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Jobber News is Canada’s longest-established publication serving the distribution segment of the Canadian automotive aftermarket. It is specifically directed to warehouse distributors, wholesalers, machine shops, and national accounts.
Publisher | Peter Bulmer (585) 653-6768 peter@turnkey.media
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Creative Director | Samantha Jackson
Video / Audio Engineer | Ashley Mikalauskas, Nicholas Paddison
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Does brand loyalty exist as much as it used to?
Now that we’re on the other side — hopefully — of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a good time to look back on what happened the last two-plus years and see what might have changed.
One that jumps to mind is brand loyalty.
Pre-pandemic, customers — be it do-it-yourselfers or technicians — likely had their preferred brand for whatever vehicle component they were working on. They liked Company A for shocks, Company One for brake pads and Company Red for belts.
But the pandemic put the brakes on brand loyalty to a degree. Shortages of product meant customers had to essentially take whatever was available. That means getting Company B, Two and Blue to get the job done on the vehicle sitting in the shop.
“During the pandemic, we sold the heck out everything — we sold all the premiums because when the installer called, he didn't care [what was available],” reported John Washbish, president and chief executive officer of the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance. He made the comments during an episode of Curbside Chat, the video podcast series from the Automotive Industries Association of Canada
“Just give me what you got to get it fixed,” is what jobbers often heard as cars lined up outside of aftermarket shops, he added.
If you’re Company B, this was your time to shine. Whether you were less popular or the technician had never tried you out before, your audition to becoming the first choice had arrived.
And it’s also likely that a customer used a few different brands of a particular component. They got a taste of what different companies have to offer. Suddenly, they may like what Company Orange gave them. Or they’re more curious about what else might be out there.
If you’re a supplier, it’s almost as if everything has reset to zero. Technicians and DIYers have probably been trying out your competitors. Maybe they like them more. Maybe they don’t. Maybe it’s all the same to them.
Marketing your brand is a different game now. That time up until three years ago when you could rely on loyalty as a sales driver may not exist anymore. For that supplier that has been trying to move up in terms of awareness, your hard work may need to start over again.
We’re now essentially on an even playing field. It’s now more important than ever to showcase what makes your brand better. How are you supplying products to jobbers? How are you making installations easier for technicians? What are you offering? What have you done for your customers lately?
President & Managing Partner | Delon Rashid Head of Sales & Managing Partner | Peter Bulmer
Corporate Office 48 Lumsden Crescent, Whitby, ON, L1R 1G5
This breeds new opportunities. Companies need to get their messages out there again. Strong marketing — ad placements and re-connecting with customers — and a quality product to back it up could be the recipe to see change.
Let’s see which companies take advantage.
Editor,0021-7050
1923-3477
DIY means do it yourself. Most shops apparently aren't aware if they install a customer-supplied part, the shop now becomes responsible for the well-being of that part. If it fails, a court would deem the shop responsible to repair it because you installed it. Most shops are not aware of this law. We will absolutely never install a customer-supplied part. We went through this court scenario.
Jon Bonsma, The Truck ShopThis is what happens when you depend on legislation to solve your problems.
Bill Haas, Haas Performance ConsultingAuto manufacturing is such a cutthroat business. They need to protect franchise profits and such, but my bigger fear is that all cars and especially electric cars will become like iPhones and become almost unrepairable, less recyclable and largely disposable if we let them have their way.
Alex Hart, Axel Alley Auto RepairWe want to hear from you about anything you read in Jobber News magazine. Send your email to adam@turnkey.media
with customers due to the high return rate. We have a number of customers in excess of 50% returns. These are also the same customers with double the warranty rate as average. It is difficult to offer these customers the delivery times they expect when that urgent part is returned the next day. Our customers need to be better educated on there selling skills so the do not have to order every part that might be possibly needed They should prepare the customer in advance to allow them to diagnose the car and schedule the needed repairs.
Bruce Dupuis, NAPA Auto PartsAbsolutely agree. I couldn’t understand trashing legislation when it was on the table in favour of a voluntary program. To date, some manufacturers still refuse to allow aftermarket techs access to security updates and programming, especially in Canada. R2R legislation in the U.S. falls short also. It only covers vehicles manufactured since 2018 and only covers some modules, such as powertrain. The way vehicles are today, most systems need programming after repair, especially with module replacement. We need better access to these systems, preferably without having to buy a dozen laptops and VCIs to go with the subscription.
Art French, AML Auto ServiceAs a shop owner I do not care about telematic data. It does not help me fix cars. But as a consumer, I don’t think the manufacturer should be allowed to build a data bank by zeroing in on individual consumers data. The manufacturer should be forced to accumulate their data by the masses. Ex. this type of vehicle performs on average this way, not this consumer drives on average this way. It is nobody's business if the consumer of an automobile visits an abortion clinic, frequently visits the LCBO, or if they ride the brakes beyond manufacturers' recommendations. Instead of the aftermarket fighting for the “right to repair” that includes telematic data, consumers should be fighting for the right to have this data not being accumulated at all. At the very least some kind of legislation should be in place to make sure the consumers privacy rights are being protected after the manufacture has forced them to sign off on their privacy.
Rob Nurse, Bob Nurse Motors
Enjoyed the article and have a comment on the customer return part of the article. We have considered terminating relationships
On-going challenge my entire career. Not a concern for those automotive professional facilities that focus on systems, training, strong client retention programs and customer experience. They have no worries. Many others do need to worry.
Carlo Sabucco, Sil’s Complete Auto Care CentreHave you ever tried to talk with someone at a dealership?
Wading through the phone system is frustrating, to say the least. Then you will have to leave a message for someone to return your call. Good luck with getting a timely reply. Independents have people who actually answer the phone and address the customer’s concerns right away. This in itself is a powerful plus for us.
Bob Ward, The Auto GuysFor
autoserviceworld.com
MILLENNIAL CANADIANS feel more helpless and don’t stay on top of maintenance and repair of their vehicle as much as other age groups, according to new data.
The report, Understanding Millennials: A Quick Profile of Young Canadian Vehicle Owners 2021-2022 from the Automotive Industries Association of Canada, found that 42 per cent of Millennials either agreed or strongly agreed that they feel helpless when they bring their vehicle in for maintenance or repair needs. Meanwhile, 32 per cent of Canadians in other age groups felt the same way.
When looking at how they approach maintenance and repair, less than half (44 per cent) of Millennial Canadians believe they stay on top of everything — about three in five (59 per cent) of other age groups do the same.
UNI-SELECT IS acquiring a major aftermarket player in northern Ontario.
The Boucherville, Quebec-based company announced this week that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Maslack Supply Limited, plus its related real properties.
Maslack, the Jobber of the Year in 1994-95, has 13 locations across northern Ontario, a 70,000 sq. ft. distribution centre and more than 200 employees. Uni-Select’s announcement noted that Maslack reported $52 million of revenue for its fiscal year that ended January 31, 2022.
The core management of Maslack will remain in place following the deal, Uni-Select said.
The deal comes almost a year after the passing of its founder, John Maslack. He founded Maslack Supply in 1959 with three
employees and a 500 sq. ft. building.
“We are pleased that Uni-Select, a Canadian company built on the same entrepreneurial foundations as Maslack, is acquiring our family business and carrying on the legacy of our parents in offering excellent service to our customers throughout Ontario,” said Betty Jane Marks and Judy Roy, John’s daughters, in the announcement. “Uni-Select emerged as the obvious buyer because of our shared customer-first approach and appreciation for employees, which are the front line of our business.”
PIÈCES D’AUTO LACROIX has joined UAP and will become a NAPA Auto Parts associate.
The 2018 Jobber of the Year, led by brothers Dany and Kevin Lacroix, were previously with Uni-Select.
The changeover for the company’s five stores — located in Laval, Saint-Eustache, Terrebonne, Boisbriand, and Mirabel — is effective Sept. 26.
The company was founded by the brothers’ grandfather Jean-Guy in 1977. They took over the business from their father, Sylvain, in 2016.
“We’re excited to join the NAPA banner and be a part of this national network of stores,” Dany said in the announcement.
“NAPA has a strong brand that inspires confidence, and its team’s vision for the future will allow us to continue growing our business. In addition, our family’s customer-centric vision and emphasis on teamwork perfectly align with NAPA’s company values.”
according to Lordco’s announcement. The store will carry a large selection of tools, camping gear and highperformance parts. The in-store dedicated truck centre has an expansive display of tonneau covers, roof racks, winches and other popular truck accessories for truck, SUV and Jeep enthusiasts.
The new superstore is designed to meet local demand for aftermarket parts and accessories. Lordco decided it needed more space for inventory, paving the way for the new location.
The new location is also more central, just off Highway 97 near Highway 33.
IN THE PAST, shipping and logistics companies would identify issues in the supply chain and then take steps to rectify them. But it’s not happening this time around, according to an automotive aftermarket leader.
For example, if there weren’t enough trucks or drivers to move products around — a common issue these days — companies would see the opportunity to make investments. But they can’t do so responsibly, observed Larry Pavey, chief executive officer of Federated Auto Parts.
A WEAKENING exchange rate, labour challenges and inflation stand in the way as challenges moving forward this year, according to Uni-Select.
In reporting its second-quarter financial results and six-month highlights for 2022, Uni-Select’s executive chair and chief executive officer Brian McManus noted that “we will face certain headwinds in the second half of the year, namely from currency translation effects and the impact of labour and operating cost inflation.”
However, that won’t stop the company from setting strong expectations for the rest of the year. In fact, McManus said Uni-Select expects stronger financial results in the second half compared to the same time in 2021.
That said, he cautioned the results won’t be at the same pace as the first half — in which the second quarter alone saw consolidated sales of $444.3 million, 6.7 per cent compared to Q2 2021, and all three business segments reported positive organic growth — noting that the company will “lap certain operational improvements and the timing of vendor rebates earned in the back half of last year."
B.C.-BASED Lordco Auto Parts unveiled its new superstore, the first in the Okanagan.
The 30,000 sq. ft. location in Kelowna was celebrated with a grand opening for the public, complete with a barbecue, a walk-through of a Milwaukee Tool van and a prize draw for a music festival prize pack.
The store, located at 1540 Keehn Road, replaces two warehouses in Kelowna — both the 1656 Dilworth Drive and 125 Hwy 33 locations have closed. The bigger space allows Lordco to feature more products and product lines than the former locations,
“The problem that you have right now is, I think, that we’ve got so much volatility and lack of control in some areas that makes it difficult,” he said during a June Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG) Professional Series webinar in June.
He noted the “energy transformation” that taking place right now. It would be difficult for a company to invest in adding several diesel-powered trucks to its fleet when electrification will be the way to go a decade from now.
“So where does the capital flow? And I think some of that is a restriction to being able to solve some of the issues that we have today,” according to Pavey.
KIYOSHI, OR KIYO, Nonomura died Aug. 2 at the age of 89.
Ken Coulter, president of Specialty Sales & Marketing, passed on the news to industry colleagues shortly after. He called Nonomura “probably one of the nicest men to pass through our industry.”
According to Coulter, Nonomura recently suffered a stroke. His obituary
noted that Nonomura died peacefully at Brampton Civic Hospital in southern Ontario.
Nonomura was born in Vancouver on Oct. 20, 1932. He married Kim in 1954 and they moved to the Greater Toronto Area in 1969. He worked his way up from a shipper/receiver in Lethbridge to vice president of purchasing in the automotive aftermarket.
“He was well respected in the industry and was known as a shrewd but fair negotiator,” his obituary stated.
SUPPLIERS ARE PAYING their respects to Steve Handschuh, former president and chief executive officer of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) died Aug. 22
He retired in 2018 with the announcement citing health concerns and a desire to properly transition the organization’s leadership. He also served as president and CEO of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), a division of MEMA, before taking over as head of the parent organization in 2013.
Upon his retirement, he was succeeded by Bill Long. Like Handschuh, Long was head of AASA and took over as MEMA’s leader.
Handschuh spent more than 40 years in the automotive aftermarket. He started as an outside salesman for Mighty Auto Parts, eventually working his way up to vice president of sales and marketing.
He also worked with NAPA Auto Parts/Genuine Parts Co. for 18 years, including serving as president of NAPA
Mark Gibson was named the new national sales manager
NGK Spark Plugs Canada effective April 1. He most recently was business development manager at Direct Energy.
Eucon Americas announced Kumar Saha as vice president, U.S., in addition to his current role as managing director, Canada. He will direct business development activities, data operations and more in both markets.
Stephen Squires has been hired as special projects manager at Colonial Group. He’s the fourth generation to work and provide management and leadership to the company.
Hitachi Astemo Americas announced Ryan Pelkey’s promotion to director of sales for the Hitachi Astemo Americas aftermarket division.
John Brune has been named vice president of OEM sales engineering at Elgin Industries. An engineer, he was with GT Technologies as its vice president of technology and innovation.
Ultimate Headers announced the appointment of Jim Browning Jr. as its new president. He has been with the company for five years. He previously worked in the oil and gas industry.
Hitachi Astemo Americas announced it has appointed Gary Plover as its vice president and Americas aftermarket business division head. He first joined the company as director of aftermarket sales.
Mark Willis has been appointed U.K. commercial director at Advantage Parts Solutions. He was most recently with Volkswagen Group UK and had 30 years of experience.
John Cappella is the new president and CEO of Porsche Cars Canada, effective September 1. He succeeds Marc Ouayoun who has been in the job since January 2018.
from 1998-2004. He was also commercial senior vice president at AutoZone.
In 2018, Handschuh received the organization’s top honour with the MEMA Triangle Award in 2018. It recognizes vision, passion and dedication to the interests of the automotive industry.
Las Vegas, Nevada
NAPA Expo 2022 welcomed repair shop and store owner attendees from 15 countries, 280 exhibitors on the show floor. About 400 attendees representing Canada made the trip. The event also featured 50 management and training seminars that ranged from succession to financial success to finding talent. Vendor booths gave hands-on demonstrations and information. The event was capped off with a final night celebration with a concert that featured the Goo Goo Dolls and Keith Urban.
Canadians who said say they’re either “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to consider an EV for their next vehicle purchase. In the United States, three-in-five (59%) responded the same way.
J.D. Power
Stats that put the North American automotive aftermarket into perspective
The number of full-service maintenance customers in the United States who said their problem was fixed right the first time, up from 94% in 2021.
quarter of 2022 compared to the same period the year before. New car dealers’ sales increased 6%.
Electric vehicle chargers needed to support Canadians to make the switch to EVs. But that doesn’t include those living in multi-residential buildings or who don’t have a garage.
Buick will introduce its first electric vehicle as it begins its transformation to become a fully electric automaker. The change also includes new branding and a new logo.
General Motors
The industry average for number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) for new vehicles, coming in 11% higher than last year. Buick scored best at 139 PP100.
J.D. Power, U.S. Initial Quality Study
Canadian Automobile Dealers Association
Millennials who agreed or strongly agreed that they feel helpless when they bring their vehicle in for maintenance or repair needs.
Automotive Industries Association of Canada
Canadians citing cost as a reason for being unlikely to consider an electric vehicle. In comparison, 44% of Americans said they had the same concern.
J.D. Power
The full-year 2022 new vehicle sales forecast in the United States has been revised, now projected to be well down from initial expectations of 15.3 million units. That represents a drop of more than 17%.
Dynamic pricing is all around us.
If you book a flight, ticket prices can vary by day, season or proximity to travel date, among other factors. If you load up your Amazon cart and leave it sitting around, you can watch the prices of your selected items change every day — sometimes by just a few cents, sometimes by tens of dollars.
And if you tried buying tickets to a Bruce Springsteen concert recently, you may have had to fork out up to $5,000 for the privilege of watching "The Boss" in action — all thanks to event retailer Ticketmaster’s demand-driven strategy. The resultant outrage highlighted the double-edged sword that is dynamic pricing. Think Uber and surge pricing: It is a love-hate relationship, right? Sporting events are famous for dynamic pricing with ticket costs changing based on the opponent and day of the week.
So dynamic pricing is not exactly new. But the aftermarket has remained largely insulated from this approach. That is slowly changing. U.S. parts retailers — both traditional competitors and e-commerce pure players — have started to introduce real-time
pricing across their platforms. The current inflationary environment and the recent supply chain issues are speeding up the process.
Even automakers and parts suppliers are beginning to roll out automated, multi-variate pricing strategies in response to market pressures.
The benefits of dynamic pricing are clear. At a fundamental level, it allows a company to modulate its product pricing in real-time based on evolving business conditions.
Other pricing approaches are one-dimensional. With a cost-plus strategy (still the default mode for a broad swath of the aftersales business), companies are simply aiming to protect a fixed margin target. With a competition-based or value-based approach, businesses are relying on market positioning or customer preferences.
Dynamic pricing puts all the above into an algorithmic pot, adds other inputs such as seasonality, inventory levels and more, and serves up an optimized price. Price actions do not follow a pre-determined schedule. Rather, changes are triggered by the magnitude and frequency of the inputs.
Let’s say, if freight costs go up, prices are adjusted according to profit targets. But, if the product faces stiff competition, the adjustment factors in both margin and market position. If the product is also highly valued by customers, the output now trades off between the relative influence of the three inputs — margin, market, and customer. You get the picture; the combination of influences is endless.
Dynamic pricing cannot be executed manually because it would take too many people. Companies rely on sophisticated software that work on rules-based machine learning and artificial intelligence to monitor and action price changes. The software, in turn, acts on the basis of high-frequency, automated data streams to power these changes.
For the do-it-yourself (DIY) market, dynamic pricing is already in action. Most aftermarket retailers have implemented pricing tools, particularly for their e-commerce platforms.
But, unlike the U.S., Canada is still largely a do-it-forme (DIFM) market. Can a vacillating pricing strategy work in this business-to-business (B2B) dominant environment? The answer is yes — if you have a clear view of its benefits.
For a supplier, it provides a mechanism to adjust prices according to customer urgency, lead times, and manufacturing capacity for a particular product. It allows sales teams to create automated selling processes based on previous wins and losses as well as current and future market conditions.
The advantages are even more apparent for distributors
and retailers selling into automotive aftermarket maintenance and repair shops.
Currently, aftermarket B2B transactions are increasingly happening through digital platforms — a prerequisite for a dynamic pricing strategy since e-commerce enables a feedback loop of data and insights. For instance, what are daily the purchasing patterns of a technician? What products are being purchased by the business? A dynamic strategy allows a near, real-time understanding of such behaviour, enabling the distributor to understand crossselling and bundled pricing opportunities for that buyer.
Dynamic pricing can also reward both buyer and seller.
Let’s say a particular shop is undergoing a sudden spike in repair traffic. Under static discounting frameworks, installers get price breaks on a pre-determined volume, driven by seasonality and prior purchase behaviour. But within a self-regulating environment, these rebates could be applied based on ongoing purchasing patterns, thereby creating greater loyalty and purchase satisfaction.
For the distributor, the benefit comes from any increase in order volume and revenue spurred by such spot discounting.
Dynamic pricing is a delicate dance. Get it wrong and you risk alienating customers for real or perceived “pricegouging,” as in the Springsteen-Ticketmaster case. Even worse, you risk squandering revenue from potentially “pricing down” a product.
To make dynamic pricing work, businesses need a steady stream of accurate and diverse data. The trouble with the aftermarket is there is precious little of it. And to be very honest, there seems to be little appetite to share and use data in the industry. The U.S. is bad and Canada is even worse.
For instance, granular, industry sales volumes are a given in most industries — even in certain B2B-heavy sectors such as the medical industry. No such luck in the aftermarket. Most competitors rely heavily on internal data and simply extrapolate those numbers to generate industry guesstimates. Many think that price crawlers — the use of automated data extraction to match market pricing — alone can power dynamic pricing.
If the aftermarket wants to take dynamic pricing seriously, it must up its data game. It must create internal processes to create, consume, and digest data. The industry must also create mechanisms to share data more effectively.
Without the right data, dynamic pricing might as well be … dancing in the dark.
Kumar Saha is the Toronto-based vice president (U.S.)/managing director (Canada) of global automotive intelligence firm Eucon. He has been advising North American automotive industry for over a decade and is a frequent conference speaker and media commentator. Kumar is based out of Toronto.
Kumar Saha
Quartz 9000 range with Age Resistance technology pro vides the ultimate protection against mechanical wear or extreme temperatures and outstanding engine perfor mace thourghout its lifespan, under frequent stop-andstart conditions.
By Vic Tarasik
Ajobber’s role is unique. You get to see the best, and sometimes the more challenging times, of your service centres. The relationship you have may span years, even decades, with one common thread: Trust.
You may not have hands-on experience operating a shop, but you do know the common elements that make a business thrive. The shop that buys parts from your store knows, likes and trusts you to deliver the correct parts when promised and help them in their business journey.
The good ones always seem busy and profitable. But how often have you asked yourself: Why they can’t pay their bills on time; or why do they have such a high return or defect rate?
You know it just doesn’t add up. Here’s a great shop owner, professional service advisor, Red Seal techs, great review — so why does it always seem like this place is always struggling financially?
What makes techs-turned-owners tick is the high level of confidence and skill required to service and repair vehicles running. That confidence pushes them throughout the day and, at times, late into the evening to seek the answers to the ultra-complex inner workings of the vehicle. And in almost all cases, they arrive at a solution.
When it comes to business ownership, that confidence in problem solving becomes a roadblock. Why? The systems they learned over the years of attaining their Red Seal are still the same. They access skills developed working as an apprentice to be a fantastic problem solver.
Most haven’t had the opportunity to develop business experience. They learned most skills as a business owner through on-the-job training as they operate their shop. The
go-it-alone trait and the confidence they have to solve a problem now hold the growth of their shop back.
You see their pain and how their lack of business acumen negatively impacts your jobber store. Resources consumed handling defects, returns and restocking hamper your growth. And don’t forget, if a shop owner goes belly-up, you are left holding the note on their unpaid parts bill.
So what can you do? You can help shops grow, stabilize or be more profitable. Help them source foundational business management training. If you are part of a program group, you have built-in resources available to you. Some of these classes are held in person, online or pre-recorded.
A shop owner who utilizes best business practices is a gold standard among his peers. The relationship you have is based on trust and mutual respect. It’s not incumbent on you to have the answers on how to improve their shop operations but rather be the conduit for high-quality training that will take their shop to the next level.
If you are heading to AAPEX this year, check out the management training that will be held throughout the show. You might add that missing piece to what you can offer your customers.
Vic Tarasik has been an independent auto repair professional for more than four decades.
He is the founder of Shop Owner Coach, a coaching and training organization He can be reached at vic@ShopOwnerCoach.com or by calling 713-826-2978.
There’s one consistent topic on the mind of just about every automotive aftermarket leader: Talent. For years — and decades for those around long enough — a shortage of skilled automotive technicians has been front and centre when discussing talent issues. Whether it’s attracting or retaining, expert after expert has discussed the need to draw more people into this industry as techs.
But the issue has become more widespread, hitting aftermarket suppliers hard. The challenge for them is finding people to work the warehouse to get products down the line and in the hands of techs.
“We’re seeing a very competitive talent market,” observed Katie Gibson, director of people, culture and diversity, and Shannon Langsford, director of human resources, operations, at Toronto-based Mevotech. “With the unemployment rate at an all-time low, we’re seeing higher turnover, and vacant roles are staying open for longer across all departments. This has required us to be more creative in our strategies to attract and retain top talent.”
Canada’s unemployment rate sits at 4.9 per cent. In the U.S., it’s 3.5 per cent. Both are record lows.
“I don’t think this one’s an ‘our industry’ issue,” said Paul McCarthy, president and chief executive officer of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA).
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit, provided by the federal government to financially support Canadians directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, also proved to be a challenge as it further reduced the talent pool, Gibson and Langford noted.
Companies of all shapes and sizes are at war for talent in their warehouses. Money has been thrown around. But the issue remains. Besides, there’s only so much you can pay staff because those costs are passed on in the price of products.
“We’re also hearing it from our customers: ‘We want the parts, but also control your costs. We don’t want the cost to go up too much,” McCarthy told Jobber News. “So it’s this balancing act.”
Companies are being forced to get creative and think harder about how to take on these challenges.
Labour has been the biggest challenge in the last couple of years, which ties into supply chain issues. Consumer demand skyrocketed and people are needed to help fill that demand. Suppliers saw fill rates plummet over the last two years and are still recovering.
These are definitely tough times for the industry, acknowledged Ted Hughes, Michigan-based North America marketing director at Mahle Aftermarket.
And it will soon get harder.
As we approach fall and winter, seasonal competition for talent will only make things more difficult. Large scale distribution centres ramp up production for the holidays to meet consumer demand. So companies like Nike will pay extra to seasonal workers, attracting them away from companies like automotive aftermarket suppliers, creating an even bigger hole in the this industry.
“We’ll see more and more prolific distribution companies that will dramatically overpay for seasonal help because of the
Christmas season upcoming,” Hughes said. “That’s another challenge that’s coming.”
So it’s now about finding new ways to attract. Those simply looking for a higher dollar amount per hour may look past some aftermarket companies. But for those who need more, that’s where this industry is looking to find success.
“One of the ways we’re able to compete is that we target those job seekers who are looking for a career, versus a job, a full-time permanent role with benefits and vacation, not a short-term pay bump,” Gibson and Langford told Jobber News, adding that they’re looking to become an employer of choice among job hunters.
Mahle’s plan to make up for a lower hourly rate is to enhance benefits offerings. That can include short-term benefits or a bigger package to entice personnel to stay longer. It’s part of a strategy to have not just employees but team members.
“We want, ideally, the people that want to be part of a cause, that are part of a team and enjoy being with the people that they work with. That’s how we combat it,” Hughes said in an interview
Part-timers generally don’t get good, or much of any, benefits from employers. But with increasing costs of healthcare and insurance and more people working multiple part-time jobs — or a part-time job in addition to a full-time one — having extra benefits can be enticing.
“We just can’t continue to throw money at people for them to work a couple of months and move on,” Hughes observed. “And then we have to go back to square one with training and all of the related things that go with that.”
Another strategy being used is referrals. John Hanighen, chief executive officer at Cloyes Gear & Products, noted during AASA’s Vision Conference earlier this year that he looks to his staff to refer people to the company.
It’s a strategy Mevotech is undertaking as well, telling Jobber News that the company has doubled its referral bonus for warehouse workers, implemented a fast-tracking program to convert high-performing temporary associates into permanent employees and more.
If companies like Mahle and Mevotech can attract people with their benefits package and other perks, they hope it’s enough to retain them long term. But as many aftermarket companies can attest, keeping employees may be just as hard as getting them through the doors in the first place.
“I think a lot of that comes from that mentality of caring for you as employees and people and not just floor workers that are walking around picking parts,” Hughes observed.
Naturally, some employees only care about the hourly rate.
“There are obviously some people that are always only going to be there for the paycheque. But where we’ve had success, it’s because we’ve been able to find, properly train and incrementally reward those that have stuck through with us,” Hughes said.
Bonuses have become popular, whether it’s a signing bonus or so-called ‘stay’ bonuses, which is where an employee may get a bonus for staying a month, six months, a year or similar milestones.
“That’s a way that we want to reward employees that stick it out with us and go through the training,” Hughes said.
But not everyone is a fan of the bonus strategy. Linda Brenner is managing director and founder of Talent Growth Advisors and has worked with companies across many industries, including the aftermarket.
On one hand, it’s almost a must to give bonuses instead a higher hourly rate to attract these days. On the other, it’s not a long-term solution and certainly not a strategy for suppressing employee wages.
“If your valued, tenured employees are being significantly underpaid, that’s a problem,” she said at NAPA Expo 2022.
It can also create morale issues in the business. Say two people are working together but one has been with the company for five years and the other just started. The newer one got $1,000 upon being hired while the other didn’t. That can create tension.
However, some positions aftermarket companies need filled are not enticing to begin with.
“Floor picking is the worst job and the hardest one,” Hughes acknowledged. He added that they can hire 30 people on a Monday and at least 20 are gone by the end of the week.
Mevotech works with a temporary agency partner to educate new hires on exactly what to expect in the job. “We also offer steady shifts with fixed schedules plus overtime opportunities, as well as internal training and job advancement opportunities,” Gibson and Langford said.
The last six months have seen a change, they added. “We think associates are starting to remember the value of stability and consistency in the employer they choose to work with.”
Much of the issues seen in the lack of labour is a decrease in immigration levels. This spring, Canada unveiled plans to bring in at least 431,000 immigrants between now and 2024. About 401,000 came to Canada in 2021 — the most in a single year ever, according to the federal government.
In the U.S., immigration saw its sharpest year-over-year
We just can’t continue to throw money at people for them to work a couple of months and move on And then we have to go back to square one with training and all of the related things that go with that.
decline in 2021, according to data from a U.S. Census Bureau report. After more than a million immigrants came to the U.S. in 2015 and 2016, numbers fell to just 245,000 last year.
If it were up to many suppliers, more immigrants would be arriving regularly to help ease the staffing shortage. They call McCarthy every week asking how they can make that happen.
“Unfortunately, we have lost some of that labour force movement. In the middle, it’s a very complex issue. There’s a lot of things, but [the fact is] we have this aging population and we’re not having the inflow that we’ve generally had since the 1940s when we kind of reopened the borders somewhat,” McCarthy said in an interview. “And that’s an issue. Especially when you’re talking about our plants. Not the most appealing job.”
Aftermarket companies like Cardone Industries have taken advantage of bringing in workers from other countries and successfully having them part of the business.
“We have 30 or 35 languages spoken down on the shop floor. And so then someone who’s from outside the country feels comfortable when they see a lot of different people there. And I think that’s [something] we’ve really taken advantage of,” said Mike Carr, chief executive officer of Cardone, at AASA’s Vision Conference.
While acknowledging it’s cool to see a company with such diversity, for McCarthy, “it speaks to this issue of our struggle to get workers.”
To keep business moving, many automotive aftermarket suppliers have taken on a strategy over the last couple of years: Bringing office workers down to the warehouse or distribution centre and helping for a week at a time.
“We have heard a lot about that,” McCarthy said. “We’ve even had some in plants — plants are challenging with safety rules and regulations — but some of them in plants, too.”
Mahle is one of those companies. Hughes, and his office colleagues, make a week-long trip every six weeks to Olive Branch, Mississippi, to do whatever jobs are needed in the warehouse, from picking orders to sending them out the door.
While Hughes called it “a change of pace” for the whitecollar employees, they’re experiencing the everyday grind of those on the floor all day long.
“You literally walk miles. I have my phone in my pocket, it tracks my step, and it’s between 12 and 15 miles a day that you’re walking,” he said. “And you have to have steel-toed shoes on, so it’s not always the most comfortable [situation]. And it’s every day, the same thing. It’s challenging.”
Same with Continental. The company explored ways to meet customer demands. “One solution was that some of our office staff volunteered their time in the warehouse over the past year, making and packaging product,” Howard Laster, executive director and general manager of automotive aftermarket North America at Continental Commercial
Office staff will take on jobs in the warehouse that meet their physical abilities. Those who have mobility issues may package items; those who are forklift certified will operate machinery; and those who can handle more physical labour will be picking orders.
Naturally, not everyone would be thrilled at the idea of leaving their desk, travelling across the country and working the warehouse floor. People went to school to get a job working in finance or human resources, not to do manual labour — so pushback was expected.
“I think the response has been much more positive than negative. I think that comes from the fact that we’re only down there for a week at a time,” Hughes observed.
That said, people like Hughes do have their regular job to do. No one else is answering their emails for them or finishing their projects while away. “That’s really a lot of the challenging part. Our other job is still there waiting.”
This raises another important point for AASA’s McCarthy — companies are also struggling to find qualified office staff as well.
“Every member I talk to has multiple open positions [and] has been losing people to full-time virtual positions — everybody’s working short-handed at the office,” he said. “There’s also the fact that we can’t really take people out of the office to stick them on the DC lines when we’re already running way below capacity in the office.”
This has indeed been the case at Mevotech. “In today’s employee’s market, we see candidates that have multiple job offers and some roles are taking longer to fill,” Mevotech’s Gibson and Langford said. “We try to focus on what we can control, which would be the culture and providing the best environment for our employees.”
McCarthy was asked to pull out his crystal ball and estimate when things will get better. While that’s an impossible ask, he did note that this situation won’t fix itself.
“This is an issue we’re going to be dealing with in terms of not having all the workers we want. And in terms of having supply chain issues and disruptions, probably for at least the next three to five years,” he said.
There are also demographic challenges and immigration ones, as mentioned earlier.
“Adding resilience and shifting the footprint and adding diversification to the footprint of the aftermarket, that’s a five to 10-year activity,” McCarthy said. “That doesn’t happen overnight.”
E-commerce gained enormous popularity over the past few years. The explosion of the internet and the availability of products at cheap or discounted prices have drawn shoppers online.
Moreover, many companies operating with conventional supply chains as well as new players have stepped forward into the e-tailing landscape by either selling their products via portals or through their e-tailing sites.
Few portals also provide door-to-door delivery, free technical advice and installation support to reach customers across the globe and offer them support through technical expertise and products/services.
One just has to look at the popularity of Rock Auto, Amazon and eBay to see how this is impacting the automotive aftermarket. This is an industry now at a major tipping point in its transformation toward e-commerce.
More transactions regarding automobiles and automotive parts such as engine components, electrical and electronics products, infotainment multimedia, pistons, rings, bearings, valves and filters, tires, wheels and interior accessories are being carried out over the internet and include both businessto-business and business-to-consumer sales.
If you’re not familiar with automotive e-tailing, it offers a convenient way for consumers or businesses to purchase a wide range of vehicles and components online instead of conventional brick-and-mortar stores.
This area is set for substantial growth in the future, even though it’s a niche market. Some of the primary reasons behind this are the increasing number of vehicle production, the
cheaper prices of automotive components, the easy availability of electronic parts and the augmenting demand for electric and hybrid vehicles in the world.
However, the increasing trend of do-it-yourself (DIY) regarding e-tailing is another factor pushing the growth of the market. Furthermore, the rise in disposable income of consumers, the proliferation of the internet and smartphones, government initiatives for promoting electric vehicles and the entry of new players into the market are supporting the growth of the automotive e-tailing market.
A recent report by Allied Market Research indicates that the global automotive e-tailing market is on the cusp of seeing considerable growth soon.
And much of that growth is expected to take place right here in North America (the Asia-Pacific region is the other area ready to boom). North America holds a significant share in this market globally due to high internet penetration rates among consumers and retailers.
Specifically, Canadians are increasingly turning toward online shopping and this includes purchasing vehicle parts. The automotive e-tailing market here is expected to increase drastically in the coming years due to an increase in the sales of auto parts and accessories.
Young people appear to be ahead of the curve, according to a recent Automotive Industries Association of Canada report, Understanding Millennials: A Quick Profile of Young Canadian Vehicle Owners 2021-2022. It found that nearly one in five (19 per cent) of Millennials — those aged 25-44 — purchased a vehicle part or fluid online. That’s compared to just 13 per cent of all other Canadians over the age of 18. Online research is mostly done by Millennials, even if they buy instore — 26 per cent compared to 19 per cent.
The aftermarket industry in Canada depends greatly on automakers. There is a huge demand for automobiles across the country. However, new vehicle sales are struggling. DesRosiers Automotive Consultants called the market “depressingly weak” in July as sales fell 16.2 per cent compared to the same time last year.
Taking a quick look at the Asia-Pacific region, the reason for its prominence for automotive e-tailing globally can
be attributed to a rise in internet penetration, increasing urbanization and the growing consumer awareness regarding vehicle maintenance. In addition, growing e-commerce sales across countries such as China, India and Japan are likely to drive demand for automotive e-tailing platforms in the region.
Players in the automotive e-tailing market focus on seizing opportunities and adopt strategies such as product launches and partnerships to expand their portfolio and offerings to the customers, increase market share and differentiate from their competitors.
In May 2022, Carousel Motor Group (CMG), a part of the Pohlad Companies, introduced an e-commerce platform called Carousel Online. Carousel built the platform in collaboration with Cox Automotive, Inc., a leading automotive service organization to simplify the online buying and selling experience for customers. The purchasing procedure is fully digital. The platform offers 360-degree virtual tours, complete information vehicle information, and trusted trade-in evaluations, among others.
In November 2021, a U.S.-based automotive aftermarket parts retailer Advance Auto Parts introduced a new retail concept called Carquest by Advance Store. Targeting the automotive DIY channel, the store serves the needs of independent owners who receive DIY support regarding operations and merchandising from Advance. Carquest offers DIY automotive parts and products, and interior and exterior signage, among others. Carquest by Advance also provide free curbside services such as battery testing and installation, wiper blade installation, and more.
In December 2021, Hero Electric, India’s leading electric scooter company entered into a partnership with carandbike. com to sell its range of electric two-wheelers online. The website allows Hero Electric customers to book the vehicles and take the test drive and receive the delivery of the scooter via a nearby Hero Electric retailer.
In July 2020, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd., a leader in 3-wheeler cargo and diesel passenger in India launched a new e-commerce platform called Ape Auto Mall for its commercial vehicles. The platform offers the company’s Ape range, both cargo and passenger carriers. Around the same time, Piaggio India launched two e-commerce platforms to sell the Vespa and Aprilia branded scooters online. The platforms allow customers to select and book their desired scooter based on model, variant and colour option, complete the buying procedure digitally and get the vehicle delivered to their homes. The site also enables buyers to get information on exshowroom and on-road prices and helps them calculate the EMI and apply for a loan before booking the vehicle.
The landscape is changing. Traditional automotive aftermarket players need to find ways to adapt. The right strategy will depend on your type of business — but moving towards the future is a must.
Sharmistha Bose
Sharmistha Bose is a content writer specialist at Allied Market Research.
She can be reached at sharmistha.bose@alliedanalytics.com.
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Milwaukee Tool hosted professionals from various trade industries for its first in-person Pipeline event. The event featured a tour of the company’s global headquarters Brookfield where trades professionals learned about Milwaukee Tools’ history, evolution to cordless technology and how it works to be innovative. ASPs got to see Milwaukee’s offerings, such as a colour match light, buffer, tire inflater and other tools. The event also featured social events where pros could network with company leaders, experts and those working in other trades.
As of May 2018, backup cameras became a mandated feature on new vehicles in the United States and Canada. And by this September, twenty automakers say that 95 percent of their vehicles will include Forward Collison Warning (FCW) and city-speed Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB). Audi, BMW, Ford/Lincoln, Honda/Acura, Hyundai/ Genesis, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota/Lexus, Volkswagen, and Volvo have already met that goal.
Many, if not most, of these vehicles have camera-dependent systems such as Braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection and even some Blind Spot Detection (BSD). And these are just the basic systems at this time. The front-facing cameras are also used in traffic sign recognition, automatic parking, crosstraffic alert, and adaptive lighting systems. These technologies’ emergence and increasing popularity have added layers of complexity, time, and cost to vehicle repairs, including glass repair and replacement.
How vital is calibration to the effectiveness of ADAS? Consider this Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) test highlighting the frightening result of a misaligned front camera and its effect on the safety system. The IIHS tested a vehicle with a front-facing camera misaligned by 0.6 degrees to the right. This variance affected “the perceived collision-threat, thus delaying the driver’s prompt or brake warning and then delaying when the vehicle itself initiates braking,” the IIHS found. The result was a warning prompt that gave the driver just 2.8 seconds to respond and gave the vehicle just 0.9 seconds to brake. It didn’t, and the vehicle collided with the obstacle at 20 mph.
Close to 60 million vehicles with an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) are on the road today. Either by government regulation or vehicle brands wanting to meet consumer desires, that number will only grow.
It’s essential to not simply learn the basic concepts behind today’s vehicles’ many advanced systems but also be knowledgeable about the different ways each brand and model uses the data from these input devices—including the cameras and radar sensors—to control how the vehicle reacts. Therefore, it falls on the technician’s shoulders to learn the systems of the vehicles they most often service and continues to keep up with emerging trends.
So, it’s more than comforting that Autel, a leading developer of automotive diagnostic scan tools, produces two ADAS calibration systems, the MaxiSYS Standard Frame, and the MaxiSYS MA600, a mobile frame system. Both systems provide upgradeable options to enable technicians to efficiently calibrate cameras, night vision, Lidar, and radar-based systems that are instrumental to vehicle operations and the safety of its passengers.
The Autel calibration systems include patterns, targets, radar, and night vision calibration tools used with the MaxiSYS ADAS software. In addition to communicating with the ADAS component and initiating calibration, the tablet displays basic yet essential OE-vehicle requirements to ensure correct vehicle height, such as parking on level ground, filling fuel and fluids, and carrying no additional cargo. Each calibration screen lists the tools needed, including the correct vehicle-specific target or pattern part number. The tablet displays exact OE-specific measurements and easy-to-follow instructions. The standard frame system is also available with the IA800 optical frame-to-vehicle positioning system that uses six cameras and wheelclamp targets to quickly set the frame’s distance, angle, and offset to the vehicle. The use of the IA800 significantly reduces the pre-calibration setup time—the most time-consuming part of the entire calibration process.
The Autel calibration systems include patterns, targets, radar, and night vision calibration tools used with the MaxiSYS ADAS software.
As automakers advance their systems toward the autonomous vehicle, there is little doubt that these drivers’ assist technologies will necessitate technicians and their shops to evolve and adapt their learning curve to prosper.
Liqui Moly has released the Fuel Cell Coolant FCF 20. Based on ethylene glycol, combined with non-ionic additives, it provides low electrical conductivity. The product also combines optimum thermal dissipation with material compatibility and aging stability. There is significant heat development in batteries and fuel cells. Optimal thermal release is essential with fuel cells, as the heat generated can be higher than with classic, comparatively powerful combustion engines The coolant is designed to meet the demands of fuel cell vehicles and ensure the maximum service life of components. www.liqui-moly.com
OTC has released the new TJH10, a 1,000-lb capacity high-lift transmission jack. It is ideal for securely positioning a load to remove or install transmissions. The jack features a universal saddle with large, easy to grip knobs to adjust the head and secure powertrain components, including transmissions. It meets the newest ASME PASE-2019 safety standards. It has a universal saddle and adjustable corner brackets and safety chains. A foot-operated pump and lowering pedal allows for ease of control when positioning or removing a transmission. The head tilts front-to-back and side-to-side for removal and installation of transmission and driveline components. Large knobs ease mounting head adjustments. Included safety chains hold parts during removal, transport and installation. A built-in safety overload system prevents the jack from being used beyond its rated capacity. www.otctools.com
The Top Tec Gear EV 510 gear oil has been released by Liqui Moly solely for electric vehicles. These vehicles do require oils, notably transmission lubricant. Given the torque of EVs, the right fluid is needed. This product has been developed exclusively for electric vehicles and meets the strict manufacturer requirements of Tesla. www.liqui-moly.com
New-look product packaging is being released for Petro-Canada Lubricants products. The new design has been launched so far for one-litre bottles across its product lines, including Duron, DuraDrive and Traxon. Later this year, the redesign will extend to four-litre bottles and pails. Packaging changes for the Supreme line have already taken place. The new packaging includes a wider bottle mouth opening for easier pouring and smoother flow. A new label design will convey product tiering to differentiate between products. lubricants.petro-canada.com
Aisin has expanded its line of premium window regulators. The launch includes 201 products for
late model Asian, domestic, and European vehicle applications. The new SKUs break down as follows: 95 power with motor (51 of the ‘smart motor’ type covering Honda/Acura, Nissan and Mazda vehicle applications); 53 power regulator only; 46 motor only; and seven manual only.
Bosch has released the 4.21 software update for the ADS and ADS X series tools. The update includes more 2022 model year coverage from foreign and domestic brands and added ADAS calibrations, along with an extensive list of additional functional tests and features. This update allows technicians to service new vehicle technology in a wide variety of makes and models. Included in the update are: DTC, data support and bi-directional functions; New ADAS calibration coverage; Special functions and software enhancements. Users with a current subscription can install the updates after automatically receiving
An expansion of its ignition coil line up brings Hitachi Astemo Americas offerings of the product up to 276 SKUs that cover 260 million vehicles in operation. Hitachi Astemo’s ignition coils are designed to perform consistently in extreme temperatures and humidity, deliver consistent voltage output at various load and RPM levels and are subjected to extensive testing before packaging.
The United Recyclers Group (URG) has partnered with Mitchell 1 SE to create the first OE recycled catalogue to be accessed through Mitchell 1. Mechanical shops now have the ability to purchase recycled parts by enabling this catalogue. With this setup, shops no longer have to pick up the phone to place orders from suppliers or re-look up parts. Shops can quickly select the parts they need and purchase them through Mitchell 1. This allows for faster and quicker purchases and saves time as there is no more manual entry. Once the order is placed, an order is directly created into the Recycler’s yard management system resulting in faster fulfillment.
Advics has rolled out a new packaging design for its products. The new design for the advanced brake technology company, part of the Aisin Group, started appearing in May. The new packaging and branding will be gradually rolled out into the market as old inventory is phased out. It’s part of rebranding efforts that were announced by Aisin in the third quarter of 2021.
Milwaukee Tool has introduced ANSI Cut Rated HighDexterity Polyurethane Dipped Gloves. They are made of an 18-gauge knit material and polyurethane dip. It offers high dexterity with a better fit to help users stay safe and productive while protecting their hands on the jobsite. The gloves also feature a reinforced nitrile coating between the thumb and the forefinger for added durability. The fingertips, knuckles, and palms are equipped with Smartswipe technology to allow the use of touch screen devices without removing the gloves.
a guide sleeve, seals and pressure regulators. Submerged in oil inside of the transmission, the mechatronic component stores critical data for diagnostics and signals how much pressure should be applied to a specific clutch and gear. Replacing the unit’s seals, regulators and dampeners, which can be degraded by oil over time, can extend the life of the transmission by as much as 60,000 miles.
ZF Aftermarket has introduced its mechatronic service kit which bundles all the components needed for servicing mechatronics on ZF transmissions. This is a critical step in restoring the transmission to OE standards. The kit’s 19 SKUs cover a range of
CRP highlighted six recent releases from Rein. The Water Pump Service Kit is available for multiple applications for Volvo and Land Rover with inline 6-cylinder engines. It features upgraded metal impeller. An engine mount for 2005-09 AudiA4 Quattro 2.0L has its design based on the OE mount. The Turbo Oil Return Pipe is for multiple BMW applications. The Turbo Coolant Line is also for BMW applications as well as Mercedes. A breather valve for multiple applications for Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, and Volkswagen is designed to be a direct replacement for the breather valve, identical to the OEM. A breather hose has multiple applications for Audi, BMW, and Volkswagen.
Mueller-Kueps is now carrying the Sensor Wrench Kit, No. 457 720. The product is available based on demand from automotive technicians. The dropforged kit works for exhaust sensors, brake lines, power steering lines and more. It includes sizes from 13mm to 19mm and features a stepped flange for easier access to lines. One side of the wrench can be used for maximum torque while the other with the flex head is for narrow spaces. Technicians can use the wrenches on NOX, exhaust temperature and oxygen sensors. Both ends of the wrench have inner hex to reduce slipping. An extra lip provides
BCA Bearings has 12 new product SKUs as part of its aftermarket line. Announced as part of its May releases, the new items include wheel hub assemblies for import and domestic applications. These offer coverage for more than 3.4 million vehicles in operation, including four first-to-market offerings. These new SKUs enhance BCA’s coverage for popular Asian brands, including Nissan/Infinity, Kia and Honda. On the domestic front, coverage for 1.35 million Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain crossover SUVs is available just as these vehicles begin to enter the aftermarket sweet spot for wheel bearing replacement.
Detour Auto has expanded its car care line with two new products: OneStep Headlight Restoration Spray and Complete Windshield Treatment Kit. The headlight restoration spray restores hazy headlights without
sanding or polishing. It’s available in a 3 oz. singleuse aerosol can and a 10 oz. multi-vehicle use aerosol can. The windshield treatment kit provides an ultrahydrophobic, SIO2 nano-ceramic coating that repels rain, sleet and snow for up to one year. Once treated, it causes water to instantly bead up and roll away for greater visibility during inclement weather. Each single-use kit includes an iCloth XL cleaning wipe, patented 2-in-1 microfibre applicator mitt and the advanced nano-ceramic coating for an easy and convenient application.
Aftermarket added 100 new listings to
branded product
latest
include 85 new True Original
parts, expanding coverage for
KW Automotive has released its four-way adjustable KW V5 Clubsport Kit for Mercedes-AMG GT-R. it includes the KW Solid Piston Technology for road legal track cars. The entire suspension design with aluminum unibal top mounts, racing springs and four-way adjustable dampers is designed for use with semi-slick tires on production-based vehicles. It dampens bumps and relatively large cross connections. With coilover suspension, the vehicle remains in control when cutting curbs. The piston dampers ensure hydraulic fluid does not flow over the working piston, as it does with conventional monotube and twin-tube dampers. The piston displaces the oil column directly into the valve housing, where the damper fluid flows through the low-speed needle valves and high-speed wave valves.
46.4 million vehicles in operation and 15 more SKUs for servicing ZF transmissions. The new parts recently issued provide coverage for: Control arms for the 2013-2015 Hyundai Santa Fe, 20132016 Santa Fe Sport, 2013-2016 Santa Fe XL, 2010-2015 Tucson, 2014 KIA Sorento, and 2011-2013 Sportage; Control arms for the 20092014 Ford Expedition, 2009-2013 F-150, and the 2009-2013 Lincoln Navigator; and rack and pinion mount bushing for the 2007-2013 Acura MDX, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2005-2017 Honda Odyssey New parts for ZF transmissions cover both 8HP and 9HP first- and second-generation models, including seven different overhaul kits as well as pressure regulators and regulator kits.
World
Energies
Media
The thing you notice most in Guy-Olivier’s spotlight are the number of times he mentions the help and support he got from others in the industry. He understands the value of having industry mentors and isn’t shy about thanking them. And although he’s still relatively new to the Young Professionals in the Aftermarket (YPA) committee, he’s already looking ahead at being a mentor to the next generation.
Name: Guy-Oliver Potvin Company: Creddie Title: Founder
Number of years in the aftermarket: 7
My journey in the automotive industry began in 2016 when I had my first job within Groupe Park Avenue as a lot person. From there, I was given exposure to numerous roles within the retail sector. Since my graduation in 2020, I have been dedicated full-time to being an entrepreneur in both the Dealership and Aftermarket sectors.
I did! In fact, on my first day in the Aftermarket course with Professor John Jackson in 2015, I had exclaimed that I wanted to pursue a career in Aftermarket parts manufacturing (I had my eyes set on KW Suspension at the time). As I gained experience in retail, it was important for me to keep an eye on the dynamics and changes in the aftermarket after my professor ignited my understanding of that sector and its importance in North America. This happened at the AIA Canada’s Student Aftermarket Day where I was immediately influenced by the strong leaders present that day and the YPA.
There have been many mentors throughout my education and internships that made a huge difference in my development, and I am eternally grateful for (special mention to Benoit Perrault, Norman John Hébert and Claudia Barbeau). Specifically, in the Aftermarket, my Professor John Jackson was one of those who had a great impact on me. It is important that I include Jean-François Champagne for always making time for my questions and checking-in with my progression throughout my time at the ABSC!
Since my involvement is still very early, my participation is more so geared towards listening and absorbing information so that I can execute on the areas I have value. For now, simply speaking about the YPA and the Aftermarket industry to young people looking for alternatives to more traditional education is the place I am leaning in to!
I would encourage anyone starting to keep their vision as wide as they can to absorb the variety and intricacies of the chosen sector. I feel like I have still only scratched the surface and seek to learn more about them daily. Finally, the best time to start in our sector is yesterday. Get involved today!
Young Professionals in the Aftermarket (YPA) is an Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA Canada) committee comprising of young executives, of 45 years or younger, in the Canadian auto care sector. The Committee’s mandate is to ensure the future growth and prosperity of the aftermarket industry.
Do you know a business thathas innovatedwithin the last year?
Programs that deliverexceptional results | Marketing efforts that set it apart from the crowd
Newcomputer systems that increase productivity | Facility upgrades that enhance the imageof the industry
Business milestones thatcelebrate longevity and success
of the Year
An auto repair shopthat has captured the imagination of the community with its unique approach tocustomer service, dedication to excellence, training, and improving the image of our industry.
We can’t wait to hear from you!
We want to recognize a shop that has demonstrated high performance in the bays, shown innovation and creativity through training, marketing, customer communication and/or sales. Historical success is always a contributing factor.
Deadline: October 21, 2022
Scan the QR code to go directly to the nomination page
Milwaukee Tool prize pack valued at $3,500, ranging from Packout equipment to tools
-Avisit from a Milwaukee Tool representative and Turnkey Media for an award presentation Shop spotlighted in CARS magazine’s December issue
