"We're selling about 260 to 270, to 300 cars a year," said John Voit, President/CEO of Seguin Services, a not-for-profit organization serving people with disabilities in the Cicero area.
They got into the car business by accident.
"We had a car donated about six years ago that one of my wife's friends gave to us, so I drove it here at Seguin. I pulled it into the lot and there were like four staff that wanted to buy the car...so I though maybe this is something we ought to pursue," Voit said.
"What we do is we do 100 percent of all the work. We pick up the vehicle, we detail the vehicle, we sell the vehicle there are no third party for profiteers in this process which means that we can provide the greatest value to our donor."
AutoMarket doesn't just help with the organization's cash flow, it creates jobs.
"That is our major objective there, is creating jobs for people with disabilities, and as you can see behind me, individuals are working hard to detailing and washing cars," Voit said.
For donations, Seguin follows the new IRS rules.
"For anything under $500, donor does not need documentation," said Voit. "For anything over $500, the owner has to get an appraisal. We can assist them in that effort to get an appraisal. However, most of our cars, our specialty is within the $1,000 to $1,500 range.'"
In a tough economy, Voit is confident these cars will sell.
"Our local community needs those vehicles, people really need them to get to work, and those are the vehicles that really sell on our lots," said Voit.
So, if you have a car to donate, consider Seguin's Auto Marketplace.
"We pick up the vehicle, we detail the vehicle here at our detail, and we sell the vehicle on our used car lot," said Voit.
The phone number for Seguin Services' Automarket place is (708) 850-CARS. You can also go to their web site, www.seguin.org
