The Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance’s Service Center Advisory Council (SCAC) has wrapped up its spring meeting, which was held April 24-26 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The 10 Auto Value, Bumper to Bumper and Confidence Plus Certified Service Center council members joined several critical players from Alliance headquarters for three days of discussions, brainstorming and camaraderie.

“It was a real privilege and a lot of fun to host the SCAC this week,” said Jeff Blocher, director of sales and marketing at Mann+Hummel. “It gave us a great opportunity to show off our people, facilities and what we are all about. At the same time, you are learning something from real customers.”

WIX Filters, a valuable channel partner for Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper, hosted the meeting. On Thursday, WIX invited attendees to tour its Allen facility and meet key staff members at its Dixon plant. As the host, WIX had the rare opportunity to engage with the council for exclusive, in-person feedback during a focus-group discussion.

“It makes it obvious that from the time a filter begins its life on the assembly line to the time these service-center customers install that filter, there is a lot that has to go right and can be done better,” Blocher said. “Talking about those things in these meetings helps everyone who is responsible for making that happen.”

WIX also treated council members and Alliance attendees to a Charlotte Knights baseball game, an evening of axe throwing, many meals and more.

“These meetings enable me to run my business better, plain and simple,” said Kameron Butcher of Lynn Wood Auto Service, a Bumper to Bumper Certified Service Center in Layton, Utah. “It was rewarding to see, in person, what makes WIX such a valued channel partner to our parts supplier, ASAP, and the other Alliance distributors. Being on the SCAC, seeing the magic happen at WIX further reinforces my decision to be a proud Bumper to Bumper Certified Service Center.”

During the rest of the three-day meeting, the council members discussed the Alliance’s Certified Service Center program and its elements, shared suggestions for maintaining its success and brainstormed best sales practices.

“We are fortunate to have such a dedicated group of shop owners who are willing to help us get better,” said Dan Rader, vice president of product at the Alliance. “Their feedback truly drives the decisions we make for our customers.”

The SCAC, which consists of 10 of the Alliance’s top shop owners, holds regular monthly meetings and gathers twice annually in person to discuss challenges of and propose solutions for the Certified Service Center program. Council members are appointed for two-year terms, with an annual rotation replacing five members.