It’s a funny looking word, CPOTY. But it means a lot.
It’s short for “Counter Professional of the Year,” and yes, it’s that time again. This year, the award is again sponsored by Affinia, and its brands WIX Filters and Raybestos brakes and chassis.
Since 1985, Counterman magazine has recognized counterpros who go above and beyond the call of duty, who are well-educated in parts and who are looked to by others as leaders in the field. Our yearly recognition of a single Counter Professional of the Year includes all-expenses-paid travel to Las Vegas, where the recipient will be the guest of honor at a special dinner and awards ceremony. The award coincides with AAIW, which affords the recipient even greater recognition and visibility by the aftermarket as a whole. Additionally, the Counter Professional of the Year is featured on the cover of the December issue of Counterman magazine.
We on the Counterman team get asked every year: How do you do it? How do you select such a fantastic representative of aftermarket parts distribution? The answer is: It ain’t easy. I, personally and professionally, feel a tremendous sense of responsibility, as does everyone else on the team, to choose the absolute best candidate from the numerous nominees. The fact that it’s not easy is a testament to distribution — there are plenty of exemplary candidates every year. And every year, it seems the bar is raised by every new Counter Professional of the Year.
The only stipulation of the award program is that the counterpro must be ASE certified. Entries are due by July 8. Take a few moments today to nominate yourself or someone else by going to www.counterman.com/CPOTY.aspx.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT INNOVATION
I’ve been able to see some great stuff recently. If I’ve learned anything about the aftermarket, it’s that it innovates. In the past month, I’ve visited a factory and met with its chief scientist, who designed a battery featuring the latest technology for the newest and biggest demands 21st Century cars can put on it. And I’ve toured a training/distribution center that is turning the traditional view of training on its ear.
Previously, I toured a brake pad factory where the friction formulations are held as close as the formula for Coca-Cola. And the data warehousing and mining technology being employed in distribution is awe-inspiring. It all makes me think of a line from one of my favorite movies, “Ghostbusters”: “We got the tools and we got the talent!”
A correction:
A January story about spark plugs should have said Champion Iridium plugs were
introduced in early 2005. Counterman regrets the error.
