Premier Performance, a wholesale distributor of aftermarket automotive parts primarily serving the diesel and off-road segments, announced that Trev Burt has assumed the role of merchandising and events manager. Burt has been with Premier since 2008 and has been its Eastern region business development manager since 2015. The merchandising and events role is a new position for the company.

“Trev Burt is a highly valued member of the Premier team who has a wealth of experience working with our brick and mortar customers. This move will allow Premier to leverage that expertise for our customers’ benefit,” said Bob Barra, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Premier Performance.

More broadly, the creation of the merchandising and events position fits into Premier’s plan to go “beyond distributing” in 2018, the company says.

“The distribution model works backward from the shops. If our customers are not successful, then none of us will be. But it can be difficult as a small business owner to keep on top of everything,” said Barra. “That’s where we come in. Premier has always prided itself on having the technical expertise to recommend the right parts. Now we’re also putting the resources in place to leverage our marketing and e-commerce expertise on behalf of our customers. We can do more than sell parts – we can actively contribute to your business.”

“Premier has great working relationships with both our customers and our manufacturers,” said Burt. “With our knowledge of current sales trends and our ability to secure retail displays and other selling aids from our vendors, we are uniquely situated to help our customers get the most out of their retail spaces. I’m excited to hit the road in this new role.”