About Michael Ray Newman
For more than thirty years, I have built companies, trained leaders, transformed operations, and created technology that helped redefine how people, vehicles, and systems move through the auction industry.
The beginning
I learned early that success was not guaranteed. It had to be built. Not someday. Today. Not with excuses. With whatever it takes. That belief became the foundation for how I build companies, develop people, and create systems that solve real operational problems.
The operator
My work has always been rooted in operations. Before technology, before platforms, and before strategy rooms, there was the practical work of moving people, vehicles, processes, and expectations through real business pressure.
The builder
My career has moved across labor, leadership, coaching, technology, and operating systems. The common thread is simple: build the people, build the process, and build the systems that allow the work to scale.
The innovator
AuctionTrac helped prove that visibility and accountability could change auction operations. Auction AI carries that same belief into a new era of connected workflow, inspection intelligence, location visibility, and operational action.
Leadership principles
My leadership philosophy connects people, purpose, legacy, and disciplined execution into one operating standard.
Systems only matter when they help people perform with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
The goal is not simply to build companies. The goal is to build what matters.
The work should outlast the moment and leave people, teams, and industries better than before.
The standard is disciplined execution with integrity.
Timeline
A founder timeline from auction operations and LBD to AuctionTrac, KAR / ADESA, and Auction AI.
1989
I began building the practical auction and operations experience that would shape my founder path: people, process, vehicles, urgency, and execution under pressure.
2002
I founded LBD to support the labor and execution layer of auction operations, learning the physical workflow from the ground up and building around dependable on-site performance.
2008
I founded AuctionTrac to bring stronger vehicle-location visibility, workflow accountability, and labor-management data into auction operations.
2011
KAR / ADESA acquires AuctionTrac, validating a practical operating system for vehicle tracking and auction visibility across a North American auction context.
2012
AuctionTrac expands into mobile, GPS-enabled, and paperless labor-management workflows, with ADESA-KAR releases reporting measurable labor savings and broader rollout across ADESA locations.
Today
I am building Auction AI for independent auto auctions: shared operational records, cleaner handoffs, better visibility, and AI-supported auction intelligence without overcomplicating the floor.
The Next Chapter
The next chapter is cinematic, operational, and founder-led: converting decades of auction know-how into tools that help teams see the work, move faster, and serve customers with more confidence.