Manheim has processed the 7,000th vehicle through its dedicated Vehicle Solutions preparation centre in Leeds, which opened at the start of 2016.

In addition, Manheim launched a similar facility in the Midlands earlier this year and a new site in South West England will be operational by September, as part of Manheim’s growth strategy. These facilities will provide Manheim with the ability to process an additional 35,000 vehicles per annum outside of its auction processes.

The dedicated facility in Leeds benefits from Manheim’s new ‘Swift’ vehicle arrivals process, based on Lean Six Sigma methodology, which allows vehicles to be washed, valeted, inspected and imaged within hours. While the facility operates independently of Manheim’s Leeds auction centre, its proximity to the site provides seamless logistics for customers sending their cars to physical auction. 

Additionally, construction of a new generation six-bay paint booth has been completed, which delivers increased throughput and greater repair capacity. It will allow Manheim to deliver reconditioning services to customers, getting vehicles in the best possible condition, increasing the speed of sale and maximising asset value.

A further benefit to customers is the inclusion of imaging booths with automated 360-degree turntables. The high-resolution images not only convey more detail of vehicle condition, but also remove the need for additional photography of each vehicle further downstream.

Tim Hudson, managing director for Manheim Remarketing, said: “Vehicle Solutions allows us to offer our customers a network of dedicated preparation centres, independent from our auction network. With the continued evolution of the remarketing environment, our customers require greater operational flexibility, with the ability to make decisions earlier in the remarketing process about upstreaming vehicles to online and other channels.

“Manheim’s smarter remarketing solutions complement services provided by other Cox Automotive brands to provide comprehensive support to our customers throughout the vehicle lifecycle.”