MASHINIi

KAR Auction Services.

KAR.US | Wholesale on a fee or contract basis

KAR Auction Services, Inc. (now known as OPENLANE) provides digital marketplace solutions for wholesale used vehicles. The company facilitates the buying and selling of used vehicles through online auction platforms and related services. These services include vehicle inspection, transportation, fin...Show More

Ethical Profile

Mixed.

KAR Auction Services (OPENLANE) demonstrates a strong commitment to safety, achieving a 60% accident reduction at ADESA locations and improving its Total Incident Recordable from 6.0 in 2013 to 2.0 in 2018, outperforming the industry average of 4.0-4.2. The company also reports 99% employee compliance with its 'Safe T. Sam' program. However, concerns about 'Honest & Fair Business' practices arise due to limited public data on conflict-free status and related-party interests, despite reports of seven of nine director nominees being independent. Information regarding fair pay, ethical sourcing, and environmental impact remains largely unavailable.

Value Scores

Better Health for All0
-100100
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity0
-100100
Fair Pay & Worker Respect0
-100100
Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing0
-100100
Honest & Fair Business0
-100100
Kind to Animals0
-100100
No War, No Weapons0
-100100
Planet-Friendly Business0
-100100
Respect for Cultures & Communities-20
-100100
Safe & Smart Tech0
-100100
Zero Waste & Sustainable Products-40
-100100

Better Health for All

0

KAR.US operates in the wholesale used vehicle market, and its principal goods and services have no direct positive or negative health impact. The company does not offer health-related products or services, nor does it collect health data. While there is evidence of internal workplace safety initiatives, such as a 60% reduction in accidents at ADESA locations over six years

1
and a Total Incident Recordable (TIR) of 2.0 in 2018,
2
these fall under workplace safety, which is explicitly excluded from the 'Better Health for All' value. Similarly, charitable donations to organizations like the American Cancer Society
3
or support for transportation initiatives by an executive
4
are not considered core health equity programs or preventative health measures within the scope of this value. Information pertaining to 'Karo' (Karo Healthcare) in was disregarded as it relates to a different entity.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

0

No specific, quantifiable evidence was found in the provided articles to assess KAR.US against the defined KPIs for Fair Money & Economic Opportunity. The articles do not provide data on the share of underserved clients, pricing fairness (e.g., APRs or fee multiples), exploitative fee exposure (e.g., percentage of revenue from high-cost products), or the share of the loan/insurance book aimed at low-income or micro-segments. There is also no evidence regarding customer data portability via open APIs, regulatory findings or fines for fair lending compliance, or measurable wealth-building outcomes for customers. Information on profit reinvestment in community finance, financial literacy initiatives, customer debt burden ratios, geographic inclusion in banking deserts, or product simplicity measured by readability standards for financial products is also absent.

1

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

0

No evidence available to assess KAR Auction Services on Fair Pay & Worker Respect.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

0

No data related to fair trade and ethical sourcing, supplier audits, forced or child labor incidents, supply chain traceability, remediation speed, ethical clause coverage in contracts, materials risk, or supplier diversity spend was found in the provided articles for KAR.US.

1

Honest & Fair Business

0

Seven of the nine director nominees are independent.

1
representing approximately 77.8% of the board.

Kind to Animals

0

KAR Global, through its subsidiary BacklotCars, raised over $183,000 for Canine Companions at the NADA Show 2023

1
, contributing to a total of over $905,000 to date for the organization
2
. Canine Companions provides expertly trained service dogs to people with disabilities
3
. Additionally, KAR Auction Services' wholly-owned subsidiary, Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA), facilitates the "One Car One Difference™" program, which benefits The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
4
. HSUS is described as the largest and most effective animal protection organization, backed by 11 million Americans
5
, confronting global animal cruelty issues such as abusive puppy mills, dog fighting, and inhumane hunting and confinement practices
6
. IAA has worked with over 100 charities nationwide since 1994
7
, returning millions of dollars to them in 2009
8
. Due to the company's business model as a digital marketplace for wholesale used vehicles, most other animal-related metrics, such as cruelty-free certification, animal testing, animal husbandry, animal-derived inputs, and animal agriculture, are not applicable.

No War, No Weapons

0

Openlane Inc (formerly KAR Auction Services Inc) operates in the automotive industry, providing vehicle auction services

1
. Its core business does not involve arms, defense contracts, dual-use technology, or any other activities related to military or conflict sectors
2
. Therefore, all KPIs related to the 'No War, No Weapons' value are explicitly noted as 'Not applicable' to its business model
3
.

Planet-Friendly Business

0

No specific, quantitative data points or actionable evidence regarding KAR.US's planet-friendly business practices, environmental performance, or climate initiatives were found in the provided articles. All articles explicitly state a lack of relevant quantitative data for the company.

1
,
2
,
3
Therefore, no KPIs can be scored.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

-20

The company has established at least three formal partnerships: with United Food Bank

1
, with the NADA Foundation and Canine Companions
2
, and the OPENLANE Employee Relief Fund with the Emergency Assistance Foundation
3
.

Safe & Smart Tech

0

No evidence available to assess KAR Auction Services on Safe & Smart Tech.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

-40

The company, through its subsidiary SAMIL, has implemented digital documentation to eliminate excessive paperwork

1
, which serves as a waste reduction initiative.
2

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AI-generated analysis based on publicly available data. Not financial advice. Ratings are expressions of opinion derived from automated models and may contain inaccuracies. See our Risk Disclosure for full details.