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Even as the rain continues and flood victims from Houston and the Golden Triangle area fill shelters, the staff at the Lake Charles Auto Auction is making preparations to assist in the region’s recovery from the unprecedented, devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey.
Located just miles north of where Tropical Storm Harvey made its second landfall on the continental U.S., Lake Charles Auto Auction http://lcautoauction.com serves new and used automotive dealers from Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans and throughout Louisiana, and because of its proximity to Southeast Texas, regularly serves dealers from Port Arthur, Beaumont and Houston as well.
“We have experienced tremendous volumes of rain and experienced some flooding,” said Lake Charles Auto Auction owner Matt Pedersen, “but nothing like our neighbors in Texas.”
Pedersen had to postpone his weekly Wednesday sale to Friday (Sept. 1) to accommodate Harvey’s second landfall, but the auction has weathered the storm well and will run all three of the lanes on Friday.
“This delay has given us time to begin the logistic preparations that will occur in coming weeks,” Pedersen said. “Vehicles will be moved across the country to begin replacing the thousands of vehicles flooded and destroyed throughout Southeastern Texas and in pockets of Louisiana,” Pedersen said.
Lake Charles Auto Auction wholesales about 350-500 units a week to new and used car dealers throughout the region, with about 75 percent of the vehicles coming from dealer consignment. Vehicles also include off-rental units from Enterprise Rent-A-Car and well as vehicles wholesaled by several credit unions in the area.
Located along the I-10 Corridor, midway between Baton Rouge, La., and Houston. Lake Charles Auto Auction http://lcautoauction.com/directions.html is ideally located for automotive transportation companies to move wholesale units from north and east to the regions affected by the widespread flooding.
“We have heard from consignors around the tri-state area who want to be able to market their vehicles to dealers who must fill this important need quickly and efficiently,” Pedersen said. “The transportation companies like the logistics of our location to facilitate the movement of vehicles from around the state.
Remarketing experts have seen the effects, both long- and short-term, of massive flooding before. Salvaged vehicles have their titles branded, and they can no longer be sold for use on U.S. roadways. As a result, vehicles from across the country flow into the effected region. Typically, in the short term, used vehicle values rise as demand soars. Because auto insurance pays for flood damage on fully covered vehicles, though at replacement cost, vehicles can be replaced quickly.
“Given the extent of this disaster,” Pedersen said, “we expect the need for slightly older and late-model used cars, trucks and SUVs to last for months. We will be doing all we can to help facilitate this recovery. The first thing people will need to begin the process of their homes and businesses back in order is a vehicle.”
About Lake Charles Auto Auction.
The three-lane, soon to be 4-lane, Lake Charles Auto Auction http://lcautoauction.com sits on 9.5 acres in Lake Charles, La. Mike Pedersen and Matt Pedersen are a father/son team who have been in business there since 1991.
Lake Charles Auto Auction services 200 auto dealers each week, both in-person and via Edge Pipeline, an online auction service that allows dealers to buy remotely. The auction employs 30 full and part time employees from around the Lake Charles, La. Area. The auction recently broke ground on a new 6,500 square foot office facility, which will open in the fall of 2018.
Release ID: 234908