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Loss prevention. Discrimination. Pollution liability. If these terms manage to simultaneously glaze your eyes over and send shivers down your spine, you're not alone. Many shops in this industry don't [...]

If you think a bed bug infestation can't happen to your property, think again. No matter how diligent you are with your maintenance and housekeeping responsibilities, any guest who walks [...]

What's the biggest business headache facing jobbers -personnel issues? Is it the volume of product lines necessary to compete? Or is it the inevitable invasion of independents by chains? 'All [...]

On the retail side, counter staff must function as 'counselors' to customers, knowing what to suggest to help solve a problem. So says Kari Dettbarn, marketing coordinator for Uni-Select USA, [...]

Brian Tarnacki, the director of marketing for Federal-Mogul Corporation, which is based in Southfield, Mich., says the Brake and Front End program his company introduced last year has been a [...]

Loss prevention. Discrimination. Pollution liability. If these terms manage to simultaneously glaze your eyes over and send shivers down your spine, you're not alone. Many shops in this industry don't [...]

Carl Davidson, service manager of The Wagon Shop Foreign Car Repair & Parts in Bellevue, Wash., notes that the debate over proposed Right to Repair (R2R) legislation doesn't seem to [...]

In 2005, Jim Preussner, owner of Southwest Automotive in tiny Lemitar, N.M., saw the handwriting on the wall almost as soon as the AutoZone set up shop in nearby Socorro. [...]

Jeanine Butts oversees inventory control for Moosic, Pa.-based Cee-Kay Auto Supply. The holiday season usually is when she's most glued to her phone, trying to gather inventory for remote starters, [...]

On the retail side, savvy stores realize that the average walk-in customer is frazzled and wants an immediate end to his or her vehicle's performance problem. If you anticipate customers' [...]

With Internet access becoming as much a staple of the home s a TV or telephone, the aftermarket has turned its attention to harnessing the Web's potential for marketing and [...]

A large part of the current fast-paced activity in the lodging industry stems from market segmentation, in which newcomers and old-timers are aggressively competing for an increasingly specific target clientele. [...]

Once upon a time, CSK Auto's wholesale arm, CSK Proshop, produced invoices the same way everyone else did: A multi-part order form was taken to the customer's doorstep, the customer [...]

John-John Auto Parts has come full circle. The Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., store was started in 1986 by the late Johnnie Ward and his son, John Michael Ward, who goes [...]

In his 18 years in business, Jeff Bacon has tried different marketing approaches for gaining new customers. His store's affiliation with NAPA Auto Parts has provided him with a variety [...]

Quincy Automotive isn't your typical auto parts store, mainly thanks to its third-generation owner, John Garth Elzea III. The eight-store NAPA wholesaler, based in Springfield, Ill., has a spirit of [...]

Seattle Automotive is committed to bringing value to its customers any way it can. This summer, the wholesaler/distributor showed its commitment in a big way--purchasing a Freightliner truck with a [...]

There is no denying the long-term benefits of global positioning systems (GPS) as a way of tracking vehicles, drivers and shipment contents. In a new report, 'North American Commercial Vehicle [...]

Heather Gooch Keeping insects and rodents out of the hotel is of utmost importance, but what about the hotel grounds? Somehow, there must be a balance struck between letting nature [...]

When Paul Bello goes to work, he is often dressed like the ice cream man: white shirt, white pants, white socks and white sneakers. But he's not in the business [...]

The retailers that Aftermarket Business spoke with for this issue all point to the proliferation of parts as being the biggest trouble spot for their businesses. Tom Hire, president of [...]

As the baby boomer generation starts to retire and much of Generation X moves into management positions, the industry would be well advised to look at Generation Y (defined as [...]

With products devaluing nearly across the board and fuel costs still relatively high, jobbers like Tom Reynolds, president of Berne Auto Supply in Berne, Ind., says it's 'not like it [...]

In August, Rick and Linda Wilson, co-owners of the Brentwood (Calif.) NAPA Auto Parts store, celebrated their business' 50th anniversary. But Rick Wilson notes that it's a different playing field [...]

When business owners think marketing, thoughts often ump to how to attract new customers. But keeping existing customers interested is just as important, if not more so. Particularly on the [...]

While it seems that industry efforts to get issues heard in Washington are working, most jobbers realize it's not a good idea to rest on your laurels. For example, Steve [...]

When it comes to competing against a national chain. Chuck McGee. sales manager for Town and Country Auto Parts in Lansdale. Pa., says it's worth it to know thy enemy. [...]

How quickly performance parts and accessories are moving off your shelves may depend on your market--and your marketing. That's about the only consensus among wholesalers interviewed for this article. Doyle [...]

In business, one must never assume. While it's easier to tell your customers what you think they need, successful companies are taking the road less traveled--they find out what their [...]

We live in a society of instant gratification, and that attitude is highly visible in the automotive repair industry--people want their cars back ASAP so they can return to their [...]

On the retail side, walk-in business is still focused on parts for the Big Three. 'Yes, we offer import auto parts, but we have for the past few years,' shrugs [...]

Patriotism aside, the reality is that foreign nameplates have earned their place alongside the Big Three automakers in recent years. In fact, Consumer Reports released a list in November that [...]

Now's the time for tech-savvy aftermarket retailers to capture the market on mobile electronics. From glove box-mounted computers to hard drives in the trunk, consumers want to mimic the features [...]

Chris Nierintz, director of fulfillment for Pep Boys Auto and a member of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association's (AAIA) Technology Standards and Solutions Committee, believes there will be more buy-in [...]

Mike McGregor, president of Quality Automotive Distribution Co. (QADCO) in Evansville, Ind., notes that the more data that becomes available, the more the need for a standardized system increases. 'We [...]

While many of our respondents for the returns issue were more heavily wholesale, they all agree that retail returns come with additional headaches. For example, Hank Bejian, owner of NAPA [...]

Jeff Neely, president of C.J. Parts Distributors Inc. in Trenton, N.J., says about seven years ago, his return rate was below 15 percent. Since then, it's crept into the low [...]

Brian Keith, president of Birmingham, Ala.-based Walter S. White Auto Parts, notes that his company's website adheres to the KISS principle (Keep It Simple ... and Straightforward). 'On no page [...]

With market trend technology better than ever, retail auto suppliers are paying close attention to their customers' wants and needs. 'In our area, it wouldn't pay to specialize--you need just [...]

Although Warren Distribution is no longer a traditional jobber, instead selling directly to installers, it faces the same expand-or-tighten-the-focus issue that jobbers face. Steve Fries, director of marketing for the [...]

The Blazer line features 52- to 80-in. cut widths and 23- to 36-hp engines. The new 360Z features a flexible 80-in. wing cutting unit and mows up to 6.4 acres [...]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The newest addition to the Snapper Pro 2500 Pro Series is a twin-stick model featuring a 25-hp Kawasaki engine and a 52-in. mowing deck .The new unit is [...]

The new line of Extra Durability zero-turn mowers (XDZs) is designed to improve uptime for contractors. With an overall 30% increase in durability, the new XDZ units are available in [...]

Mow closer to walls and fences, tighter around trees and plantings, and faster over rough and uneven terrain: The Gizmow Formula is the first and only commercial Mid-Z mower with [...]

Z-Force 48 and Z-Force 60 join Z-Force models 44 and 50, all of which feature a 23-hp Kohler Command engine, steel continued on page 66 frame, pivoting front axle, semi-floating [...]

Zero-turn mowers continue to be popular among professional landscapers, but increasingly, homeowners are seeing the value of this type of equipment as well. That trend is a bit of a [...]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you can't beat 'em, join 'em--but do' em one better. Loop Road Auto Parts in Garner, N.C., took a cue from the big-box retailers springing up all [...]

The words 'We need to call an exterminator' can send shivers down the spine of a general manager. However, today's pest control companies are equipped with more knowledge, less chemicals [...]

Putting sports teams into guestrooms can be lucrative, but only if the property is ready, willing and able to handle the market. 'It's not just about hotels delivering what they [...]

The label 'environmentally friendly' is more than a trendy slogan these days - it's becoming a niche within the hospitality industry. The concept is beneficial in several ways. Employing simple-to-follow [...]