ORLAND PARK, Ill. – Pointing to recovering economic times, organizers of Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week say that the heavy-duty aftermarket industry demonstrated its tenacity with a record showing by suppliers and distributors at HDAW ’12.
More than 1,918 aftermarket industry leaders attended the three-day conference, including 550 distributor executives and 392 exhibitor spaces sold.
The 7th annual HDAW conference was held Jan. 23-26 in Las Vegas. More than 1,600 people attended the all-industry opening reception on Monday evening and started the optimistic week off with a bang, event organizers said.
“HDAW ’12 brought suppliers and distributors together again for camaraderie, networking and to support the industry,” said Ken Duval, HDAW ’12 co-chair and president, Canadian Wheel Industries. “The record attendance of HDAW’12 points to the value that the event represents to our industry and importance to continue to improve its content to increase yearly the participation of the entire event.”
The theme for HDAW ’12 was Corporate Culture – The Foundation for Success, according to Mike Betts, 2012 co-chair and CEO – Betts Spring Co.
“The education sessions were well attended, the product expo booth traffic was way up from previous years, the numerous networking sessions as well as the one-on-one meetings were all very well attended. My conversations with industry colleagues all mentioned how happy they were with attendance and that it was one of the best HDAW events ever," Betts said. "Attendees left with many new cultural insights and takeaways designed to help them in their businesses.”
More than 800 people attended the opening general session as Robert Richman from Zappos Insights delivered a lively address on the topic of Corporate Culture as a featured speaker, and Gov. Bill Graves, president and CEO of American Trucking Associations spoke about the challenges and opportunities facing the trucking industry in the near- and short-term.
The Distributor of the Year Award was presented to Fleet Brake of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and Carolina Wheel and Rim of Charlotte, N.C. by Denise Rondini, editor-in-chief of Truck Parts & Service magazine.
The 2012 Heavy Duty Aftermarket Industry Hall of Fame Award was presented to Richard Andrews, formerly of Stemco and a 45-year veteran of the heavy-duty industry by Mark Seng – Vice President of Polk’s Commercial Vehicle and Automotive Aftermarket business units.
More than 1,600 pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings were held between suppliers and distributors, with 88 distributors, and 101 suppliers participating. These meetings facilitate an in-depth dialogue between senior executives of the distributor and participating supplier companies.
Six well-attended individual education programs were presented to large audiences on topics ranging from The Culture of Business: Zappos Style; Washington Update: Status and Outlook for the Trucking Industry – 2012; The Impact of CSA: Helping Your Customers Comply While Growing Your Business; The Culture Key: Innovation, Accountability & the Human Art of Business ; Culture of Survival: Competitive Strategies for a Winning Future and Does Your Organization Have a Sales Team or a Sales Culture.
The HDAW Product Expo was filled wall-to-wall both days with distributors visiting the suppliers unveiling new products and services and suggesting effective ways for distributors to be more profitable and to serve the end-user smarter and better. Several special Product Expo attractions included the HDAW product showcase, a display of the Pinewood Challenge “race-trucks,” and a multitude of new products and programs for 2012.
The annual All-Industry Reception and Pinewood Challenge, sponsored by Minimizer, proved again to be an exciting event for all 17 race participants and an audience of more than 700. Winners of the event were:
Pinewood Race Winners:
1st – Bendix #1
2nd – Bendix Too
3rd – Triangle #1
Concours D’elegance Winners: (Best designed and best looking trucks)
1st – Bendix Too
2nd – Dorman Products
3rd – Fleet Brake Parts
HDAW’13 will be held at The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, January 21-24, 2013.
