CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. – The 2013 VIPAR Heavy Duty Annual Business Conference, held Oct. 20-25 at the Marco Island (Fla.) Marriott, featured a record turnout of more than 725 distributor, supplier, service partner and industry associate attendees. The annual meeting included more than 130 exhibiting supplier companies and more than 95 percent of VIPAR Heavy Duty stockholders, which operate more than 500 locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. 
In his general session presentation, VIPAR Heavy Duty President Steve Crowley said that over the past 12 months, the organization has proactively responded to a heavy-duty market that is in transition.
“In response to these shifting market conditions and channel demands, VIPAR Heavy Duty is well-positioned to help its distributors meet these needs and challenges and stay ahead of the curve,” Crowley said.
He also noted that the independent distributor is stronger than ever. “Larger national firms are slower to react to market opportunities," he said. “VIPAR Heavy Duty distributors build relationships with their customers and provide better service through their local presence.”
Noting the 2013 theme of “Success through Collaboration,” Crowley says though VIPAR Heavy Duty is made up of many different companies who think a little different than one another, “we collaborate together to make a stronger overall organization.”
He also noted the success of Global Parts Network (GPN), VIPAR Heavy Duty’s wholly owned subsidiary, which achieved significant growth in 2013. GPN provides seamless service and support exclusively to the VIPAR Heavy Duty network of distributors and suppliers to satisfy the replacement parts needs of commercial vehicle operators and maintenance facilities. GPN operates parts distribution centers as well as its brake manufacturing production centers, known as CoMan Centers, with a focus on new and remanufactured brake shoes, brake shoe kits, friction material and related parts.
The 2013 VIPAR Heavy Duty Annual Business Conference included a motivational speech by football great Joe Theismann, along with a general session, tradeshow, one-on-one stockholder/supplier partner meetings, the annual stockholder meeting, as well as networking events. A special addition to this year’s conference was a Young Leaders Forum luncheon, giving emerging leaders the opportunity to network with each other and hear a presentation by industry speaker and author John Passante.
The 2014 VIPAR Heavy Duty Annual Business Conference will be held Oct. 19-24, 2014, at the Marco Island Marriott, in Marco Island, Fla.
