Tri-State Auto Auction (PA) in 2000. He served as GM of Capital City Auto Auction (WV) before coming to America’s Auto Auction in 2008.
Jason Nichols joined America’s Auto Auction in 2012 and quickly became instrumental in executing their strategy of growth through acquisitions. Along with managing the due diligence process for purchases, Nichols was responsible for financial modeling, analytics, capital expenditure planning, and managing a team of analysts. While at America’s Auto Auction, he was involved in over $270M in acquisitions and handled the issues surrounding numerous financings and compliance reporting.
Hitchcock adds, “XLerate Group’s acquisition of America’s Auto Auction in December 2021 creates an extensive group of 39 auction sites across 19 states. We are expanding and strengthening our executive team to meet the needs of our company and our customers.”
About America’s Auto Auction | XLerate Group Auctions
America’s Auto Auction joined with the XLerate Group Auctions in December 2021, creating the third-largest auction group in the country. Based in Carmel, IN, America’s Auto Auctions facilitate the selling and buying of vehicles via 39 physical auction sites across 19 states. The company’s daily mission is simple and straightforward: provide the highest quality service and operational execution for dealers and institutional customers. America’s Auto Auction is a leading vehicle auction provider owned by affiliates of Brightstar Capital Partners(“Brightstar”).
America’s Auto Auction / XLerate Group Contact
Cam Hitchcock, CEO
[email protected]
(317) 689-7927
About Brightstar Capital Partners
Brightstar Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused on partnering with exceptional families, founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams where the firm is ideally positioned to drive value creation. Brightstar employs an operationally intensive approach that leverages its extensive experience and relationship network to help companies reach their full potential. For more information, please visit https://brightstarcp.com.