Manheim Auctions’ Technical Center, located in Nashville, Tenn., has announced new classes to its program for 2003.

The first new class, Paint and Body Shop Overview, is offered to Manheim Auctions managers and technicians who can benefit from exposure to the latest procedures and products in the paint and body field. According to the company, the class covers the latest tools on the market, and helps employees improve their shop’s bottom line by teaching them to maximize materials and operate a cost-effective paint and body shop. The Overview classes, each admitting six enrollees, will be January 23-24 and April 14-15.

In order to address a shortage in the paint and body industry as well as in the auctions, the Technical Center is also offering a Paint Shop Apprentice class. Manheim says over the course of a week, trainees are taught the most current paint shop products, equipment and procedures.

The course includes hands-on training in the day-to-day operations of high-production auction paint shops, paving the way for an apprentice to begin his or her career as a highly qualified auction painter and to quickly become a valuable and productive member of his auction’s paint and body shop. Schedules for the Apprentice class will be determined at a later date.

Reconditioning for Management classes are being offered throughout the year, with each class admitting 10 enrollees. The three-day class provides an overview of the reconditioning process, including sections on transportation, check-in, condition report writing, mechanic shop, detail, paint and body, value added services and financials.

The schedule for the 2003 Reconditioning for Management classes is as follows:

January 13 – 15

February 17 – 19

March 17 – 19

April 28 – 30

May 19 – 21

June 23 – 25

July 21 – 23

August 18 – 20

September 22 – 24

October 20 – 22

November 17 – 19

December 15 – 17

Each of the classes is offered to Manheim Auctions employees on a first-come, first-served basis. For additional information regarding these and other classes being offered by the Manheim Technical Center, call (615) 846-4617.

About Manheim Auctions

Manheim Auctions offers services that impact every stage of a used vehicle’s life cycle. These include transaction, reconditioning and certification services, managed remarketing, end-of-lease-term management services, vehicle transportation, dealer floor planning, retail inspection and government auction services. The company also assists auto manufacturers, fleet and lease companies, banks and other financial institutions in selling their used vehicle inventories.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., Manheim Auctions has more than 32,000 employees at its 124 auctions and related businesses. Manheim is a global remarketing organization with 85 auctions in North America and additional operations in France, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. In the year 2001, the company says it auctioned more than 9.5 million vehicles at its North American auctions.