Leaders in the sale of quality Stellantis Mopar Parts. Also In This Issue From the Desk of MMG President Joe McBeth: “Approaching Autumn!” ................2 Mark Your Calendar .............................................3 How to understand what customers are saying when they’re not saying it ................................4-5 Women make Fixed Ops impact but still face hurdles.......................................................6-14 A Walk In The Park ............................................15 A Message from Katzkin Leather ..............19-20 CDK Global ..........................................................21 Endeavor Business Media/FenderBender ......22 CDK Global ..........................................................23 AER Sales ........................................................24-25 The View From My Office with Kat Monteiro ..................................................26-28 Stellantis and I-Car Announce New Training Course Portfolio .................................29 Wholesale Parts Pro/NiTS Solutions .......30-31 Reynolds & Reynolds ..........................................32 Elite Extra 2022ChallengesGM,ActivatorDScombustionStellantisKatzkinEndeavorWholesaleReynoldsOEConnection......................................................33-35......................................................36&Reynolds..........................................37PartsPro/NiTSSolutions.............38BusinessMedia/Ratchet+Wrench39Leather.............................................40-41plansprofitablegoodbyeformusclecars.....................................42..........................................................43Ford,StellantisseeProfitsDespite.......................................................44-45MMGOfficers/Committees..............46 July - August 2022 Women Make Fixed Ops Impact But S ll face Hurdles Stellan s Plans a Profitable Goodbye For Combus on Muscle Cars - Story on Page 38
Joe Joe McBeth - jmcbeth@thedallaspdc.com
From the Desk of MMG President Joe McBeth
We are excited to be mee ng in person with all our suppor ng vendors again this year. Plans are being made to visit all our er 1 vendors before the end of the year and we should have some great feedback and informaon coming up from these mee ngs.
President - Mopar Masters Guild - Parts Director - Dallas DCJR
Thank you to all our commi ee members and vendors for your me and dedica on to these mee ngs. Looking forward to hearing about these mee ngs.
2 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022 Approaching Autumn Hello Mopar Masters Guild members & friends!
Hope to see you all soon.
I hope this edi on of the newsle er finds you all well and that you have all had a fantas c summer. Business has been booming despite the challenges we have faced with supply chain issues, and it has added an en rely new dynamic to our business on how we are sourcing parts to take care of our valued customers.
Now, more than ever, we need to be collabora ng on how we can get the results we are all looking for in our business. Profitability, Sa sfied customers, and sa sfied employees. Our guild is the perfect place for this, and I encourage you all to a end our mee ngs. We have tremendous members and suppor ng vendors that no doubt will help us con nue to shine. Breaking News! Speaking of Suppor ng Vendors, I would personally like to welcome Elite Extra back into our family of valued Vendors. Elite Extra has made a financial commitment to our Mopar Masters Guild and I can’t wait to put together a team of guild members for their Vendor Commi ee. Thank you, Ross and company. Looking forward to the Regardingfuture!mee ngs, please start making plans now to a end our next annual Mopar Masters Guild meeting. Our deadline for hotel reserva ons is January 3rd, 2023. This will be held in my stomping grounds, Dallas, Texas! January 24th through January 27th, 2023. More informa on on the event can be found in this edi on of our newsle er. We are making plans to make this event as big as Texas! We hope to see you all there where we will con nue our guild mo o: “The exchange of informa on of like-size dealers in a non-compe ve environment.”
3 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts Mark Your Calendar! We are only 22 short weeks away from the Mopar Masters Guild’s 31st Annual Mee ng at NADA 2023 in Dallas, Texas! Our Event Planner, Jillian Vance from Apogee Event Agency has been working with the Commi ee to plan these mee ngs along with a bit of fun! *When: We arrive Tuesday January 24th for our Member Recep on *Where: Hotel Crescent Court - Dallas *Room Reserva ons: MMG Hotel Reserva on Link You can click on the link above to reserve your rooms now. Deadline to register is January 3rd, 2023 We will keep everyone apprised of the event schedule as we finalize plans *Once you make your reserva on, if you want to extend it, or begin early, you can email Jillian at Jill@apogeeeventagency.com, and provide her with the dates you want to add on and your confirma on number for your current reserva on. Early or extended rooms are as long as they have rooms available, so don’t wait!
SPONSORED CONTENT FROM OEConnec on Customer transac ons and sales trends are more closely monitored than before, making Business Intelligence (BI) tools cri cal for helping dealers access customer data and for giving parts personnel clear insights in order to make proac ve, informed decisions.
There’s a common story about a parts department and a parts manager who rou nely sold a shop customer parts over the course of years or even decades. But like many business rela onships a lot can – and, in fact, always will – change in just a few years. As the story goes, this wholesale dealership, like many dealerships, relied on its usual shop customers to submit and buy parts with regularity. In turn, the dealership processed and filled the orders without much thought, remaining comfortable in its belief that it was mee ng its customers’ needs as its parts vendor.
But ge ng back to the core problem – not ge ng the message the customer was sending – it’s important to know why this happened. There’s no doubt that the parts department knew this customer pre y well and probably had completed hundreds, if not thousands, of transac ons with the shop. Continued on Page 5
Market forces disrupt sales trends. A business’ bo om line pushes customer loyalty to its limits. Costs can run – and ruin – the day for a business or even threaten its very existence.
Understand the message behind customer data
“Why’d you stop ordering from me?” the parts manager asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I did tell you,” the shop owner said. “I’ve been telling you for years.”
4 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022 How to understand what customers are saying when they’re not saying it
If the parts manager in the story above adopted a business intelligence tool, like PSXLink, then he would have been able to access in-depth insights into sales trends, dealership performance, and customer behaviors. He probably would have known that the customer he thought was loyal and steady was incrementally reducing his parts spend at the dealership, pping the manager off to the issue.
When the parts manager returned to his books, spreadsheets, purchase orders, carbon-copied invoices, and so on, he no ced that in recent years the shop owner started scaling back his order volume, li le by li le, un l he stopped ordering from that dealership en rely.
While the problem may not be specific to the automo ve a ersales business, there are solu ons designed specifically to address industry-specific performance and sales issues. BI solu ons are proven to be extremely beneficial in increasing dealership wholesale performance by providing insights into a dealership’s parts sales business and customer trends.
Un l one day, this dealership’s parts manager no ced that its once-reliable shop customer stopped ordering parts from the dealership. A li le hurt, the parts manager called the shop to discuss the drop in transac ons.
When the customer told this parts manager that he had been telling him that he was upset or shopping around – for years, perhaps – he wasn’t lying; he was just speaking with his wallet and ac ons rather than outright voicing his displeasure.
Trends and customer buying pa erns, like the one above, are not unique to the automo ve parts industry.
Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts
It’s important to note that the customer insights dealers get through BI pla orms are not just huge red flags or five-alarm fires. Customer data provides insights into the en rety of the dealership’s parts sales business and helps teams iden fy opportuni es and growth strategies, meaning BI tools do much more than serve as preventa ve solu ons to guard against churn or call a en on to dissa sfied customers.
When the parts team is equipped with the tools to monitor all sales ac vity, it’s also able to track which customers or markets present the biggest growth opportuni es. As parts departments can a est to, a pile of unorganized, likely crumpled invoices or a bo omless spreadsheet may not be the best sources for telling the parts team that one customer has increased its transac on volume in, say, four of the last five months.
Source: www.Automo veNews.com
It’s easy to think of these tools as numbers and spreadsheets and long arrows that go up and to the right (great) or trend down ( me to act). But what’s at the core of Business Intelligence tools (beyond the ability to easily track customer behaviors and department performance) is the ability to foster exis ng rela onships or cul vate new ones. This level of analysis provides the hard data and objec ve informa on that is necessary to have real, produc ve conversa ons with customers.
The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment.
Business Intelligence tools, such as PSXLink, allow parts departments to get the message that those customers are sending. By unlocking this data and presen ng informa on in an easy-to-process way through interac ve dashboards, the parts department can iden fy when buyer behavior changes – either abruptly or, in the case above, incrementally.
Strengthen your customer rela onship
Iden fy strategies & growth opportuni es
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However, if all this data (customer informa on) is not presented in an accessible way, then it remains an unopened book or untold story that the dealer isn’t able to access.
Continued from Page 4
Let’s say, for example, the parts manager was able to see these trends with his shop customer and think, “Woah, he’s spending less and less each month,” and then pick up the phone, swing by the shop, or chat him up on the back nine. It’s about having the necessary informa on to start the conversa on – and some mes the informa on required is in the details that are, without the right tools, inaccessible to the parts team.
With the level of insight and in-depth repor ng that Business Intelligence tools provide parts wholesalers, the messages customers “send” through their ac ons are clear and easy to iden fy. This allows parts personnel to pinpoint sales opportuni es, make informed decisions, track sales ac vity, view follow-up progress, u lize customer rela onship management tools, and develop growth strategies. Plus, all of the data that becomes available – once organized and clearly presented – allows parts teams to navigate wholesale growth and act with greater certainty, stronger insights, and be er customer awareness. Take control of your parts business Missing opportuni es or losing customers is never good for any business, but in mes of heightened economic stress and cost-reducing ac vi es, these two things can be devasta ng and the collec ve impact on your parts department can pile up. When you have enhanced access to customer data, you can see what those customer behaviors and trends are telling you. BI tools, like PSXLink, are designed for wholesale parts and provide your parts team with the necessary insights to accelerate sales growth. Customers are always conveying a message to your parts department – even when they’re not “saying it” out loud – and now, more than ever, you need to make sure you’re receiving the message loud and clear.
Current figures show about 20 percent of dealership service advisers are women. The numbers go down from there — 6 percent of parts or service managers are women, and just 1 percent of techs are. Here, women who work in fixed ops share their journeys, challenges and advice for other women considering entering the industry.
Women make fixed ops impact but still face hurdles
6 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022
About 20 percent of dealership service advisers are women. The numbers go down from there — 6 percent of parts or service managers are women, and just 1 percent of techs are.
Many dealership service, parts and collision departments are short-staffed. One solu on is to hire more women into these open posi ons — from service director to service adviser to technician.
Continued on Page 7
Afzal liked working on cars so much she enrolled in the auto tech program her sophomore year in high school and stayed with the program un l she graduated.
Arianna Afzal s ll has her first vehicle: a prized 1984 Chevy C10 pickup that was a gi from her dad on her 16th birthday. She drove it “pre y regularly” un l about a year ago, when it started leaking oil. It’s not that she can’t get it repaired — it’s just that she hasn’t taken the me to fix it
“It’s an oil leak, and I’m not 100 percent sure where it’s coming from. I need to put some me into it to get it up and running.”
Her father helped her land her first job at an independent shop whose owner was looking for an eager young person to train to become a service technician.
The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment.
“I just enjoy fixing things,” she says of her profession. “I enjoy the process of having something that’s not working or malfunc oning and taking it to an opera ng, working vehicle. That’s really my favorite part of it.
Two and a half years later, she was ready to grow. She landed a job at a shop; its owner also was an instructor at the community college, where he taught auto tech. Afzal enrolled. She was impressed the owner placed high value on formal educa on and cri cal thinking and specialized in vehicle diagnos cs.
Quality
“I enjoy working with my hands and pu ng cri cal thinking into real-life situa ons.”
Afzal earned her associate degree in automo ve technology at Aus n Community College in 2017 while holding a full- me job at an independent automo ve service shop. Also during that me, Afzal earned various cer fica ons, including the Na onal Ins tute for Automo ve Service Excellence master technician cer fica on.
Leaders in the Sale of Mopar Parts
“It’sherself.always the mechanic’s car that’s the last one to get fixed,” says the 27-year-old master cer fied technician at Aus n Infini in Texas, where she has worked since 2018.
“I said, ‘Heck, yeah, that’s exactly what I want to do,’ “ she recalls.
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Continued from Page 6 Continued on Page 8
ARIANNA AFZAL
The daughter of a professional paint and body shop technician, Afzal was “about 10 or 11 years old” when she spent summers tagging along with her dad to the various independent shops where he worked. Giving in to her keen interest, Afzal’s dad showed her how to use a paint sprayer and let her paint discarded fenders and other vehicle parts.
“A lot of mes, that’s the most difficult part” of repairing a vehicle, she says. “It’s almost like you’re a detecve. You take li le clues; you have that understanding and use it to figure out why this is happening. Or is it the consequence of something else?”
“The store manager was a great teacher, and I soon learned the ins and outs of the retail business: customer service, looking up parts and [specifica ons], warehousing, ordering and daily paperwork along with loss preven on and Thingsinventory.”went so well for McDaniel at the store that a er just a year on the job, she was tapped by Chief to move to Phoenix to help open stores in that market. She assisted with store setup and hiring and training of new employees and later became a store manager.
“But I will say, I didn’t really see myself as different, either.”
McDaniel, 58, says the job was the first step along a retail automo ve path that has led to her current posi on as parts director at Bill Luke Auto Group in Phoenix.
“Like going into any unknown situa on, you’ll have those kinds of thoughts,” she says. “Luckily, the places I’ve worked, it felt like a family.
About two weeks later, McDaniel landed a job as a cashier in the service department at what was then Bill Luke Chrysler-Plymouth in Phoenix. That dealership is now Bill Luke Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram.
Afzal says she knows other young women who were interested in becoming service technicians but feared they would not be completely accepted while training or on the job. She understands the sen ment but urges girls to enroll in auto technology in high school, if there is such a program, just to try it on for size.
— Arlena Sawyers SUSAN McDANIEL
Afzal liked the classroom training in which she learned about electrical systems and how to read wiring diagrams and service informa on.
The manager was a friend and needed a sales clerk. McDaniel, then 19 and fresh out of high school, “wanted to be a writer and was toying with going back to school” but didn’t once she started working at the parts store.
McDaniel says the store she managed prospered, but she le in 1988 shortly before the company was sold.
A career in automo ve retail was the furthest thing from Susan McDaniel’s mind when she took a job at a Chief Auto Parts store in Yuma, Ariz., in 1983.
Continued on Page 9 Continued from Page 7
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The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment.
McDaniel says she has never had co- workers who made her uncomfortable because of her gender.
Arlena Sawyers
About six months a er joining the Chrysler-Plymouth dealership, McDaniel became a retail parts adviser. In 2000, she was named the store’s parts manager, and in 2004, she became the group’s parts director.
McDaniel loves her job and believes that retail automo ve in general has a lot of great-paying and rewarding posi ons, for women as well as men. For many of those jobs, the industry will provide training, she adds.
When Cheryl White started working in the sales department at Rally Subaru in Canada in 2002, she was the only female employee.
But when she worked the dealership’s parts counter, every once in a while there would be customers who didn’t want to discuss their parts needs with her.
“Don’t let anything hold you back,” she says. “Just be strong and confident in everything you decide to do.”
The auto group also has Fiat and Alfa Romeo franchises at Bill Luke Tempe and a standalone used-vehicle store in Gilbert, which houses the company’s recondi oning center.
Those customers would go to her male colleagues, who would then tell them, “She can help you as well as I can,” she says. “A lot of those people who didn’t want to talk to me [eventually] became some of my best customers. They wouldn’t talk to anyone but me.”
“A lot of us have li le to no formal educa on — not saying that’s good or bad either way — but we have a lot of training affiliated with this business that we take along the way,” she says. “We’re all extensively trained in customer service, new vehicles and technology and everything involved.”
“I was a woman in a man’s world,” she says. She outsold her male colleagues at the Edmonton, Alberta, dealership, but “there would just be this innuendo that I was being favored, that I didn’t really sell that many cars, that they were being handed to me,” White says. That type of blatant sexism led her to the service department in 2007, where she also was the only female employee.
Continued from Page 8 Continued on Page 10
Her advice for women interested in a career in fixed ops is simple.
—
Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts
CHERYL WHITE
“They have characteris cs that build trust with customers,” gree ng them by name and remembering details of their lives, White says.
All of her front-line staff — an assistant service manager, two advisers, a warranty person and an appointment coordinator — are women. All of the technicians are men. But there is mutual respect between the two “I’vegroups.put a lot of me and effort into building that family environment,” White says. “We look a er each other.” She created a department where the women feel comfortable going into the shop and asking ques ons about how things work, “and the technicians are more than happy to teach and to share what they know,” White Butsays.even now, she s ll faces hurdles such as not being invited to important dealership mee ngs.
Women tend to be more recep ve to learning what they don’t know, White says. They’re more considerate and caring with customers. They have more empathy.
“I have a natural ability to work together with people,” she says. But sexism was pervasive there as well. Informa on, such as the basics of financial documents, wasn’t forth“Mycoming.learning really came from just having to ask ques ons all the me,” she says. “I didn’t get any formal trainWhiteing.” says she has succeeded in transforming the service department into a place that’s appealing for women to work.
White says some mes employers put up barriers to women applying when they indicate par cular hours the employee needs to be available.
“Companies need to take into considera on a person’s different family life and try to accommodate that as best as they possibly can,” she says.
When the service director saw the need for an ac ve manager at the store, White was hired as service manager in 2010.
10 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022
“The lady is always the best candidate,” she says.
White says she always treats people the way she wants to be treated and believes that’s the best way to a ract and retain female employees.
“A er all this me and the success that I’ve had, I do not a end the managers mee ng, which is very frustrating,” she says. She never made it a mission to ac vely recruit women, but employing a lot of women and having a reputa on as a great place to work helps. More than half of the applicants for the open service adviser job were women; her service director encouraged her to hire a man to begin balancing things out. White hired a woman.
“Show that you care,” she says, “and it comes back to you.”
— Julie Halpert
Continued on Page 11 Continued from Page 9
Amanda Mitchell’s first exposure to working at a dealership was as a temporary recep onist for Mercedes-Benz of Houston North in 2012.
“I would try to tell them, ‘I’ve been through this, too,’ “ she says. She said she tries to lead by example and create a team atmosphere. If the bays are full, “I’m ge ng out there, wri ng customer ckets, wiping cars down, whatever I have to do to help the team,” she says. That’s how people will follow you and “want to do what you do.”
To be er understand the issues facing women in the service sector, she par cipates in the Women Automove Summit, an online pla orm for women to discuss, learn and collaborate with other women in the industry. She looks to social media for support and to learn from influencers such as Laurie Halter, who hosts a podcast called Carearing. She also networks on LinkedIn, discovering “posi ve women” who have overcome some of the same hurdles.
Mitchell says she always felt comfortable in the service department but admits there is “a certain ... challenge to it.” Some male technicians felt they knew more than she did and weren’t accep ng her way of doing things. When she got pushback, she let the technicians know she was on their side, yet there were limits. That helped earn their respect.
Leaders in the Sale
AMANDA MITCHELL
“I’ve always wanted to learn,” she says. “I always try to be the most knowledgeable person who can help our clients and con nue growing myself and con nue moving up.”
Through that small glimpse, Mitchell saw there was “success to be made in this industry. I could see a ladder and I wanted to climb it,” she says. She began her climb that year at the Texas dealership, getng hired as a full- me service cashier. She parlayed that into a job as an express service adviser in 2015, then as a warranty booker and eventually a service adviser. A er a short stop at a Mercedes dealership in San Antonio, she joined Mercedes-Benz of Boerne in 2015. Two years later, she was named service manager, a posi on she s ll holds.
The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. of Parts
“I look up to other women who have been down the same path as I have and will turn to them when I need advice for overcoming challenges,” she says.
To recruit more women into service, she says it’s a good idea to send female advisers and technicians to schools, campuses and career days. She also serves on fixed ops conference panels about women in service “to get the word out there that there are jobs and it’s a good place to work.”
Continued from Page 10 Continued on Page 12
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Mitchell advises women considering a career in fixed ops to research a company that will be a good one to work at “and just get out and do it.” She admits it was somewhat in mida ng entering such a male-dominated industry but says there are plenty of opportuni es for women and many have successfully climbed the ladder.
“We try to give them a schedule that works for them,” including accommoda ng those who want to work part me.
Continued on Page 13 Continued from Page 11
“We wanted to go a er that as a strategy,” says Barbosa, 41.
Female service employees also are a bit more a en ve, Barbosa says. Recently, the female service manager drove an older customer home when his car took longer than expected for service.
“We have female general managers now and female service directors and technicians,” she says. Women on the service drive are needed more than ever, Mitchell says.
When Founda on Automo ve bought Henson Motor Co. in Madisonville, Texas, in 2018 and changed the name to Henson Brand Dealerships, the new leadership ushered in another big change as well: making recruitment of women a Ericpriority.Barbosa, managing partner of the Henson group, was especially commi ed. Barbosa had hired women before, but the importance of recrui ng female service staff was cemented a er he a ended a Women in Automo ve conference, also in 2018. There, he learned the majority of car decisions — from purchase to service — were influenced by women.
Women tend to have superior organiza onal and communica on skills, he says. And they make customers feel much more comfortable — especially women bringing in their car for service who find they can speak with another woman.
12 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022
“We just need to get the word out there,” she says, “and just let people know it’s not scary.”
— Julie Halpert ERIC BARBOSA
To a ract women to the service area, he says, “you need to understand what they’re looking for.” That starts with work-life balance, which can be a par cular priority for mothers.
This month, Henson Brand Dealerships is moving to a four-day workweek.
One of the group’s service managers is female, and there are a total of five female service advisers among the three stores. Most of the women hired when Founda on Automo ve took over are s ll with the company, Barbosa says.
Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts
— Julie Halpert BRITTANY PARKER Bri any Parker, a master cer fied Subaru service technician at Maple Hill Auto Group in Kalamazoo, Mich., can fix any vehicle, but building and rebuilding Subaru engines is her specialty.
Continued from Page 12 Continued on Page 14
Providing a path for growth also is key, as most female employees don’t want to stay in one job. The group provides the tools for them to pursue other opportuni es.
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Women “can probably produce more in less me” than if they worked the tradi onal 40-hour week, Barbosa says. It’s important to “think outside the box when it comes to scheduling.”
But with the all-new Subaru Solterra electric crossover poised to hit the market as a 2023 model, “obviously, we’re going to have to go back to school for it,” says Parker, 28, who has built and rebuilt more than 100 Subaru engines. “In this industry, you have to con nue to train because vehicles change every single year.”
“We try to do as much as we can in every pla orm that we have,” he says.
“I build engines, I build transmissions; I do all sorts of diagnos cs; I do electrical repairs, full body harness replacement. Anything on a vehicle, I can fix it,” she says.
Barbosa’s biggest piece of advice to recruit more women is to move past the “old ways” of doing business and the reliance on a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday schedule.
She holds an associate degree in automo ve technology from Lansing Community College in Michigan and earned master technician cer fica ons from Subaru, the Na onal Ins tute for Automo ve Service Excellence and the state. Way before her formal training, Parker liked taking things apart and pu ng them back together.
Though service historically has been dominated by male employees, there has been no pushback at the group. They tend to “take a protec ve role,” covering for women in situa ons where they need to take their kids to school, Barbosa says.
The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment.
Barbosa and Henson Brand Dealerships are ac ve on social media, which he thinks helps recruit poten al female employees who view video profiles of Henson staff, including women.
“They can be a service manager, and we’ll give them the tools for that,” he says. “I think that’s a big deal.”
“The instructors saw that I was mo vated and interested,” she says. “I don’t want to sound conceited, but I probably outperformed some of the guys.”
Source: www.Automo veNews.com Continued from Page 13
Parker was the only woman in her automo ve classes, but that was fine with her. She studied hard, asked ques ons and got be er.
Parker admits becoming a service technician isn’t for everyone but believes more preteen and teenage girls who like working with their hands would consider the profession if more trade classes were available to them.
Growing up on a farm, Parker helped her dad maintain farm equipment, mowed her grandparents’ lawn and constantly took her bicycles apart and rebuilt them using different parts.
“I was about 10 years old and I’d change out sprockets and change the handlebars — I’d take the whole thing apart,” she says. Though it seems natural she would gravitate toward a career diagnosing and repairing vehicles, her path took some turns.
“I’ve always liked to take things apart and put them back together,” she says. “I was about to turn 22 and signed up for the automo ve program at Lansing Community College.”
“I love this shop, and I work the same schedule,” which is 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, she says. “They appreciate us here and pay us well.”
While she was in college and a er gradua ng, she worked in independent service shops in Lansing and landed at Maple Hill when she moved to Kalamazoo in 2018.
14 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022
“They used to have wood shop in my middle school; I liked that class because you get to build a lot of things — toy cars and stuff like that — but they got rid of that class,” she recalls.
“Kids are smart, and they are going to gravitate to what they like to do.” Arlena Sawyers
—
A er gradua ng from high school in 2011, she considered going to a four-year college but didn’t want the student loan debt that typically comes with it. She worked as a cer fied nursing assistant for about six months and then in a retail pharmacy store as a shi supervisor for three years and finally decided she needed a change.
Leaders in the Sale of Mopar Parts A Walk In The Park - With Susan McDaniel
I o en enjoy a Sunday morning stroll at Encanto Park. This scenic park is in central Phoenix and is comprised of more than 200 beau ful acres of land consis ng of picnic areas, a lagoon, a boat house, swimming pool, nature trail, amusement park (Enchanted Island), fishing and two golf courses. Forbes names “Encanto Park” in Top 12 Best City Parks In EncantoAmerica!Park was conceptualized by William G. Hartran , a millionaire philanthropist and chair of the first Phoenix Parks and Recrea on Board, who envisioned a park of similar scale to Balboa in San Diego and Golden Gate in San Francisco. Construc on of the park began in 1935. It was completed three years later. The first me I visited the park was on Easter 1984, shortly a er I moved to Phoenix. We barbequed hamburgers and had Desi’s famous potato salad! Then, off to the paddle boats!
Continued on Page 18
The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment.
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16 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022 Vendors:SupportingOur yousupportwhothoseSupport.
17 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts Vendors:SupportingOur yousupportwhothoseSupportWholesale Parts Pro Powered by
Submi ed by Susan McDaniel - Bill Luke DCJR
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Every now and then you will hear a train whistle. Not to worry; it’s just the Enchanted Island train (C.P. Hunngton). Enchanted Island is the on- site amusement park. It boasts a train that tours around the park, a merry-go-round, rock climbing (no, I haven’t done this yet but thinking about it), Red Baron Airplane (yes), helicopters, airplanes, Dragon Wagon (on my bucket list), bumper boats, castle clash, and splash pad (not allowed on this anymore). The hot dogs and slurpees are outrageous and a good me will be had by all!
So you see, visi ng this park is a great way to start the day and lots of free entertainment that leads to slightly embellished stories.
18 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022
You never know what you are going to see when you visit Encanto. There are people fishing in the lagoons, brightly colored paddle boats everywhere (I’m sure the fishermen don’t appreciate this), walkers like me, kids riding bikes, adults riding bikes, babies being pushed in their strollers, church revivals, yoga and tai -chi classes, runners, golfers, a few friendly transients (I think one is on the welcoming commi ee), dogs on leashes and off (FYI off is not allowed and pick up the poop – I some mes have to remind people of this), kick ball tournaments (I’m thinking about joining because I am an excellent kick ball player), amateur so ball games (and I do mean amateur), a few undercover agents, tennis players, swimmers, and some very wild ducks! These ducks think that the park is “their turf”. One me a group of them blocked my path and started hissing at me! Lucky for me, I can s ll run fast and a few others followed along thinking we were in some kind of marathon!
Enjoy Your Week!
Katzkin strongly encourages each dealer to con nue to work with the installa on center that has been servicing their dealership for all of their installa on needs.
Continued on Page 20
The Mopar Leather program has always offered amazing flexibility for the Mopar dealer body. Op S Provides Mopar Dealers sales opportuni es through offering one of one vehicles
tch, ETC) o And much more! Expansive Pa ern Library
19
ons include: o Two Tone Leather o Contras ng S tching o Branded Logos o Premium Tuscany Leather o TekS tch Op ons (Diamond
Dealers have always had the op on of self-installa on since program incep on, whether in their own facility or suble ng to a qualified installa on center. Dealers will s ll be able to market and sell this Mopar Accessory that counts towards Accessory PNUR, Mopar Loyalty, etc. The Katzkin backed Mopar 3/36 Warranty policies will remain unchanged.
Since 2004, Mopar and Katzkin have partnered to offer Mopar leather sea ng upgrades through the Mopar Accessory program. Since incep on, and a er 100K plus sales, the program has evolved to an “Uninstalled” only program effec ve July 1st, 2022.
Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts MMG
The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Members, The Mopar Accessory Leather Program is going to undergo a change with regard to installa on services offered at the me of part purchase beginning in July. This decision has come with feedback from some of you, other key dealers around the country, the installa on centers and the Mopar Team. The decision to sunset the Mopar Accessory leather installa on program was not taken lightly and we did extensive research before moving forward with Mopar on this decision.
20 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022
To ensure this transi on is smooth as possible for all Stellan s Dealerships, Katzkin has made an addi onal investment in dealer support. Included in this recent expansion are a call center and field based technical support personnel, and an expanded field training staff
Page 19
If there are ques ons with regard to this change or any other ques ons about the Mopar Leather program, please contact at our group email Mopar@katzkin.com
offered consumers a be er way to get top quality upholstered leather seats. They started with a wide range of design choices, premium imported leathers and a broad spectrum of color and trim op ons, and finished with professional installa on, through a na onwide network of authorized restylers. With Katzkin, they could get the exact leather interior they wanted quicker, easier and best of all, at a much more affordable price.
With vehicle supply limited the Jerry Ulm Team decided to pull leather installa on in house and make it part of the PDI process on select vehicles. The sales management team gave Parts & Service a 72-hour window from the me the vehicle was delivered at the dealership to being “front line” ready. Sco and team took the opportunity to train a leather installer and stock some fast moving leather kits for quick selling vehicles.
A great example of how this change could work to your dealerships benefit came from Sco Brenneke and the team at Jerry Ulm CDJR in Tampa, Florida.
We look forward to helping you grow your Mopar leather business in the future!
More than 2 million consumers like you have transformed their vehicles. We handcra unique designs using best in class technology to build them. If you have cloth seats, chances are we make a leather interior to replace them. With over 3,000 precision-engineered pa erns, we have one for virtually every non-luxury vehicle on the road today. from
Our customer service team will be prepared to assist you with contact informa on for your installer as needed. A lis ng of installa on centers can be found at www.sellmoparleather.com/restylers
About Katzkin Leather It starts in 1983, when our founder, Mitch Katz, recognized a real need. At that me, the only way a new car buyer could get a leather interior was through their dealer. The choices were few and the cost was high, forcing buyers to se le for cloth. Seeing an opportunity, Mitch, together with his sister Lesley, established a leather goods manufacturing company, called Katzkin (Mitch and Lesley are “kin”, so Katz + kin became our Katzkinname).
Soon Katzkin was swamped with requests from consumers who wanted to upgrade their exis ng vehicles. In no me, Katzkin was cra ing custom-designed leather interiors to fit both new and used vehicles.
Continued
At present, the Jerry Ulm team is selling an average of 15 leather interior upgrades per month since they have ac vated this strategy.
21 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts Keep Customers in the Loop Today...
22 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022 FENDERBENDER.COM/GROWMOPARPARTS THICK THICK THROUGH &THIN FenderBender supports the Mopar Masters Guild. ENDEAVOR BUSINESS MEDIA - THE EXCLUSIVE MEDIA PARTNER OF THE MOPAR MASTERS GUILD SELLING MORE COLLISION PARTS TOGETHER With print & digital options to grow your Mopar wholesale business.
23 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts ...and Coming Back Tomorrow Fixed Operations / Digital Sales / CRM / F&I / DMS / IT Solutions / Intelligence CONNECTIONS THAT MOVE YOU ©2022 CDK Global, LLC / CDK Global is a registered trademark of CDK Global, LLC. 22-5759 BUILD CUSTOMER LOYALTY You want to go above and beyond for every customer. It takes great techs, which you supply. And great tech, courtesy of CDK Global. Our suite of service tools boosts transparency for your customers and efficiency for your team. In turn, your techs will love how much easier it is to deliver a first-rate customer experience — and contribute to a bottom line you’re sure to love.
24 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022
25 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts VISIT MOPARREPAIRCONNECTION.COM FOR COMPLETE WARRANTY DETAILS. LAUNCH DATE: MAY 2, 2022 PROMOTION ENDS: SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 WINNER ANNOUNCED: SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT! Show us your Mopar® and Cummins powertrain pride and win a Mopar LED Cornhole Set sponsored by AER. Simply upload a photo of your Mopar and Cummins co-branded sign hanging outside your shop, in your waiting room, warehouse or office, or at your parts counter, and you’re entered to win one of four Mopar LED Cornhole Sets. Don’t have a sign? Contact your local Mopar dealer for a complimentary Mopar and Cummins co-branded sign. While supplies last. Customizable LED lighting Sturdy 2 ft. x 4 ft. game boards Set of 2 boards and 2 sets of bean bags Regulation size and Mopar-branded design Travel case included DetailsFour winners randomly selected No purchase necessary One entry per shop or warehouse distributor location Dealerships excluded – independent shops only Continental U.S. locations only Visit www.MoparRepairConnect.com/powertrain-cornhole-promo to enter! Terms apply. See promotion page for complete details. ANOTHER WAY TO WIN WITH MOPAR ® AND CUMMINS. GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT. Scan and Enter Today! ©2022 FCA US LLC. All Rights Reserved. Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Wagoneer, Mopar and SRT are registered trademarks of FCA US LLC. FIAT is a registered trademark of FCA Group Marketing S.p.A., used under license by FCA US LLC. Visit MoparRepairConnect.com for complete warranty details.
26 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022
Our youngest daughter Terra came home for a visit which delighted me to no end. It was so good to have her home. It was her first visit home in a year, since I moved her out to Lincoln, Nebraska! We a ended San Diego Comic Con, spent some me at the beach - she really misses the ocean living in the middle of nowhere as she calls it! Her and Rick got a couple of rounds of golf in, and we visited all her favorite restaurants. It was a great week. Rick and I also spent a li le me up north at our house in Albion. It was especially nice since the weather graced us with clear blue skies and a temperature ranging in the 60s - when it was 100 at home in Escondido!
I sure hope everyone has been enjoying yourselves, whether it has been traveling with the kids or grandkids while they are on vaca on from school, camping, at home hanging out by the pool or having summer me barbecues at the park. Or, like me, just hanging out in the air condi oning during our Southern California heat wave!
“An ins tu on is the lengthened shadow of one man.”
My me in Albion is what inspired this ar cle. Spending me in Albion at our Coast House always makes me feel relaxed, inspired, at home. Our first evening there I took our li le dog for a walk up the back road and as I came to the corner house, I no ced a Li le Free Library set up in the front of their house. I just love those Li le Free Libraries! I am sure you have all seen one somewhere in your travels, whether it is on your street in the neighborhood, or at the park, or in front of the church. When I see one, I try to stop and have a look, you never know what type of book you will discover. When I opened this Library’s doors and started looking through the books inside, I came across a book of Emerson. It was a small hardcover book. On the front cover it read - Selec ons from Self-Reliance, Friendship, Compensa on, and other great wri ngs of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Now this isn’t typically something I would pick up. For those of you who don’t know of Emerson he was a writer from the 1800s. He has many sayings that you would recognize. Of course, I didn’t know this un l I started looking through the book.
Well gang here we are in the middle of summer already! Actually, the end, for most!
It has been a good summer for us. Being home, and not at work, we have been able to enjoy our pool which has been very nice. We are trying to take advantage of being able to do things in the middle of the day like packing a lunch and going to the beach.
The View From My Office With Kat Monteiro Continued on Page 27
“The only way to have a friend is to be one.” “Hitch your wagon to a star.”
The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts
27
Continued from Page 26 Continued on Page 28
The next day as I was si ng out on our front porch, looking out at the ocean, and feeling the cool ocean breeze I started to read this li le book I had picked up. I am really glad this li le book chose me. Immediately the words he wrote spoke to me, opened my senses, opened my eyes to seeing things a li le differently. His words about nature and mankind are the ones I keep reading over and over. I am leaving a bit of one of his wri ngs that really hit my soul. I wanted to share this with you in part. And I am not going to lie, that evening when I took my dog on his walk, when I walked by the yellow and white flowers planted along a neighbor’s fence or looked into the trees and saw the moss and ferns - it all seemed a li le brighter to me. I always have seen the beauty in these things, but I think I saw them a li le deeper, more vibrant. So here you go, enjoy a small sec on of one of his wri ngs that was in the very beginning of this li le book..... “To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature. Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of the man but shines into the eye and the heart of the child. The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are s ll truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood.” “Not the sun or the summer alone, but every hour and season yields its tribute of delight; for every hour and change corresponds to and authorizes a different state of mind, from breathless noon to grimmest midnight.”
These are but a few that people most recognize. When I picked this book up, I really had no idea who he was, there was just something about it that I gravitated to. People who like to read books know what I am talking about. I think it was the self-reliance on the front. I some mes feel that I am lost, and I need to find myself again. So hey, why not! I packed this li le book home along with a li le poker game that came with instruc ons, chips, and cards all in a small li le box!
So, needless to say, Li le Free Libraries always pique my interest. It’s the thrill of finding something new to you that is a good read or inspires you. I wanted to share with you informa on about the Li le Free Libraries in the hope that maybe some of you will build one in your neighborhood. It’s truly about community and bringing people together.
Offering free books to someone who might not have any other resource. It’s really fun. Typically, you take a book and leave a book. There are Li le Free Libraries all over the country! I am giving you a link to the official website that offers free building plans and rules. If you want to call it a Li le Free Library, this name is a registered name, so you must buy a plaque from them to install on your library. It is $39.95 and this will put your library on their registry. There is also an app you can get on your phone that will show you all the registered libraries all over the country. A er finding this out I will be on a mission to find as many as possible! (Rick doesn’t know this yet!)
28 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022 I hope you all are inspired and that I hear you have built one or at least go out and find one in your community. On a personal note: Be y Cordoza reached out to tell us that Ray isn’t doing too well and has been in and out of the hospital. Many of us know Ray from his days as a long me member of the Mopar Masters Guild and we all certainly remember his great big sense of humor. So, if you could or would, please send Ray a funny card or note when you have a chance. No doubt he would appreciate that. Here’s his info: Ray Cordoza PO Box Soulsbyville,849 CA 95372-0849 Till next me, happy reading! Kat Li lefreelibrary.org If you want to use the name Li le Free Library, you must have an official charter sign and charter number on your library. Li le Free Library is a nonprofit organiza on based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Our mission is to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Li le Free Libraries. Continued from Page 27
29 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts Stellantis and I-CAR Announce New Training Course Portfolio June 21, 2022—Stellan s North America has announced that the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair will have a por olio of new Vehicle and Technology Specific Training courses. According to a press release, six of these courses will be required for all FCA Cer fied Collision Care shops. These courses include: FCA wiTECH Scan Tool Fundamentals FCA wiTECH ECU Flashing FCA Driver Assistance Systems for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, Alfa Romeo and FIAT Vehicles FCA Introduc on to Service Library for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, RAM, FIAT, and Alfa Romeo Vehicles FCA Marke ng Your Cer fica on Jeep Grand Cherokee WL Two addi onal courses will be recommended: • FCA Diagnos c Data Recording with wiTECH (“Flight Recording”) • FCA Crea ng a Compelling Message when Marke ng your Cer fica on “Stellan s’s Service Engineering group has worked closely with I-CAR’s curriculum development team to integrate the latest Stellan s procedures into all new courses,” said Lynn Rogers, Body/Collision Serviceability Lead, Stellan s Technical Service Opera ons for North America in the press release. “As the complexity of today’s vehicle repairs accelerates, we are raising the bar of our training requirements to ensure our en re collision network is at a `master class’ level in their knowledge and skills.” These courses, which are included in I-CAR’s Vehicle and Technology Specific por olio, are also part of I-CAR’s Professional Development Program. They can be completed by any individual at their FCA Cer fied Collision Care facility. To learn more, click here: h p://www.cer fymyshop.com/chrysler Source: With Permission from www.FenderBender.com An Endeavor Media Business
30 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022 Why Wholesale Parts Pro? •Analyze individual brand wholesale parts sales performance •Manage wholesale customer relationships and marketing campaigns • segments • Platform Overview - Providing Best In Class Digital Strategies & Solutions collaboration tools for Wholesale Parts Data Analytics and Customer Marketing Solutions. We provide successful digital product launch and enhancements. Tailored platform to include all your customer purchase Training & Support We’re Here for You! Our dedicated team provides an in-depth onboard refresher webinars We are here to help grow your wholesale business by providing both national and regional support The Power of Digital Analytics & Reporting Sales Management: View sales information at brand level through transactional detail Comparative Analytics: Compare customer sales from selected time periods Loyalty Segmentation: Segment customers by purchase behavior at brand level Forecasting: Create and track sales targets Full Reporting & Analytics: view Customized Automatic Alerts: proactively manage sales and customer trends IndustryFirst,NextLevelDigitalCRMSuite! MultiBrandSales&KPIAnalytics Call or email today to schedule a demo: (845) 853-2289 or DZitz@WholesalepartsCRM.com Relationship Management •Maintain and track contacts through entire sales cycle •Quantify contacts by sales rep for full understanding of monthly outreach trends •Execute and monitor conversion metrics through targeted marketing campaigns •Quickly send an email to a selected customer for oneon-one •Organizecommunicationcontactsandfollow up activity all in one screen
31 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts •Locate customers and competitors on a •Createmap personalized SMART Lists and send route directions right to your laptop or phone •Heat Maps - recognize opportunity by market penetration •Drawing Tool - easily highlight and download all customers in an area you wish to target 2.) Special ••CouponsOffers 3.) Target Prospect Customers SMART Maps - Visual Mapping Tool Better Manage Business Performance and Visibility “WPP not only provides easy-access reporting, but takes CRM one step further with Marketing Campaigns to help grow our wholesale parts business.” -Tom Finley, Parts Manager - Bachman Auto Group Execute eBlasts Right From the Platform! •Measure• marketing effectiveness to identify next steps of your customer’s sales cycle • message is reaching 4.) Customer Awareness •Open• •Disasterhouserecovery Targeted and Measurable On-Demand Marketing Campaigns Send the right message, to the right audience, at the right time! r Call or email today to schedule a demo: (845) 853-2289 or DZitz@WholesalepartsCRM.comTrackSalesGoals•Set sales targets by an overall percentage •View forecasted annual sales based on YTD •Compareperformancerealized sales to set targets $3,000,000.00 $3,360,000.00 12 NEW
32 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022 The Changing Automotive Landscape CONSUMER PREFERENCES IN SERVICE What does this mean for your dealership? When comparing consumer preferences to actual behavior, there appears to be a divide. Consumers continue to prefer more digital options in service such as text and email links, photo and video evidence, and additional forms of check-in and check-out using self-service technology. The dealership that meets these new preferences is likely the dealership that will beat out the competition, increase customer satisfaction, and drive service profits. We conducted a survey of consumers who had service work completed at a dealership to better understand their preferences toward online and digital offerings in fixed operations. For more insights on the changing automotive landscape, download the full report at reyrey.com/report . Schedule Service Visit VideosReceiveCheck-InUsingCheck-InOnlineaKioskUsingaMobileAppPhotosandofWork/Issues 40%33%72%49% 24%6%4%16% Customers who prefer this option: Customers who actually used this option:Available Option ©2022 The Reynolds and Reynolds Company. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the USA. 1029578 8/22
33 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts www.EliteEXTRA.com REVEALING THE FUTURE OF LAST MILE DELIVERIES
34 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022 INTRODUCING THE ELITE SOFTWAREEXTRASUITE Last mile software solutions to improve your logistics operations, drive your bottom line, and impress your customers.
35 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts RET URNS AUTOMATION NETWORK ROU TING & DISPATCH STREAMLINE YOUR DELIVERY OPERATION TODAY! Contact sales@eliteextra.com or call 1.888.484.8729 option 1 for more www.EliteEXTRA.cominformation. Simplify the product returns process while also cutting costs Returns Automation. You can automate the repetitive reverse logistics processes and ensure your returns policy is enforced. Automated Returns Validation Returns Policy Enforcement Integrated Returns Portal Customer Returns Requests Delivery Network. Partner with leading crowdsourced and Third Party CrowdsourcedDeliveryDelivery Delivery Automation Provide Time and Price Comparisons Routing & Dispatch and contactless proof of delivery. Optimized Route Planning Real-time GPS Tracking Customer ETA Alerts Automated Routing and Dispatching
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37 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts Visit gomoto.com or call 800-961-4151. © 2022 GoMoto Inc. All rights reserved. Patent pending. 1009715 9/22©V THE ULTIMATE DUO IN SERVICE GoMoto service kiosks handle the check-in and check-out process so your service advisors can focus on customer relationships and profit producing tasks. It’s the ultimate duo in service. NOW OFFERING 3 NEW KIOSKS: Virtual Service Advisor Express Service 365 Kiosk Increase Revenue Promote Trade-Ins Boost Customer Satisfaction Improve Efficiency
38 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022 Wholesale Parts Pro CRM provides a wide variety of tools to help build and manage your customer relationships. From our On-Demand Marketing Campaigns to our SMART Maps Visual Mapping tool, Wholesale Parts Pro can help you target your customers and develop marketing campaigns. Not Just Another Reporting Tool... We Take It To The Next Level! Call or email today for more details: (845) 853-2289 or DZitz@WholesalepartsCRM.com Watch This Short Overview Video to Learn More about Wholesale Parts Pro
39 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts SELLINGRATCHETANDWRENCH.COM/GROWMOPARPARTSMOREMECHANICALPARTSTOGETHER With print & digital options to grow your Mopar wholesale business. ENDEAVOR BUSINESS MEDIA - THE EXCLUSIVE MEDIA PARTNER OF THE MOPAR MASTERS GUILD Ratchet+Wrench supports the Mopar Masters Guild. better better WORSE FOR OR FOR
40 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022
41 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts
Source: www.Reuters.com - h ps://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transporta on/exclusive-us-boost-finesautomakers-not-mee ng-fuel-economy-rules-tesla-win-2022-03-27/
Stellantis plans a profitable goodbye for combustion muscle cars
The final run of the current Dodge muscle cars will be allocated to dealers all at once, said brand chief Tim Kuniskis to reporters. Customers will be able to see which dealers will get a car they want.
42 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022
Dodge will offer seven low-volume “heritageinfluenced” versions of the Charger and Challenger at certain dealerships - previewing them under cover at events star ng Monday in a throwback to marketing tac cs that were old when the brand’s current leaders were star ng their careers.
“The thing I don’t want is for some customer who wants one to order ten,” Kuniskis said. Stellan s has said it will retool the Brampton, Ont. factory that builds the Charger and Challenger “to support the company’s electrifica on plans,” as part of a broader $2.8 billion investment that will include conversion of an assembly plant in Windsor, Ont. to build a new “mul -energy vehicle” architecture.
With their retro-styling and gasoline-burning six and eight-cylinder engines, the Challenger and Charger are throwbacks to Detroit muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s. And like their forebears, the current Dodge muscle cars are ge ng run off the road by regula ons aimed at curbing pollu on. Stellan s ranked last among major U.S. automakers in corporate average fuel economy in 2021, according to the U.S. Environmental Protec on Agency. U.S. regulators earlier this year said they would increase penal es for failing to hit CO2 emissions targets, a decision that could cost Stellan s as much as $572 million. read more Dodge brand execu ves are be ng customers will see the last of the current Chargers and Challengers as collec ble vehicles worth paying a premium to own.
Stellan s NV’s Dodge brand plans to squeeze maximum profit from the farewell party for its petrol-burning Challenger and Charger muscle cars, which are scheduled to go out of produc on at the end of next year, the company said on Monday.
43 The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment. Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts
44 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022 GM, Ford, Stellantis See Profits Despite Challenges
“Un l we actually see a significant improvement in produc on, I think we’re going to see these ebbs and flows,” said Michelle Krebs, execu ve analyst at Cox Automo ve. “We’re s ll seeing inventory at the same levels — it’s been about 1.1 million a month — then we sell that many vehicles. We don’t see any change in the sales situa on un l there’s more produc on and more inventory.”
GM had 250,000 vehicles available in retail inventory last week, Jacobson said. Much of it was in transit to dealerships.
CFO John Lawler said Ford reduced its backlog of vehicles awai ng chips or related components to 18,000, from 53,000 in the first quarter.
The company, which reports full results at six-month intervals instead of by quarter, said its shipments in North America rose 10 percent on strong demand for new or updated Jeep nameplates and the Chrysler Pacifica.
General Motors reported 40 percent lower net income from the year-earlier period, largely because of the shortage, but reaffirmed its full-year adjusted earnings guidance. The chip shortage dragged GM’s U.S. sales down 15 percent in the quarter.
“We’ve been dealing with some of these chip issues for the last couple of years. This one was a li le bit late-breaking, which affected the volume and the mix in the quarter,” CFO Paul Jacobson told analysts last week. “Otherwise, I think it was a really good quarter, and we feel good about making up all of that volume in the back half of the year.”
Both declines were driven in part by GM’s need to hold 95,000 vehicles at the end of the quarter un l it could get parts they were missing. The automaker began shipping those vehicles to dealerships in late July and expects to deliver them all by year end.
Most automakers repor ng earnings last week said they expect be er microchip supplies in the second half of 2022 and remained profitable despite stubbornly low inventories. The uncertainty of the global microchip shortage con nued to eat away at many automakers’ profits in the second quarter, though some companies managed sizable increases in produc on and earnings.
Ford Motor Co., in contrast, reported a 19 percent higher profit in the second quarter, compared with the year-earlier period. Ford a ributed some of the jump to a 35 percent increase in wholesale shipments.
Stellan s also has showed significant improvement this year, pos ng its highest North American profit margin since being formed in last year’s merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group.
Continued on Page 45
Most automakers that reported earnings last week said they expect be er chip supplies in the second half of the year and remained profitable despite stubbornly low inventories.
The exchange of information by like sized dealers in a non-competitive environment.
45
Leaders in the Sale of Quality Mopar Parts
“Pricing remains strong,” Jacobson said, “and it’s held up more than we es mated at the beginning of the year, helping to par ally offset the incremental commodity costs.”
“The industry is s ll running stronger than what we can supply,” Lawler said. “At this point, we’ve not seen it slow Michaeldown.”Mar
Stellan s CFO Richard Palmer was less op mis c about chip supplies than other automaker execu ves, forecas ng that they’ll remain scarce through the rest of 2022.
“Un l produc on increases and inventory builds, we see demand con nuing to be high,” Krebs said, “and so we would expect pricing to stay rela vely high.”
Despite low inventory levels and price increases on many important materials, automakers con nued cashing in on new-vehicle demand.
For GM, half of the infla on experienced in the quarter was driven by commodity costs. The other half related to logis cs and other supply chain challenges, Jacobson said.
nez and Vince Bond Jr. contributed to this report.
“I think it’s improving,” he said, “but it’s a slow process.”
GM’s average transac on price increased 5 percent to $50,261, according to Cox Automo ve. Stellan s’ average jumped 12 percent to $54,065, and Ford’s climbed nearly 10 percent to $51,995, Cox said.
Ford’s Lawler said the automaker an cipates strong demand through the rest of the year, despite economists’ concerns about a possible recession.
At the same me, the automakers are saving money by not having to offer much in the way of incen ves.
Source: www.Automo veNews.com Continued from Page 44
Volkswagen Group, Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp., which also reported earnings last week, said they foresee chip availability improving in the months ahead. Volkswagen added that the war between Russia and Ukraine and threats to Europe’s energy supply could hurt its financial results.
The average discount fell to $1,201 per vehicle for Ford, $1,906 for Stellan s and $1,705 for GM, Cox said.
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*Josh Gouldsmith - Gladstone CDJR - Gladstone, MO
Susan McDaniel - Bill Luke CJD – Phoenix, AZ
46 Mopar Masters Guild Magazine July - August 2022 2 0 2 2 M o p a r M a s t e r s G u i l d2022 Mopar Masters Guild O f f i c e r s & C o m m i t t e e sOfficers & Committees The exchange of information by like-size dealers in a non-competitive environment Since 1992 Offi Presidentcers:-Joe McBeth - Dallas DCJ – Dallas, TX Vice - Pres - Cody Eckhardt - Larry Miller DCJR - Sandy, UT Secretary – Jim Jaeger – Bosak Motors – Merrillville, IN Treasurer – Chris Hojnacki – Milosch’s CDJR – Lake Orion, MI Executive Committee - All Officers Including: Dan Hutton - Tom O’Brien DCJR - Greenwood, IN Alan Yancey - Hayes CDJ - Alto, GA Rick Cutaia - Rick Hendrick DCJR – Charleston, SC Steve Hofer – Park Chrysler Jeep – Burnsville, MN Susan McDaniel – Bill Luke CJD – Phoenix, AZ Guild Committees Nada 2022 Planning Jill Vance - Apogee Event Agency Don Cushing - MMG Magazine Finance Committee Chris Hojnacki - Milosch’s CDJR – Lake Orion, MI Susan McDaniel - Bill Luke CJD – Phoenix, AZ Don Cushing – MMG Newsletter/Website/SocialMagazine Media Don Cushing – MMG Magazine Vendor Committees Reynolds & Reynolds
Randy Rogers - Huffines CJDR - Plano, TX
CDK Global
Cody Eckhardt - Larry Miller DCJR - Sandy, UT
Joe McBeth - Dallas DCJ – Dallas, TX
Ian Grohs – Stateline CDJR – Fort Mill, SC
Joe McBeth - Dallas DCJ – Dallas, TX (Chair)
*Steve Hofer – Park Chrysler Jeep – Burnsville, MN
*David Kiser - Spartanburg CDJR - Spartanburg, SC
DanOEConnectionHutton-Tom O’Brien CJD – Greenwood, IN (Chair)
Robert Chatwin - Larry Miller DCJR - Sandy, UT
*Joe Handzik - Bettenhausen Auto - Tinley Park, IL Vendor Chairs
*Alternate
Mick Padgeon - Fred Beans Parts - Doylestown, PA
Chris Hojnacki - Milosch’s CDJR – Lake Orion, MI
Chris Hojnacki - Milosch’s CDJR – Lake Orion, MI
Ted Hawkins - Cerritos Dodge - Cerritos. CA
*Jim Jaeger - Bosak Auto Group - Merrillville, IN
Cutaia
Randy Rogers - Huffines CJDR - Plano, TX
Jim Jaeger - Bosak Motors - Merrillville, IN
Dan Hutton - Tom O’Brien DCJR - Greenwood, IN
