An auto auction house in Harford County has been acquired by a prominent auctioneer.

Cox Automotive signed an agreement with BSC American, indicating its intent to obtain Bel Auto Auction in Belcamp and its Florida location, according to a press release.

The agreement is expected to close in the coming weeks. The Belcamp location will operate under the Cox Automotive Manheim brand, adding over 450 team members.

“While we knew the time was right for our family to shift our business focus, it was deeply important to us that our actions were set up for continued success and growth,” said R. Charles Nichols, president of BSC America.

Bel Air Auto Auction was founded in 1947 and has been owned by the Nichols family since 1980. Raymond Nichols, CEO of BSC, purchased the business with his late wife, Elaine.

The auction house originally sat at a 40-acre site off Route 1, just south of the Town of Bel Air. In 2017, it was moved to its current location in Riverside, a 185-acre site.

“For decades, we have worked closely with the BSC team as friendly competitors and partners…,” said Grace Huang, president of Cox Automotive Inventory Solutions, in the release. “This acquisition comes as Manheim celebrates its 80th anniversary and is a testament to the fact that the world’s largest auto auction is continuing to grow and expand its presence in important markets and empower even more clients with the tools, technology and services they need to make more informed buying and selling decisions for their automotive businesses.”

Each year, Bel Air Auto Auction manages the flow of more than 100,000 vehicles, according to its website. The company mainly handles consignments from new and used car dealers and private business fleets, in addition to public service and government agencies. Every Thursday, they sell on 12 auction lanes.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

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