LAS VEGAS — It goes without saying that our industry continues to change before our very eyes. Distribution channels and methods continue to change. What worked as recently as a year ago might not be working now.
The University of the Aftermarket’s annual University Forum can help you stay competitive, and keep pace with our ever-changing market. The event takes place on Sunday, Oct. 31 prior to the kickoff of AAPEX 2004.
It does not matter whether you are a headquarter principal, WD, company-owned store manager, retailer or independent jobber — the health of your business will depend on how you are meeting and exceeding customers’ needs and adapting to cross-channel challenges and new technologies. Attendees to the 2004 University Forum, which is sponsored by Babcox Publications and Motormite/Dorman, will walk away with valuable tips and strategies to help meet those needs.
This year, University Forum will feature — Bill Hanvey, vice president of marketing for Motormite/Dorman; and Jon Owens, AAP, publisher of Counterman magazine, aftermarketNews.com and AAPEX Today at Babcox Publications.
Jon Owens began his aftermarket career in sales at the Timken Co. where he called on all levels of the aftermarket, built the Performance Plus Program, represented the company at NAPA headquarters for more than five years and built the current sales team and structure. Owens was also instrumental in launching Timken back into the automotive aftermarket by creating and implementing a full-line bearing and seal program. In addition to his duties as a publisher at Babcox, Owens is chairman of AWDA’s Marketing Committee, past chairman of the Young Executive Society and a former member of AWDA’s Board of Governors. He also serves on the show committee at AAIA and is immediate past president of the AAIA Automotive Communications Council. Owens received the AWDA Pursuit of Excellence Award and is a 2002 recipient of the Northwood University Automotive Aftermarket Education Award.
Since joining Motormite/Dorman in 2002, Hanvey has been instrumental in increasing brand awareness through new web site development, training, integrated marketing, electronic cataloging and other unique venues. He has more than 20 years of sale and marketing experience. Prior to his current position, Hanvey served as director of Marketing for FleetPride, a start-up heavy-duty distributor that consolidated more than 35 independent distributors with more than 150 locations into the largest heavy-duty distributor in North America. Hanvey started his aftermarket career as a field sales rep for the NAPA division of Tenneco Automotive. In addition to his professional experience, Hanvey is an active member of the Automotive Communications Council.
At University Forum, Owens and Hanvey will lead a presentation titled: “S.W.O.T. Analysis Of OE Dealers,” which will address this major supplier to traditional channels of the aftermarket. During this session, Hanvey and Owens will provide a break down of the OE dealer in a thorough SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. Attendees will learn how OE dealers are retaining new and used car customers as future service customers as well as how they are capturing new service customers. Attendees will also learn about the OE dealers’ intention to earn more business from independent service providers, as well as recruit today’s best and brightest technicians.
This presentation is open to all areas of concentration in the University of the Aftermarket AAP program and is worth 0.15 CEUs.
For more information and to register for University Forum, go to: http://www.univaftmkt.org/courses/G533.htm.
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