Going ... going ... gone! Although those three words perfectly describe Eastern PowerSports Auction, the company is definitely here to stay, having capitalized on the success of its parent company, Southern Auto Auction.

Not yet two years old, Eastern PowerSports, an affiliate of Southern Auto Auction in East Windsor, Conn., certainly has borrowed from the tremendous success and strategies of its parent company, in business since 1947, to become a major player in the world of motorcycle, ATV, PWC and snowmobile auctions.

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But why did Southern Auto Auction, which had $2.4 billion in auction sales last year, decide to enter the powersports business?

"I saw some inefficiencies in the powersports area," said Larry G. Tribble, owner and president of Southern Auto Auction and the son of the founder of the company. "When a finance company in Connecticut transported a snowmobile to Atlanta to sell to a dealer in Vermont, I realized there was a solid need for a dedicated powersports auction in this northeast area. After all, Connecticut is a fairly affluent part of the country and 'toys' like motorc ycles, snowmobiles, ATVs and watercraft are very popular here. I felt there was a huge demand for good, used powersports vehicles in the northeast."

Thus, perfectly situated almost equidistant between New York City and Boston, just north of the state capital Hartford in central Connecticut, Eastern PowerSports' modest debut in April 2004 couldn't possibly foretell the success its operation has become so quickly.

But let Don Duman, fleet lease operations manager for Southern Auto Auction and support manager for Eastern PowerSports Auction, tell the story.

"We had nine pieces, just nine units, that April day in 2004," Duman recalled. "We did it outside in one of the car lanes, and we had about 200 car dealers here that day, bidding. It was like a dream come true: 200 dealers and only nine items to bid on. We never had anything that drew so much attention for so few pieces. It was amazing and indicated a strong, pent up demand."

Unlike its parent company, SAA, which conducts auctions of more than 5,000-plus vehicles every Wednesday of the year, Eastern PowerSports holds its auction on the third Wednesday of each month, at least for the foreseeable future. Currently consignments have grown to 250-plus units. Assuming the rate of growth for consignments continues at its present pace, that could change to semi-monthly in the not-too-distant future.

Emphasized Jeff Gaetz, national sales manager of SAA and vice president of Eastern PowerSports Auction. "EPA is dedicated to be the auction facility in the northeast, and the premier powersports auction in the country. We're not there yet, but we will get there, for sure. No question, this will be a very successful venture for us, for the financial institutions we represent and for the powersports dealers. There are other car auctions that kind of woke up and said they can do this, too, but no one has invested in a dedicated structure and workforce to the scale that we have."