And the Counter Professional of the Year Is…
Dan Backus, owner of the JS Auto Supply, a Parts Plus store in Jamestown, N.Y., describes the moment he read Thomas Dayton’s resumé for a counter professional position.
Guest Editorial: Let’s Change How We Define Education in the Aftermarket
What we do in this job is considered by most people to be blue collar work. The same is thought about the technicians with whom we interact. But with the complexity of vehicles these days, is this a fair classification?
Polk Inventory Award Winners Share Their Secrets to Inventory Success
In the past, trying to decide what part numbers will create the best inventory to offer your customers was not only tedious and slow, but something akin to peering through a broken crystal ball.
More Business? Bring It On
The aftermarket could begin to experience an unprecedented windfall in the next few months. What’s happening? Thousands of new car dealerships — at least 3,000 of them — are slated or are expected to close. The financially strapped car manufacturers are looking to thin the ranks of the car dealerships because during these economically challenging
Let Me Count the Ways
It’s easy to focus on the negative when that’s what you’ve been trained to do, especially after you’ve been at it for nearly 40 years.
Keeping Up Professional Standards
How can a distributor help in this area?
Leadership 2.0 Attendees Hone Their Skills
Twenty-five people from a diverse cross-section of the aftermarket industry gather to plan, ponder the future.
Next-Generation Import Specialist Tests Launch at AAPEX 2008
by Lee Kadrich The aftermarket parts and service industry needs qualified personnel to drive sales and provide top-notch customer service. Recognizing this need, the Auto International Association (AIA), a segment of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), created its certification program in 1989. Recently updated, the program is designed to help create “real experts” in
Leadership 2.0: It’s Where It’s At
Well, the choice has been made. The editors of Counterman magazine received a mountain of entries for the 2008 Counter Professional of the Year, presented by Affinia. After much deliberation and sifting through all the entries, Craig Bradley, of NAPA in Lansing, Mich., was chosen as the recipient of this year’s award. Craig and his
Don’t Ignore Lost Sales, APA Members Hear at Annual Conference in Texas
SAN ANTONIO — Parts professionals can no longer ignore lost sales, attendees at Automotive Parts Associates’ (APA) annual conference in San Antonio heard March 6-8. The confluence of reduced consumer spending, a lagging economy and automotive industry doldrums mean aftermarket professionals must capitalize on every customer interaction to make the sale, said Jeff Levine, chairman