J.D. Power Buys SIA to Strengthen Marketplace Offering

Automotive research legend J.D. Power has acquired Superior Integrated Auctions (SIA), whose advanced online auction marketplace capabilities will be combined with its new owner's vehicle valuation data, predictive analytics and marketing solutions to help clients streamline pre-owned vehicle inventory management.\

SIA's senior leadership and all its employees will become part of the J.D. Power Marketplace team, with Jeremie Beckner, SIA's COO, continuing to lead the team as Marketplace SVP, reporting to Power's Phillip Battista. The Marketplace is an online platform giving dealers direct access to more than 30,000 pre-owned vehicles - it also allows manufacturers, dealers, finance and car rental companies among others to create white-label online auctions and sales tools. It also includes real-time vehicle valuation data, including average retail transaction value, high and low auction values and trending prices; and detailed build data containing options and features of each vehicle.

Battista (pictured), who is the firm's President, Dealership Technologies and Head of Modern Retailing, comments: 'Inventory of high quality, front-line-ready, pre-owned vehicles is trending toward the lowest level in a decade, which is putting pressure on dealers to find vehicles when and where they need them without incurring huge upfront costs. By adding SIA's industry-leading auction platform to our existing J.D. Power Marketplace capabilities, we're giving manufacturers, dealers and other key players the ability to take control of their inventory management process, bypassing expensive auction fees and cumbersome vehicle acquisition processes along the way'. Beckner adds: 'By combining our strengths in digital sales and all aspects of vehicle data, we're creating the ultimate one-stop shop for pre-owned inventory management'.

J.D. Power was founded in 1968 and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, with a web site at www.jdpower.com/business .