DES PLAINES, IL — Wheels, Inc. spotlighted the critical role of business partnerships in a panel discussion at the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance's (IARA) spring Remarketing Roundtable on "Creating Partnerships" on February 16. Darrin Aiken, assistant vice president of vehicle remarketing at Wheels Inc., stated, "A partnership helps identify both partners' goals and objectives by being clear on expectations. It also improves operational efficiency between partners by discussing everyone's expectations. By creating the right partnership and installing performance measurements that can be reviewed, both sides will benefit from a strong and long collaboration." Aiken expanded on that theme by covering multiple topics, including the importance of partnerships, appropriate decision-making within the partnership and critical success factors for ensuring a successful working relationship. The IARA, which was formed to act as a direct representative for vehicle remarketing organizations, provides remarketers and those servicing the remarketing industry a forum to learn from one another and to better understand all roles and improve efficiencies in the remarketing process. "The IARA is an ideal venue for presenting the type and level of information covered at the Remarketing Roundtable," Aiken said. "By acting as a sounding board to all vendors with whom we would like to create partnerships, the IARA fulfills a critical need for remarketers," he added. "With all of us present at one forum, we have the power to communicate the needs and requirements for a successful working relationship and to set up best practices with our vendor auctions, which in turn benefits our clients for whom we remarket vehicles."