Julie Wells
Like many people in the aftermarket, Julie Wells, general manager, Federated Auto Parts, said that she had no intention of making a career out of it when she first came to the aftermarket. “I accepted with the hope of finding something else more female-orientated,” Wells said.” [But] once I became accustomed to the team I
Shelly Stazzone
In search of a new challenge, Shelly Stazzone left her 21-year stint in a family-owned manufacturing business to join the ranks at Schaeffler after seeing a job description that intrigued her. Her proudest career accomplishment in her now three-year role was for an award she received for a B2B clutch and wheel bearing social media
Wanda Shorter Fisher
With an aftermarket career that spans an impressive 40 years, Wanda Shorter counts working with many of the brightest and most successful people in the business – many of them for over 20 or 30 years – among her greatest blessings. “Our industry has one thing in common,” she says. “We all have the same
Cindy Schulz
Cindy Schulz’s career in the automotive aftermarket has been a remarkable journey. It began in 1979 when she walked into a Wisconsin auto parts store and applied for a job as a delivery driver. “Back in the day, so many people told me, ‘You can’t do this because you’re a woman,’” Schulz recalls. That kind
Misty Rohder
“I am like many people who fell into the wonderful world of the aftermarket,” expresses Misty Rohder, as she traces her 13-year career path that started out as a delivery driver to now a district sales manager, where she manages over 20 sales members and a $90-million-dollar territory for Auto-Wares. Noting this award ranks among
Cara Mitchell
Cara Mitchell began laying the foundation for her career when she was a freshman in high school. Given the opportunity to take a class at a vocational center through the Omaha Public Schools, Mitchell enrolled in Automotive Technology. “I really enjoyed fixing cars and working under the hood, and this formalized my training,” she says.
Milagros ‘Mili’ Mendez
A Venezuelan native, Milagros “Mili” Mendez moved to the U.S. over 20 years ago with a goal of pursuing a law degree here. Those educational plans quickly changed when she got introduced to the automotive aftermarket through a childhood friend who owned an auto parts distributor in Venezuela and shared that his primary supplier was
Jan Larson
Jan Larson has been a part of the aftermarket distribution business for 36 years, first with The Network, and now, with Automotive Parts Associates. She began as an accounting clerk and a mail sorter, then moved on to national accounts, maintaining price updates, to HR, office manager and eventually to event planning. Larson says it
Tracey Hill
Fresh out of high school and desperate for a regular income, Tracey Hill started her career in the aftermarket as a parts driver 40 years ago, and never looked back. She was able to advance over the years by accepting challenges that many would not pursue at that time, noting that she is “pleased to
Emily DelBrocco
It should come as no surprise that a Human Resources professional would offer up a lot of great professional advice but when we asked Emily DelBrocco, HR Director Talent Management & HR Operations for Transtar Industries, she really outdid herself. Emily gave us six solid pieces of advice – from believe in yourself, build your
