KAR Announces Agreement to Acquire OPENLANE
KAR Auction Services, Inc. announced today that its subsidiary, ADESA, Inc., has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the equity of OPENLANE, Inc., a leading Internet-based business-to-business automotive remarketing company.
CARMEL, Ind. - KAR Auction Services, Inc. announced today that its subsidiary, ADESA, Inc., has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the equity of OPENLANE, Inc., a leading Internet-based business-to-business automotive remarketing company. Peter Kelly will continue as OPENLANE's CEO and will report directly to KAR's CEO, Jim Hallett. OPENLANE will be acquired for $210 million in cash, plus an increase for excess cash on OPENLANE's balance sheet at closing. The transaction's closing is subject to certain regulatory and other closing conditions. The Company expects to finance the transaction with available cash and proceeds from its revolving credit facility.
In 2011, KAR expects that OPENLANE will generate approximately $100 million in revenue and sell over 300,000 vehicles to automotive dealers through its online auction services platform. After giving pro forma effect to this acquisition and the elimination of certain corporate costs, KAR expects OPENLANE's pro forma Adjusted EBITDA in 2011 to be approximately $13 million. KAR anticipates that OPENLANE will contribute $20 to $25 million of Adjusted EBITDA in 2012 which reflects synergies expected to be realized upon the integration of the businesses. In addition, KAR expects OPENLANE's Adjusted EBITDA to further improve following completion of all integration activities in 2013.
Commenting on the acquisition, Jim Hallett stated, "OPENLANE is a natural fit for the KAR family of companies as it extends our online product offerings, provides a complementary customer base and adds talented members to our management team. Sellers and purchasers of vehicles continue to increase their use of online remarketing platforms, and we believe that enhancing our existing suite of online services and products will further support KAR's objective of expanding our addressable market to capture transactions that currently take place outside the traditional wholesale auction channel. This combination will allow ADESA to broaden its comprehensive end-to-end solutions for the vehicle remarketing industry and will provide opportunities for our sister companies, Insurance Auto Auctions and AFC."
Commenting on behalf of OPENLANE, Peter Kelly stated, "I consider this a great combination that will significantly benefit our customers and the industry. Joining KAR will provide OPENLANE with the resources to accelerate the execution of our strategy and to deliver innovative remarketing solutions to the industry. I am looking forward to working with Jim and joining the KAR management team."
Hallett continued, "I have known Peter and members of his management team for a number of years and have always believed that OPENLANE would be a good cultural fit with KAR. I look forward to Peter and his team contributing to KAR's success."
More Rental Operations

Rental Car Fleet Sales Show Mid-Year Strength
June gains ensured rental fleets closed out the first half of 2026 in positive territory.
Read More →
Surprice Mobility Opens Corporate Rental Station at Milan Malpensa Airport
The Milan opening is part of Surprice Mobility's broader strategy to expand its corporate operations while increasing the use of technology across its network.
Read More →
Brazilian Executive MBA Targets Growing Domestic Rental Car Industry
Rental car companies face a unique combination of challenges that are rarely addressed in traditional programs.
Read More →
Green Motion Expands Into Japan With Master Franchise Agreement
Japan's tourism industry, business travel market, and demand for vehicle rental services are reasons the country represents an important market for the company.
Read More →
ACRA Carrying Fuller Industry Load As AI and EVs Lurk In Future
The leading car rental professional business group details an active legislative, regulatory, and macro-trends agenda affecting car rental operators.
Read More →
World Cup Travel Data Shows Longer Car Rentals and More One-Ways
A recent analysis of FIFA bookings found varied demand patterns that influenced rental car pricing.
Read More →
A Leveling Force: AI Morphs Into A Rental Car Profit-Seeker
Revenue managers can’t match the emerging AI tools gobbling lots of data that could counter the competitive race to the rate bottom.
Read More →Stop Losing Money On Rental Tolls
Regardless of your rental fleet size and structure, fleet managers, executives, and owners can gain valuable insights into an often-overlooked area of fleet operations.
Read More →
Rethink The Future To Avert A Race To The Bottom
Rental car operators heard a sobering industry message and a stern challenge at the close of the International Car Rental Show.
Read More →
DriveItAway, Free2move Plan Shared Fleet Program for Independent Rental Fleet Operators
Vehicles would be placed with participating rental operations to support car renter demand and provide additional fleet capacity.
Read More →
