Mike Buzzard knows what it’s like to be in the parts distribution business. He remembers the grind of growing up in his family’s distribution business, working his way up from sweeping floors to managing clients and beyond. Then came the time when his family decided to sell their business, Mid-Atlantic Warehouse – a decision that changed his trajectory in the automotive aftermarket and made him an expert on managing sell-side projects and advising on acquisitions.

Buzzard is managing partner of Schwartz Advisors and joined the firm in April 2022. Since then, he has helped expand the firm’s sell-side practice. Buzzard has more than 15 years of aftermarket executive leadership and management, holding leadership roles in marketing, sales management, corporate development and general management during his time with Auto Plus, Uni-Select and MAWDI. Prior to his career at Auto Plus, Buzzard was an internal consulting services analyst at JP Morgan.

In this episode of the Schwartz Advisors Report, from AftermarketNews, Mike delves into:

• His background in parts distribution and perspectives he’s gained from his different roles in the automotive aftermarket and beyond (0:37)
• Why his family decided to sell and aspects to consider when a company is looking to sell or partner with a business to grow (3:55)
• Factors driving distribution consolidation today (5:10)
• The future of warehouse distributor consolidation and expansion (6:52)
• Why he thinks partnership will be critical for the success of all parts distributors (9:01)

This series is brought to you by Schwartz Advisors. Learn more at www.schwartzadvisors.com.