NORCROSS, GA — Chemical company Akzo Nobel has been working with International Truck and Engine Company (ITEC) to enable the company with the tools needed to discover hidden opportunities within their North American operations at 2005 Akzo Nobel Profitability Conference in San Francisco.
Representatives from ITEC dealers in Canada and the United States joined collision repair industry leaders to share knowledge and discuss methods of reducing expenses and increasing profits.
“Akzo assembled quite a thorough program showing us how to focus on the numbers that are going to bring dollars to our bottom line,” said newly appointed ITEC 20 Group Chairman Bob Harris, body shop manager, Five Star International, Harrisburg, PA. “Akzo Nobel not only shows you whether you are making money or not, but also helps you focus on why there’s money or why there isn’t by comparing our businesses to other dealers and drawing on those dealers’ strong points.”
The program from Akzo Nobel focused on numerous aspects of the collision side of the business. The importance of ITEC and other OEM partnerships around the world, employee recruiting and retention, new developments in product, color and business services for commercial collision repair were discussed.
“Our company has a long history of not only supplying great paint products but also sharing valuable information that is critical to running and maintaining a successful collision repair facility,” said Paul Flora, manager, marketing & product management for Akzo Nobel commercial vehicles division. “We strive to provide our customers with added value and expertise that comes from operating on a global level. It is important to foster strong OEM relationships and our company is committed to doing that.”
Other 20 group opportunities are available in the Commercial Vehicle market but they focus on other aspects of the dealership business. The program by Akzo Nobel focuses primarily on the body shop portion of the business.
Because of the success of this ITEC 20 Group meeting, the group anticipates it will add more groups in the future.
“Continuing education is a big plus. Classes like Time Management, Networking, Delegating, Organization and Benevolence Programs are a real benefit. We will come back with great ideas and implement positive change. Any dealership could benefit from this experience because of the shared knowledge among other dealers and also all that Akzo brings with their management knowledge,” added Harris.
The next ITEC 20 Group meeting is set for Feb.22-24 in San Antonio, TX.
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