Midwest Recovery and Adjustment Service, Inc. was founded in 1952 by Al Michel. For a number of years, Midwest operated in both Cleveland, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan. Midwest was initially a two person operation, with Al running the outside operation, and his wife Dorothy, running the office.
In Detroit, Al first named his company Midwest Recovery and Adjustment Service, Inc., and it had its first locations on Roosevelt Avenue, and subsequently on Lonyo in Detroit. Originally founded exclusively as an automobile repossession agency, Al Michel used his previous knowledge and experience from recovery operations in the banking industry to build the most successful auto recovery business in the greater metropolitan Detroit area. In 1957, Al Michel expanded his business to include a new corporation called Midwest Auto Auction, and the scope and focus of the company now grew to include weekly auctions that were open to the public.