GERMANTOWN,Tenn. – During its recent annual membership meeting at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Auto Pride elected three new members to its executive board and revealed a complete marketing campaign designed to establish a more professional brand image nationwide, said Steve Tucker, vice president of the Automotive Distribution Network.
The three newly elected Auto Pride board members are:
· Chairman Ron Sutton, Standard Auto Parts; Baltimore, Md.
· Joe Bray, Quality Parts Warehouse; Garland, Texas
· Joe Snyder, Fremont Automotive; Mt. Pleasant Mills, Pa.
“Auto Pride also recognized departing executive board member Ron Brody, president of New Jersey-based All Parts Distributors, who stepped down after more than 28 years of service,” Tucker said. “A founding member of Auto Pride in 1985, he’s been committed to our success for decades, and we were proud to present Ron with a plaque in honor of his numerous contributions to the group since the very beginning. He’s done a heck of a job for us.”
During the proceedings, Auto Pride introduced an extensive new marketing campaign and enhanced program elements designed to establish its new logo and a more professional brand image nationwide.
“This gathering marked the culmination of an effort to bring our Auto Pride and Auto Service Experts programs to the level of a complete marketing program and distinction as an industry brand with national name recognition. We unveiled several new elements, like our two-year/24,000-mile nationwide consumer warranty on any part or service purchased at our Auto Service Experts locations, a first-rate motorsports program featuring the new Auto Pride logo that appears prominently on TV every week as an associate sponsor of Bob Vandergriff Racing and an appearance-upgrade initiative designed to implement our new look on our facilities across the country.”
Nearly 25 of the Network’s manufacturer partners were on-hand at the booth show at the Peabody to display their latest wares, services and cross-promotional opportunities. Over the course of two days, Auto Pride attendees participated in hands-on demonstrations of the latest Network Intelligence programs and received an overview on the latest in product, tools and equipment and merchandising. The group also took a trip to nearby Somerville, Tenn., for a tour of Network Products, the group’s co-man facility, which offers products that may be hard to buy and source correctly or linesthat represent unique purchase opportunities.
“An important objective of the meeting was to further educate our Auto Pride members on not only how to sell more effectively but also how to buy more efficiently,” Tucker said. “For such a niche group such as Auto Pride to have all tools of the Network at their fingertips is a huge advantage in today’s competitive environment.”
