Automotive Parts Associates’ (APA) 33rd Annual Shareholders’ &
Manufacturers’ Conference, held March 20-22 in Houston, Texas, kicked
off in typical upbeat fashion with 307 attendees taking part in
networking and information sessions galore, despite undertones of
sadness in bidding farewell to the group’s longstanding and beloved
president, Dan Freeman.
The Friday morning breakfast meeting
opened with a heartfelt video debut that commemorated Freeman’s 25 years
with APA and sent best wishes for his well-deserved retirement that
began on March 1. With a standing ovation, attendees applauded and
thanked Dan (and wife Judy) for his dedication, intellect and hard work
that helped foster APA’s growth, tripling membership and elevating its
position as a top-tier group within the industry.
The breakfast
meeting also served as a venue to acknowledge five APA vendors for their
significant contributions to the group with these awards:
• Headquarters Manufacturer of Choice: Bosch;
• Marketing Partner Award: Federal-Mogul;
• Professionals’ Choice Vendor of the Year: AMS;
• Branded Manufacturer of the Year: DENSO;
• Largest Total Manufacturers Orders at the 2013 One-on-Ones: UCI-FRAM Group.
Three new APA members also were recognized — Hawaii Import Parts Inc., Titan Motorsports Inc., and Dennis’ Auto Parts.
Later
that day, 67 shareholder members and 75 APA manufacturers took part in
the Manufacturer One-on-Ones. The well-attended sessions provided the
opportunity to discuss business-related issues, learn about new products
and programs and take advantage of great show specials being offered by
the APA vendors. Thousands of dollars and gift items were given as door
prizes throughout the day. Friday evening, attendees enjoyed a Texas
Ranch BBQ dinner party, complete with wagon rides, historic home tours
and live longhorn steer photo opportunities.
General Session, Saturday Morning
The
group reconvened on Saturday morning for a general session that kicked
off with opening comments by new APA President Gary Martin, and the
announcement of newly elected board members, including Ben Yelowitz,
POJA Warehouse, as the new chairman. Caprice Caster, APA director of
events and promotions, provided program updates and recapped upcoming
promotions, and announced the results of Thursday’s Golf Tournament.
Presenters
Scott Luckett, AAIA COO and director of the Aftermarket Telematics Task
Force, and Malcolm Sissmore, Delphi’s North America sales director,
telematics, discussed the telematics’ threats to the aftermarket, as
well as the service opportunities. Sissmore introduced Delphi’s wireless
communication tool that allows companies to “talk” with customers
through a device that’s installed on-vehicle.
Next, three APA
shareholder members participated in a Building Your Business panel. Mike
Maloof, president, World Auto Parts, Cleveland, Ohio, provided unique
insights on how to build sales and profits, and how to best take care of
your customers and employees. Mike Brown, president and CEO of Olympus
Imported Auto Parts, Alexandria, Va., shared how he built his business
and retained great employees in the face of strong competition. Robert
Duxler and David Wistosky, A.I.M.S., Simi Valley, Calif., shared their
story on business succession.
Save the date for next year’s conference, slated for March 19-21, 2015, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles, Calif.
