BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY, a supplier of technology solutions for the automotive aftermarket, announces it has tapped two seasoned veterans to head up its sales and marketing operations.

“The moves are intended to help BOLT ON retain its leadership role in a quickly changing automotive aftermarket and turbocharge its growth plan for this year and beyond,” the company said in a news release.

Thomas Ripple has assumed the role of sales director. Ripple has 26 years of experience in software and software as a service (SaaS). Expert at selling technical solutions through a problem-solving consultative approach, he will be charged with conveying BOLT ON’s value proposition to auto repair operations across a variety of aftermarket subcategories.

Ripple’s specific responsibilities will be to streamline and improve the sales process, oversee and grow the company’s national sales staff and ultimately increase new business revenue.

David Weston, an eight-year veteran at BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY, where he served as marketing manager, has been named marketing director. Weston brings 17 years of digital marketing, campaign-management, branding, advertising and strategic-planning experience to the role.  

In this role, Weston will ramp up the company’s efforts to create awareness, develop new business channels, oversee annual marketing budgets, direct the company’s tradeshow efforts and lead the company’s advertising strategy. Prior to joining BOLT ON, Weston served as part of the Comcast marketing team. 

“The auto aftermarket is evolving. While every shop wants to better engage their customers, many legacy shops are resistant to change, or taking on new technology, even if it can benefit them,” said Tim Cifelli, BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY’s chief revenue officer. “That means service providers need to do more education and consultation while speaking to them from a trust-building standpoint to address their pain points. Our ongoing changes are intended to give our customers and prospects a great experience regardless of how tech-savvy they may or may not be.”

Cifelli added that while such capabilities as digital vehicle inspections, text messaging, customer self-scheduling and text-to-pay have proven to generate more loyalty, repeat business and higher average repair orders (AROs), providers must do a better job shepherding repair shops through the process.

“By adapting to what we’re hearing from the marketplace, and by creating more synergy between the sales and marketing departments, we can build greater cohesiveness that puts the customer at the center and is better positioned to educate the industry on how our offerings can improve their bottom line,” he said.

The changes are part of BOLT ON’s reorganization strategy announced earlier this year, designed to better define roles and responsibilities of the management team, while empowering key people to execute corporate strategy. The goal is to provide outstanding customer service, enhance value to customers and strengthen the company’s positioning in the auto aftermarket, according to BOLT ON.