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CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION WORLDPAC SUPPLIER & TRAINING EXPO WELCOMES ADVANCE PROFESSIONAL CUSTOMERS Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center National Harbor, Maryland - June 10 – 14, 2020 What Your Package Includes: Five day, four night accommodations at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD (Washington DC) for (1) person Airfare - round trip for (1) person Transportation to and from the hotel for (1) person All meals; Thursday, Friday and Saturday (breakfast, lunch, breaks and dinner) for (1) person Entrance to all your pre-selected training classes Thursday, Friday and Saturday Supplier Expos – 2 evenings (Thursday and Friday) Saturday evening social event Special pricing on Tool & Equipment Dedicated hospitality staff exclusively for WORLDPAC guests Networking opportunities with OE manufacturers, suppliers, technical/business educators and independent repair shops COMING SOON VIDEO

It's no secret that Home Depot changed the Hardware Store business. Are we seeing the same thing occur with the auto parts industry? Will Wall Street dictate the future of the parts business? Main Street, not Wall Street once dominated our business landscape. Part stores were part of the community. Did they cater to the DIY? Of course they did. But the DIYer was someone who could actually work on his car, not the weekend warrior who has no business sticking his head under the hood. And why does he attempt to stick his head under the hood? Because companies like Advance and Auto Zone tells them they belong there. Don't know how to install your alternator, no problem, click on this video and we will show you Mr. DIY. There is no stopping big business and what mass consolidation will do to our industry. But, guys like me don't have to like it. The truth is Home Depot may have shifted their industry, but it also made a select group of business owners only stronger. The same may happen in the parts business. Big Parts Guys, if you truly want OUR business, you need to stop catering to the DIY market and insulting us by telling us the DIYer is not our customer. The motoring public hears your commercials, they see you ads, they get your discount flyers in the mail. So, stop the insults. I would have more respect if you just come clean. My guess, nothing will happen. The big guys won't change when money gets in the way. When home town and Wall Street collide, Wall Street usually wins. Usually, but not always.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle is reporting that Atlanta-based The Home Depot is seeing success with its pilot program for the automotive Do-It-Yourself (DIY) market. The company currently is running the pilot program in about 50 stores. Home Depot originally launched the pilot program in 10 stores in 2006. The home improvement retailer has dedicated about 500-square-feet of floor space to auto products, including motor oil and fuel additives. It is hard to imagine how Home Depot sees opportunity in the DIY market. I was under the assumption that companies such as Advance and AutoZone are working to form a strong alliance with the commercial trade. What does Home Depot know that others do not? Here is a link to an article and source. http://www.aftermarketnews.com/Item/130070/home_depot_likes_what_it_sees_in_automotive_diy_retail.aspx

The True Cost of Comebacks Comebacks are a hot topic today, particularly with the frustration over poor quality parts. You need to track all comebacks, determine the reason (Tech error, part error, training issue, other) and then calculate the true cost of the comeback. Here are a few things to consider: - The loss of time when performing the comeback; time that the tech can performing other work and generating profit - The misc costs, such as overhead costs, supplies, cleaners, etc - Towing costs, rental, etc - Cost to morale - Reputation damage - Reduction to your profit margin For every part issue, you need to inform your supplier, whether it's NAPA, CARQUEST, Advance Auto, O'Reilly's, or any other. Sit down with suppliers on a regular basis. Dont return defective parts until you have listed the parts and maintain a report. Document everything. Part issues are increasing. Every shop owner I speak to is frustrated over this. Remember, comebacks kill your bottom line, the more comebacks you have, the more its killing your profits.

Due to our frustrations with part quality from the aftermarket on some lines, we have resorted to going to the new car dealer for some parts. A decision that does not sit well with me and one that I may end up regretting. To me, it's like supplying my enemy with ammunition. Recently we had an issue with a steering gear, purchased at a local Chevy Dealer, that did not function correctly and we had to redo the job. When discussing the issue with the dealer, we were told that they are seeing an increase in their part comebacks too. These are GM reman units. We are we going with this? As I have stated time and time again in the past; will this race to the bottom with looking for the best price end up to be our demise? We have to get back to quality. Our industry reputation is at stake. We really need to have a coalition of all the part companies and repair shops across the country to come to terms with the reality. We need to rethink "price" and seek "Quality" Let's face it, as an industry we are not getting any richer with lower priced, poor quality parts anyway. So, let's take a deep breathe and dig ourselves out of this mess. This is not an Advance Problem, or a CARQUEST problem, or a NAPA problem....this is an industry-wide problem. And we need to start fixing it, today.