The contents of what's left in the former Penske Auto Center in Austin will be auctioned off Friday in Rochester.

The auction will be the final chapter for the store, which was located at the Austin Kmart. The Penske store closed in April as part of Kmart's financial restructuring. Michigan-based Kmart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this year.

The auction takes place at 4:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn South, 1630 S. Broadway. The contents of the Rochester Penske store will also be auctioned off at that time.

Penske and Kmart officials were tight-lipped after the closure of the Penske stores, including the store in Austin. The Austin store is just one of 600 nationwide, whose contents are being sold at auctions across the country.

Charlie Becker, a project director for Rabin Worldwide, said the auctions will feature a bevy of automotive service equipment, including automotive lifts, wheel alignment, brake service, air conditioning, emission control inspection, tire changer and balancers, electrical and battery tester and pneumatic/lube equipment.

Rabin Worldwide, a San Francisco-based liquidator, acquired the rights to the assets of the Penske shops and will be the agency in charge of conducting the auction for all the Penske stores.

"Much of the equipment is like new, and it has all been well maintained," Becker said. "We're very pleased to be able to offer it to the local community. We plan to conduct approximately 150 auctions over a two-month period, with the contents of several local stores being sold at a central location in each region."

The Austin and Rochester stores will be two of 11 locations statewide whose contents will be up for auction in the coming week.

More information on the auction can be obtained online at www.rabin.com or by calling (800) 822-2752.

Dan Fields can be reached at 434-2230 or by e-mail at :mailto:dan.fields@austindailyherald.com