Executive Interview with Dave Ellingen, President and CEO of Mitchell 1
Mitchell 1 got its start back in 1946 when Glen Mitchell started a business out of creating simplified parts replacement books. In those days, OE parts replacement books could be complicated and difficult for the counterperson to use. As a counterperson himself, Mitchell saw a better way to organize parts replacement books, and from his vision, Mitchell 1 was born. Dave Ellingen, president and CEO of Mitchell 1, shared with aftermarketNews.com some of his thoughts on the roadblocks to getting more repair shops to embrace technology, and how parts suppliers are working to move the effort forward.
New Mitchell 1 Manager/Manager Plus Version 5.7 Offers Exclusive Selection of Parts Vendors
The latest version of Mitchell 1’s Manager/Manager Plus Version 5.7 offers a new feature — a selection of parts vendors and catalogs including the industry’s three premier parts providers — NAPA, CARQUEST and O’Reilly.
Mike Lambert and Mike Kamal Share Details on ADN
On Jan. 14, aftermarketNews.com broke the news of the merger between the Parts Plus and IAPA programmed distribution groups. This major news follows closely on the heels of the merger between Quebec’s Uni-Select and New York-based MAWDI, which seems to confirm the sea change that has been taking place over the past few years — with strong but small groups merging to form even stronger collaborations, in an effort to ensure their future in the automotive aftermarket distribution market. Mike Kamal, executive director of IAPA and Mike Lambert, president of Parts Plus, will serve as co-presidents of the new group, to be called the Automotive Distribution Network (ADN). Yesterday, Kamal and Lambert spoke at length with aftermarketNews.com about the merger – how it came together, the synergies involved and thoughts on the future of The Network.
Prolong Expands Retailer Lineup for 2005
Prolong Super Lubricants has announced a significant expansion into more retail stores this year. Prolong products will be carried in close to 15,000 retail stores in the U.S. in 2005, which the company said is a significant increase in the number of outlets over the prior year.
The Top Ten Newsmakers of 2004
For the first time ever, Counterman magazine and aftermarketNews.com bring you The Top 10 Newsmakers of the Year. Our editorial team took a look at some of this industry’s most influential leaders and selected the 10 we believe have had a direct impact on the success of the aftermarket in 2004. Beyond that, we believe these individuals have helped set the stage for an even more productive future for our industry.
Repairing the Repair Image
Want to repair the industry’s less-than-perfect image? The solution starts every time you interact with a customer. As this year draws to a close, the urge to reminisce overcomes many folks, especially those of us in the media who feel our “unique” vantage point is valued. As such, you’re certain to be exposed to a multitude of recaps of everything that happened this year. Who are we to buck this trend?
Executive Interview with James Croston, Director of Marketing, Trico Products
Our latest Executive Interview features James Croston, director of marketing, Trico Products. As director of marketing for Trico Products, Croston has surfaced as a leader in today’s highly competitive automotive aftermarket. He has dedicated the last 15 years at Trico to developing new products that fill voids in the marketplace, educating the sellers and the buyers alike and finding better ways of communicating with potential and existing customers. Croston recently shared with us his opinions on the future of the wiper blade segment, as well as details about Trico’s recent product launches for the Innovision and Oktane lines.
Magazines Announce ‘Readers’ Choice Awards’ Recipients
The readers of Babcox’s Counterman, Brake & Front End, ImportCar and Underhood Service magazines have announced the Readers’ Choice Award recipients for 2004. The awards are based upon those companies whose advertising most successfully communicated their messages to the aftermarket.
The Year in Review – A Look at the Top 10 News Stories of 2004
Whether you believe 2004 was a good or bad year for the aftermarket, no one can argue this was a big news year for our industry. The year included noteworthy shifts in leadership, mergers, acquisitions and more, most of which will significantly impact the industry for many years to come. Here’s a month-by-month look at what aftermarketNews.com considers to be biggest news events that happened in our industry in 2004.
AutoZone’s Steve Handschuh to Lobby for Right to Repair
The Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE) has announced that AutoZone executive Steve Handschuh will join the aftermarket industry team promoting the passage of the Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act in the 109th Congress. Handschuh will take a leave of absence from AutoZone, as an “executive on loan,” to help support the campaign for Right to Repair. His primary areas of responsibility will include industry communications, coalition-building and fund-raising.