FenderBender 2021 Reader's Choice: OEM Parts Dealers

2021 READER'S

CHOICE

2021 FENDERBENDER’S READER’S CHOICE: OEM PARTS DEALERS

SPECIAL PROMOTION

2021 READER'S

CHOICE

parts dealers

After a year in which everything was turned upside down, many of the same

Dealers special section is here to help you find the right parts, the best dealers and the best prices.

Based on input from over 250 survey participants sampled from the qualified circulation of FenderBender earlier this year, the findings showcase the role of OEM parts buying in the collision repair shop, identify top OEM dealers and reveal why shops choose to work with the best of the best.

challenges remain: how do you provide the best customer service? As drivers continue to maintain their vehicles and keep them longer, knowing where and how to find a reliable parts dealer will be critical to your shop’s success.

The FenderBender Reader’s Choice: OEM Parts

A CLOSER LOOK AT THE RESULTS

The most pressing takeaways from the 2021 Reader’s Choice survey.

OF PARTS ORDERED

BY SHOPS ARE OEM According to survey results, shops predominantly order OEM parts— while aftermarket, salvaged/recycled, and remanufactured parts make up 28 percent of all orders. These results differ by only a few percentage points to the 2020 Reader’s Choice survey (74 percent OEM parts).

August 2021

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WHO IN THE SHOP HANDLES PARTS ORDERING Participants were asked who in their shop takes on the parts ordering, and similar to last year, a majority said that they give this job to parts or production managers.

2020

22%

2021 9% 1%

41% 40%

SERVICE WRITER, ADVISOR OR ESTIMATOR

PARTS OR PRODUCTION MANAGER

27%

4%

3%

1%

19%

33%

0%

TECHNICIAN

OTHER

SHOP MANAGER

OTHER MANAGER

FACTORS INFLUENCING WHO REPAIRERS CHOOSE TO BUY FROM Survey participants rated the following factors with a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) on how much each influences their buying decisions. Below is the rating and average score given to each factor.

9.3

9.0

8.9

8.4

7.7

7.5

DELIVERY

EXPERIENCE OR KNOWLEDGE

INVENTORY

PRICE OR DISCOUNTS

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

ABILITY TO ORDER ONLINE

HOW SHOPS TYPICALLY SOURCE AND ORDER OEM PARTS FenderBender asked repairers how they typically source and order their OEM parts. Online parts ordering is heavily preferred, and the percentage of shops ordering online went up 6 percent from the 2020 Reader’s Choice survey.

2020

2021

51% 32%

4% 4% FAX

August 2021

13% 4% OTHER

57%

28%

7% 0% EMAIL

PHONE

ONLINE

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2021 FENDERBENDER’S READER’S CHOICE: OEM PARTS DEALERS

SPECIAL PROMOTION

The OEM parts dealers recognized by FenderBender readers

{

IN THE MIDWEST Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Acura of Omaha

Brunswick Auto Mart

Fox Motors

Adamson Motors

Carmack Car Capital

Friesen Auto Group

Acura of Troy

Advantage Acura of Naperville Airport INFINITI

All Star Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ann Arbor Automotive Apple Autos

Audi Exchange Audi Kirkwood

Audi Westmont

Auffenberg Dealer Group

Autohaus BMW/MINI of St. Louis AutoNation

Axelrod Buick GMC

Bachman Auto Group Baxter Auto Group Bedford Nissan

Beechmont Automotive Group

Betten Baker Chevrolet Buick GMC Biggers Mitsubishi

Bill Jacobs Auto Group Bill Kay Auto Group

Bill Marsh Auto Group Blossom Chevrolet Blue Springs Ford Bob Brown Auto

Bob Jeannotte Buick GMC Truck Bommarito Auto Group Borton Volvo Cars

Bosak Motor Sales, Inc.

Brad Deery Motors/Deery Brothers Auto Group Brian Bemis Auto Group Brown Motors

August 2021

}

Friendly Chevrolet

Burger Chrysler Jeep

Gandrud Auto Group

Carousel Motor Group

Ganley Automotive Group

Chilson Motors

Gateway Automotive

CJM Automotive Group

Gerald Auto Group

Classic Auto Group

Germain Automotive Group

Cleveland Motorsports

Gezon Motors

Countryside Mitsubishi Courtesy Subaru

Crown Automotive Group Dan Pfeiffer Automotive

Dave Kring Chevrolet Cadillac Dave Wright Auto

De Nooyer Automotive Family Dick Scott Dodge

Dick Wickstrom Chevrolet Don Franklin Auto Group Don Miller Auto Group

Dondelinger Auto Group Dorsett Automotive

Gorges Volvo Cars

Griffin Automotive Group Halleen Kia

Harvey Automotive Hawk Auto

Hendrick Automotive Group Hiller Ford

Holz Motors

Honda Superstore of Lisle Huber Chevrolet Cadillac Hummel's Nissan

INFINITI of Grand Rapids International Autos

Dreyer & Reinbold

Inver Grove Honda

Eau Claire Ford

Ed Bozarth Chevrolet

Ed Martin Automotive Group Ed Rinke Chevrolet

Inver Grove Toyota Jack Phelan

Jaguar Land Rover Cincinnati

Jake Sweeney Automotive Group

Eden Prairie Nissan

Jay Auto Group

Edwards Auto Group

Jay Wolfe Automotive Group

Elder Auto Group

Jeff Belzer's Auto Group

Erhard BMW

Jim Butler Auto Group

Fairmont Ford

Jim Shorkey Auto Group

Federico Kia

Joe Machens Dealerships

Fletch's of Petoskey

John Paul's Automotive

Fox Automotive Group

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MIDWEST Joseph Auto Group

Milosch's Palace Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

Serra Automotive

K & J Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

Montrose Auto Group

Shaheen Automotive Group

Junge Automotive Group Karl Knauz Autopark Ken Vance Motors Kia of Lansing

Kings Automall Kline Volvo

LaFontaine Automotive Group Land Rover Lake Bluff Lasco Auto Group

Laurel BMW of Westmont Lexus of Lexington Lexus of Louisville

Lexus of Mishawaka Lexus of Orland

Liberty Auto City

Liberty Auto Plaza

Liberty Superstores Lithia Motors

Lou Fusz Automotive Network Louisville INFINITI Lunde Auto Center

Lupient Automotive Group Luther Automotive Group Maple Hill Auto Center

Markel Automotive Group Markquart Motors

Matteson Auto Mall

McGrath Automotive Group

McGrath Family of Dealerships Mentor Imports Mentor Nissan

Mercedes-Benz of Novi

Mercedes-Benz of St. Charles Mercedes-Benz of St. Louis

Mercedes-Benz of Traverse City Mercedes-Benz of Westmont Merit Chevrolet Metro Lexus

Metro Toyota Midwest Kia

Mike Castrucci Auto Mall Mills Automotive Group

August 2021

Minot Automotive Center

Serra Traverse City Sharp Parts

Moran Chevrolet

Shawnee Mission Ford

Morrie's Auto Group

Shawnee Mission Kia

Motor City MINI

Shottenkirk Automotive Group

Motorcars Auto Group

Smart Automotive of Davenport

Moxie Mitsubishi

Muller Auto Group

Mungenast Automotive Family Muscatell Automotive Group Napleton Automotive Group Newbold Toyota BMW Nissan of Canton

North Olmsted Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram O'Brien Auto Team

O'Brien Automotive Family Orrin B Hayes Auto Group Park Chrysler Jeep

Smart Motors

Spartan Auto Group

Stew Hansen Hyundai Suburban Collection Sunset Hills Subaru Sunshine Toyota

Suntrup Automotive Group

Superior Automotive Group Superior Honda of Omaha The Kia Store

The Sharpe Collection Tom Kadlec

Patrick Dealer Group Paul Miller Ford

Penske Automotive Group Penz Automotive Group Plaza Motors

Tom Wood Automotive Group Toyota of Des Moines Valley Imports Van Autoplex

VanDevere Chevrolet Kia

Porsche Exchange

Varsity Automotive Group

Prestige Auto

Pugi Auto Group

Ralph Thayer Automotive

Resnick Automotive Group Richardson Motors

Victory Automotive Group Village Point Toyota

Volkswagen of Clarksville Volvo Cars Lisle

Volvo Cars of Louisville

Riley Subaru

Waikem Auto Family

Rizza Cars

Weir Automotive Group

Rochester Motor Cars Rosedale Chevrolet

Rosen Automotive Group Roseville Buick GMC

White Allen Auto Group White Bear Mitsubishi Wilde Automotive

Williams Traverse City

Roseville Midway Ford

Willis Auto Campus

Rusty Eck Ford

Witham Auto Centers

Ruxer Ford

Woodfield Nissan

Rydell Automall

Saxon Auto Group

Schlossmann Auto Group Schmelz Countryside

Sears Imported Autos

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Woodhouse Auto Family Zeigler Auto Group

Zimbrick Automotive

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2021 FENDERBENDER’S READER’S CHOICE: OEM PARTS DEALERS

SPECIAL PROMOTION

THE MIDWEST DEALER PERSPECTIVE: FenderBender reached out to a few of the top OEM parts dealers in the Midwest region to take a deeper look at who these suppliers are, what makes them stand apart, and how they see the industry moving forward after the challenging past year.

CHRIS SLACK

Parts Manager Gandrud Chevrolet Green Bay, Wis.

DENNIS CROONQUIST

GREG HALL

Parts IT Director Borton Volvo Cars Golden Valley, Minn.

Parts Manager Luther Family Ford Fargo, N.D.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY, AND WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE DURING THAT TIME? CHRIS SLACK: I began working at a dealership as a technician after graduating high school. After about three years as a technician I switched over to parts, and then started at Gandrud Chevrolet in 1989. I spent six years at one of our sister stores in Nebraska but other than that, I've been here ever since.

The transition from paper catalogs to computerized catalogs was a huge change for the industry. Another big change has been the frequency of parts deliveries.

Shops used to get a delivery once a week, but are now used to getting deliveries twice a day.

August 2021

DENNIS CROONQUIST: I’ve been in the industry for 47 years. I’ve always been interested in Volvos, when I was a kid I actually tried to get my dad to buy one. When I went to the University of Minnesota I visited Sweden to see my relatives and ended up liking Volvos even more. Once I graduated from college, I started to work here at Ford and Volvo in 1974. Seeing front-wheel drive and then all-wheel drive was one of the biggest shifts that I noticed. It's something that is ubiquitous now and everyone has it, but that was big. Technology just keeps advancing every year.

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GREG HALL: I’ve been in the industry for 32 years. The biggest change has been how to look up parts; it used to be a book, and then microfiche, and then an electronic catalog, and now we use a very sophisticated digital VIN catalog.

It was a huge leap; now you get all the vehicle’s relevant info in addition to the parts numbers. I don’t know how it could be any better in the future, but it’s pretty good now.

fenderbender.com

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE COLLISION REPAIRERS CONSIDER YOU A LEADING PARTS DEALER? CHRIS SLACK: We really try hard to take care of our customers, we want to make it easy to do business with us. I tell my counter guys that when a shop calls looking for a part, instead of telling them when they will get it, ask them when they need it. We also work to keep everyone up to date with training clinics. Customers appreciate that if we happen to be out of a part that they need the next day, we'll pay to overnight ship it to them. We also have no hassle returns.

DENNIS CROONQUIST: Ever since the very beginning when I started working here, service has been big. We want to get customers their parts as quickly as possible. We have customers from all over the United States, even Hawaii, that buy from us, and we emphasize that we ship everywhere.

We also get our customers their correct part, the first time. I think that emphasis on helping our customers has really helped us over the years.

GREG HALL: I’ve got a great group; we employ nine knowledgeable parts advisors with a net 178 years of experience. I also have a $1.2 million Ford parts inventory, which makes for same-day or near-same-day parts fulfilling experience for customers. We don’t wait around for much and neither do our customers.

August 2021

HOW HAVE THE EVENTS OF THE PAST YEAR AFFECTED THE INDUSTRY?

WHAT CHANGES DO YOU SEE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR THE INDUSTRY?

CHRIS SLACK: It has been a frustrating, nerve-racking, but highly successful year for us. I think a lot of the success is because of how we take care of our customers. We've spent a lot of the year hunting down parts for our customers so they can have them when needed. But I miss the days where we could order a part from GM and it would just show up—that doesn't happen anymore.

CHRIS SLACK: I see a lot of changes coming up, especially with electric vehicles. There aren't many repair parts for EVs so I think the business is in for a big shift. There's still gonna be a lot of internal combustion engine vehicles on the road but electric cars are going to start creeping in soon.

DENNIS CROONQUIST: The past year definitely affected our business because people weren't getting their cars repaired as much. But we're inching up with more sales and more people calling and emailing us to fill orders. Sales are continuing so that means that part sales will increase as well as service.

GREG HALL: This year has been challenging for backordered parts.

Some parts are impossible to find, such as grilles and other larger structural components. It varies. At Luther Family Ford, when the pandemic first started, we went on split shifts and worked one week on, one week off. We did that for about a month and after that it was business as usual. The first month’s numbers dropped and after that they stayed steady. It’s really stayed steady— we never had to cut anybody.

73

DENNIS CROONQUIST: There will definitely be an emphasis on electric hybrid cars and an increase in the infrastructure for people to be able to charge them. But I’m hedging my bet on whether that will work in Minnesota, as well as the rest of the nation. There's a debate in Sweden about electric vehicles not being able to drive very far and when it's 20 degrees or lower. So I think that Volvo would be able to switch right back to gasoline engines easily.

GREG HALL: We’re going to see a big change in the form of electric vehicles.

There will be less engine sales, less fuel components and even quick-lane sales could drop. I think the other thing is finding enough employees to do our trade; there’s not necessarily a next generation that’s easy to identify. High schools aren’t promoting the trade in lieu of technology or four-year degrees.

The trades are disappearing.

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2021 FENDERBENDER’S READER’S CHOICE: OEM PARTS DEALERS

SPECIAL PROMOTION

The OEM parts dealers recognized by FenderBender readers

{

IN THE NORTHEAST

#1 Cochran Automotive

Bowser Automotive

Empire Automotive Group

Acme Nissan

Brown-Daub Dealerships

Ertle Cars

A & T Chevrolet Subaru Acura of Westchester Albrecht Auto Group

Alexandria Volkswagen

Allen Mello Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Apple Automotive

Artioli Chrysler Dodge Ram Asbury Automotive Group Audi Brooklyn Audi Queens

AutoFair Automotive Group AutoNation

Autoworld Kia

Baglier Buick GMC Mazda Baierl Automotive

Balise Auto Group Baron Honda

Bay Ridge Chevrolet Belknap Subaru

Benzel-Busch Motor Car

Bergey’s Auto Dealerships Berglund Automotive

Berlin City Auto Group Bernardi Auto Group Best Chevrolet

Beyer Auto Group Bical Auto Mall

Biener Audi Ford

Bill Dodge Auto Group

Blaise Alexander Family Dealerships BMW MINI of Manhattan

BMW MINI of Southampton BMW of Bayside

BMW of Bridgewater BMW of Darien

BMW of Ridgefield

BMW of the Main Line Bob Bell Automotive

Bob Wade Autoworld

Bobby Rahal Automotive Group Boch Automotive Group

August 2021

}

Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia Brooklyn Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Brown's Car Stores

Burlington Auto Group

Buzz Chew Chevrolet Cadillac Cape & Islands Autos Cavalier Auto Group

Central Avenue Chrysler Jeep Dodge Cherry Hill Dodge Chrysler Jeep Cherry Hill Imports Auto Group Ciocca Dealerships

Empire Ford

Euro Motorcars Company Euroclassics Porsche Fairfax Hyundai

Faulkner Automotive Group

Fitzgerald Auto Mall Frederick

Flemington Car & Truck Country Flow Automotive

Fred Beans Automotive Group Fuccillo Automotive Group Gates Automotive Group

City Side Subaru Classic Audi

CMA's Colonial Auto Center CMA's Valley Dealerships

Colonial Chrysler Jeep Dodge Colonial Toyota

Colussy Chevrolet

Competition Auto Group Contemporary Motorcar Copeland Toyota

Generation Kia

Gengras Motor Cars Glen Toyota

Goodwin Motor Group

Grappone Automotive Group

Greenbrier Dodge of Chesapeake Group 1 Automotive

Habberstad BMW MINI

Hanania Automotive Group Healey Brothers

Courtesy Auto Group Cowles Auto

Crestmont Family of Dealerships Criswell Auto

Hendrick Automotive Group

Herb Chambers Dealerships Hillview Motors

Hoffman Auto Group

Crossroads Automotive

Hoselton Auto Mall

Curry Automotive

Dan O'Brien Kia Group

Daniels BMW MINI of Allentown Darling's Auto Group

Davies Ford of Charleroi DCH Auto Group

DePaula Auto Group

Diehl Automotive Group Don Rosen Imports

Donaldsons Volkswagen Subaru Douglas Auto Group

Dover Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Downeast Toyota Eagle Auto Mall

Eastchester Chrysler Jeep Dodge Emerling Dealerships

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Huber Motor Cars

Hudson Valley Volkswagen Hyman Bros. Automobiles Ide Family of Dealerships Imperial Cars

INFINITI of Syracuse Inskip Automall

International Cars, Ltd. Ira Motor Group

Jack Daniels Motors

Jaffarian Automotive Group

Jaguar Land Rover Chantilly Jeff D'Ambrosio Auto Group

Jerry's Auto Group Baltimore Jerry's Auto Leesburg

fenderbender.com

NORTHEAST Jim Koons Automotive Group Jim Shorkey Auto Group JLR Long Island

Kaplan Auto Group Karp Automotive Keenan Motors

Kelly Automotive Group Kia of West Chester

Kundert Volvo Cars of Hasbrouck Heights Lehigh Valley Automotive Lexus of Cherry Hill

Lexus of Southampton Lia Automotive Group

Liberty Family of Dealerships Lithia Motors

Long Automotive Group Loyalty Automotive

Lyon-Waugh Auto Group

MacMulkin Chevrolet Cadillac

Maguire Family of Dealerships Malloy Automotive Group Manhattan Motorcars Marty's Buick GMC

Mastria Auto Group Mattie Imports

Maxon Auto Group Mazda of Lodi

McGovern Automotive Group McLaughlin Chevrolet Medford Ford

Mercedes-Benz of Arlington

Mercedes-Benz of Fort Washington Mercedes-Benz of Massapequa Mercedes-Benz of Newton MetroWest Subaru

MileOne Autogroup Miller Auto Group

Miller Ford Lincoln Subaru MINI of Fairfield County MINI of the Main Line

Napleton Automotive Group Napoli Motors

New Country Motor Group New Holland Automotive

Nielsen Automotive Group Northstar Auto Group Nucar Connection

Open Road Auto Group Otis Ford

Ourisman Automotive Group

Outten Family of Dealerships

August 2021

Packer Norris Parts

Somersworth Auto Group

Park Avenue Auto Group

Stephen Auto Mall

Page Auto Group

Passport Auto Group

Paul Miller Auto Group

Penske Automotive Group Pepe Auto Group

Performance Ford Lincoln Piazza Auto Group

Platinum Volkswagen

Pohanka Automotive Group Porsche Annapolis

Porsche Gold Coast

Porsche of The Main Line

Potamkin Automotive Group

Premier Companies Cape Cod Prestige Motors

Price Automotive

Prime Automotive Group Quirk Auto Group

Radley Automotive Group Rafferty Subaru

Rallye Motor Company

Ray Catena Auto Group Reydel Volkswagen

Sonic Automotive Sunnyside Acura Sunrise Toyota Sussex Honda

Sussman Automotive Tantillo Auto Group

Tasca Automotive Group Team Nissan

Ted Britt Automotive Group Teddy Nissan

The Thompson Organization Thompson Automotive Timbrook Automotive Titan Motor Group

Tom Hesser Auto Group Town Motors

Towne Auto Group

Toyota of Hackensack Tracy Volkswagen

Trend Motors Volkswagen Tri-City Cars

Tri-State Luxury Collection Tulley Automotive Group

Turnersville Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram

Richmond Ford

Umansky Automotive Group

Riverhead Auto Mall

Valenti Hartford

Riverhead Bay Motors

Van Bortel Cars

Riverhead Dodge

Riverhead Motors

Rockingham Auto Group Rockville Centre GMC Rohrich Automotive

Rosenthal Automotive Group

Route 1 Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Lawrenceville Safford Automotive Group Sarat Ford Lincoln

Schultz Ford Lincoln

Security Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Sendell Motors

Van Syckle Kia

Victory Automotive Group Village Automotive Group VIP Automotive Group

Vision Automotive Group Viti Mercedes-Benz

Volkswagen of West Islip Volvo Cars Annapolis Volvo Cars of Exeter

Volvo Cars White Plains Wagner Motors

Waldorf Auto Group

Sewickley Car Store

Wellesley Toyota

Sheehy Auto Stores

White Plains Volkswagen

Shults Auto Group

Six Sigma Auto Group

Smail Automotive Group Smithtown Acura

Wide World of Cars

Wilkins Automotive World Auto Group Wynn Auto Group

Smithtown Kia

Yonkers Kia

Smithtown Nissan

Younger Motor Cars

Smithtown Toyota

Smithtown Volkswagen Smithtown Volvo

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2021 FENDERBENDER’S READER’S CHOICE: OEM PARTS DEALERS

SPECIAL PROMOTION

THE NORTHEAST DEALER PERSPECTIVE: FenderBender reached out to a few of the top OEM parts dealers in the Northeast region to take a deeper look at who these suppliers are, what makes them stand apart, and how they see the industry moving forward after the challenging past year.

CHRIS SALGADO

Parts Department Manager Open Road Chevrolet Union, N.J.

JEFF SCHWEITZER

Parts Director Pohanka Automotive Group Forestville, Md.

ED KENNEDY

Parts Manager Rockland Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Nanuet, N.Y.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY, AND WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE DURING THAT TIME? CHRIS SALGADO: I’ve been in the industry since 2010. I used to be a mechanic, but then became interested in working in the parts department.

Working in parts is new and different every day—you never know what you are walking into. The biggest change I’ve seen in the industry has been the growing incorporation of technology. Stock orders can now be generated for you, there are digital catalogs, and online ordering has grown a lot recently. It all makes my job a lot easier.

August 2021

JEFF SCHWEITZER: I’ve been in the industry for the same amount of time that I’ve been here at Pohanka, so over 39 years. I started out as a parts driver in 1982 and then worked my way up. There’s been a lot of changes in the industry. A big change is that we now have to really dot our i’s and cross our t’s. Our customers, big and small, need parts as fast as possible, which is different from the past. There is so much more pressure on our customers because of the insurance companies, so we have to be extremely efficient.

76

ED KENNEDY: I started working in the industry in 1970. My father had a car dealership and had me working in the parts department. I came to Rockland Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram around 9 years ago. The biggest change in the industry has been the advanced technology in vehicles today. The electronics in vehicles are totally different than they were even 10 years ago which has made things a lot more complicated as far as figuring out which parts the customers need.

fenderbender.com

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE COLLISION REPAIRERS CONSIDER YOU A LEADING PARTS DEALER? CHRIS SALGADO: We’re shocked and excited about being a Reader’s Choice winner, it’s our second year winning but we still didn’t expect it. We’re a very small dealership, there are only four of us here. But we treat every single customer well and equally, it doesn’t matter to us if the customer is a small shop or a giant facility.

JEFF SCHWEITZER: We’re really focused here; we come in at 3:30 a.m every day to start with orders. We get everything scanned in and sorted out and done by 6:30 a.m., and drivers out by 7 a.m. That gives us the opportunity to get to places twice a day—whether they are 5 minutes or 4 hours away.

And our inventories are so large that it allows us to get the parts to our customers quickly.

ED KENNEDY: We are a growing dealership and we try to deliver superior service. We’ll do anything to get a customer their parts—if it’s out there, we’ll find it. We also have a lot of countermen here that have just as much experience as me. Most of the guys here have been in the business for over 30 years. They have a lot of knowledge from older days, all the way up to now because they keep up to date with training.

August 2021

HOW HAVE THE EVENTS OF THE PAST YEAR AFFECTED THE INDUSTRY?

WHAT CHANGES DO YOU SEE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR THE INDUSTRY?

CHRIS SALGADO: The past year has definitely changed how we sell parts.

E-commerce has blown up in the past few years, and ordering parts online has become more of a norm. Before the pandemic, not many customers were ordering online, but that has really grown and makes selling parts easier and faster for everyone.

CHRIS SALGADO: OEMs are starting to produce full lines of electric vehicles, so we’ll be seeing more EVs on the road in the next five years. The push to electric will change the training we’ll have to go through—you can’t sell parts without training. We are still in the early stages of EVs, but they have a lot less moving components so that will impact the industry.

JEFF SCHWEITZER: Right now, Hyundai has over 300 lines—or part numbers—that are on backorder. There are several reasons for that shortage, but it started with a packaging strike over in Korea in late 2020.

Vendors have just been having issues recently too. What we try to do is give customers the option for us to go and pick up parts from other stores. We go above and beyond to try and locate parts as quickly as possible.

ED KENNEDY: The biggest thing that's affected our industry recently has been the availability of parts. There’s a shortage in the actual body parts of the car, the electronics, and the modules— they’re just not available. A lot of the plants shut down for a month or two last year which created a big lag in the availability of parts. But business has definitely improved in the last few months after the difficult year.

77

JEFF SCHWEITZER: I think the biggest challenge in the next few years will be getting people into positions in the industry, and encouraging them to stay. Finding people to be body technicians or to work in parts is going to be more of a challenge.

ED KENNEDY: The industry is changing a lot, and the materials that they're using to build vehicles are changing. More electric vehicles are coming up, although they say it’s only a small percentage that will be on the road. From what I’ve been seeing there will be a lot less parts involved and more safety features in the elevestric vehicles—which means less accidents.

The future is just that, the future, but it's coming, and it's coming fast.

fenderbender.com

2021 FENDERBENDER’S READER’S CHOICE: OEM PARTS DEALERS

SPECIAL PROMOTION

The OEM parts dealers recognized by FenderBender readers

{

IN THE SOUTH Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas

Acura INFINITI of Baton Rouge

Coral Springs Auto Mall

Gossett Motor Cars

Allen Samuels Auto Group

Crain Automotive Team

Gray-Daniels Automotive Group

Audi Lafayette

Crest Volvo Cars

Baldwin Motors

Crown Automotive Group

Barnett Auto Group

Day's Chevrolet

Benchmark Automotive Group

DeMontrond Automotive Group

Bob Howard Auto Group

Don Herring Mitsubishi

Bob Moore Auto Group

Don Williamson Nissan

Braman Motorcars

Ed Voyles Auto Group

Brian Harris Auto Group

Fairway Automotive Group

Carlton Motorcars

Finnegan Auto Group

Central Kia of Plano

Fowler Automotive Group

Century Automotive Group

Fredy Kia

Chevyland

Gallatin Honda

Classic Chevrolet

Gary Force Acura

Coggin Automotive Group

Germain Cars

All Star Automotive Group

Covert Auto Group

Ancira Auto Group

Crescent Ford Trucks

AutoNation

Crossroads Automotive Group

Banner Chevrolet

Dallas Dodge Chrysler Jeep

Bartow Ford

DeLand Kia

Bill Gatton Automotive Group

Don Carlton Auto Group

Bob Mills Mitsubishi

Don Thornton Automotive

Bradshaw Automotive Group

Ed Morse Automotive Group

Brandon Ford

Eddie Tourelle's Northpark Hyundai Nissan

Capital Automotive Group

Ferguson Superstore

Cavender Auto

Flow Automotive

Century Auto Mall

Fox Auto Team

Chatham Motor Sales

Fuccillo Automotive Group

Classic BMW

Garcia Auto Group

Clay Cooley Auto Group

Gerald Jones Auto Group

Continental Automotive Group

Gillman Automotive Group

August 2021

}

Grainger Automotive Group

Greenville Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Greenville Luxury

Greenway Auto Group

Grieco Automotive Group Group 1 Automotive

Gullo Automotive Group

Hanania Automotive Group Harper Volkswagen

Helfman Auto Group

Hendrick Automotive Group Hicks Auto Group Hixson Autoplex

Hodges Motor Company

Holler-Classic Automotive Group Hollywood Chrysler Jeep

Holman Automotive Group Hoy-Fox Automotive Hub Auto Group Hub City Ford

Hudson Automotive Group Huffines Auto Dealerships Hunter Automotive Group Hyundai of Anderson

Jackie Cooper Imports

Jacksonville Chrysler Jeep Dodge Fiat

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Jaguar Land Rover Bluff City Jeff Smith Auto

Jim Burke Automotive

Jim Cogdill Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram

fenderbender.com

SOUTH

Jim Hudson Automotive Group

Momentum Auto Group

Scott Clark Auto Group

Jim Norton Auto Group

Moritz Kia

Service Chevrolet

Jim Keras Auto Group

Joe Maus Automotive Group Jordan Ford

Kahlig Auto Group Keffer Auto Group

Kelly Grimsley Auto Group

Ken Garff Automotive Group Ken Wilson Ford

Kendall Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Kia of Greenville

Kia of Orange Park

Krause Auto Group

Lance Cunningham Ford Landers Auto Group

Landmark Automotive Group Lee Motor Company

Leith Automotive Group

Lejeune Motor Company Lexus of Huntsville Lexus of Memphis Limbaugh Toyota Lithia Motors

Long-Lewis Automotive Group Mac Haik Auto Group

Marc Miller Buick GMC Mark Jacobson Toyota

Matt Bowers Auto Group

Mazda of South Charlotte McRee Ford

Melbourne Motor Cars

Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge Mercedes-Benz of Collierville

Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables

Mercedes-Benz of Winston-Salem Miami Lakes Automall

Mike Maroone Chevrolet Mills Automotive Group Mission Chevrolet Modern Auto

August 2021

Morgan Automotive Group Napleton Automotive Group North Freeway Hyundai Northside Auto Group

Serra Auto Group

Seth Wadley Auto Group

Sewell Automotive Companies

Shottenkirk Automotive Group Sonic Automotive

Orlando Volkswagen

Palmer's Auto Group

Paretti Family of Dealerships Parks Automotive Group Parkway of Wilmington

Sons Auto Group

Southern Motors Savannah

Southern States Automotive Southpoint Volkswagen Southwest Kia

Payne Auto Group

Spikes Ford

Payne Chevrolet

Stivers Decatur Subaru

Peacock Automotive Pegues Hurst Motor

Penske Automotive Group Piedmont Auto Group

Potamkin Automotive Group Powell Watson Motors

Price LeBlanc Automotive Principle Auto Group Ralph Hayes Toyota

Ralph Sellers Auto Group

Randy Marion Automotive Group Ray Brandt Auto Group Ray Varner Ford

Reeder Chevrolet

Reeves Import Motorcars Regional Hyundai

Rick Case Automotive Group

Riverside Ford Lincoln of Macon RML Automotive

Roger Williams Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Royal Auto Group

Russell & Smith Auto Group Rusty Wallis Volkswagen Sam Pack Auto Group

Subaru South Blvd

Superior Subaru of Houston Tameron Automotive Group Team Automotive Group Team Chevrolet

Team Gillman Auto Group Ted Russell Ford Lincoln Tomball Auto Group

Tommie Vaughn Ford Town East Ford

Toyota of North Charlotte

Troncalli Automotive Group Tropical Ford

Turan-Foley Chevrolet

Vanguard Automotive Group Viva Auto Group

Volkswagen of Corpus Christi

Volkswagen of South Charlotte Walker Automotive

Warren Henry Auto Group Werner Automotive Group Williams Chevrolet Wilson Motors

Wolfchase Chrysler Dodge

Sames Auto Group Scenic Chevrolet

Schumacher Auto Group

Wolfchase Honda Nissan

Scoggin-Dickey Auto Group

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2021 FENDERBENDER’S READER’S CHOICE: OEM PARTS DEALERS

SPECIAL PROMOTION

THE SOUTHERN DEALER PERSPECTIVE: FenderBender reached out to a few of the top OEM parts dealers in the South region to take a deeper look at who these suppliers are, what makes them stand apart, and how they see the industry moving forward after the challenging past year.

AMABLE VALLE

Parts Manager Gus Machado Ford of Hialeah Hialeah, Fla.

JERAD BALLARD

Parts Manager Marc Miller Buick GMC Tulsa, Okla.

TODD OLIVEIRA Parts Manager Hodges Mazda Ford Jacksonville, Fla.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY, AND WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE DURING THAT TIME? AMABLE VALLE: I’ve been working in the industry since 1984. When we went to digital, it changed everything. Digital has made it a lot easier for us and the counter guys, though the competition has changed too; now it’s a race to the bottom.

The internet made sales harder because customers became smarter and more informed. Now the counter guys know that the person on the other end of the phone has checked around and you have to be more transparent, which actually makes it easier in the long run. This business is all about relationships; once you build up the relationship and you’re honest with your clients—and they know you’re selling them the right parts at an agreed competitive price—whatever you say after that will probably go. They’ll be on your side and they’ll believe you.

August 2021

JERAD BALLARD: Twenty-five years.

The biggest challenges have been the GM strike and then COVID; the shortage of parts has been significant as well. The strike was just a few years ago and it just killed production and inventory of parts.

We have $4 million of inventory and it dropped to $1 million. GM just couldn’t get us parts and our customers rely on that network. Two or three weeks would go by without parts shipments. That was a big issue for us and for all of the wholesale dealers. Then the pandemic hit! I hope we’re headed back to normal.

Thankfully our inventory is back to where it’s supposed to be.

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TODD OLIVEIRA: I’ve been working here since 1983. We’ve undergone a lot of changes, from mechanical engines, electronics, fuel electronics, straight chassis to A-frames, aluminum bodies, even seat belts. The technology has evolved so much as well as the aerodynamics about how they were built. The frames and bodies are easier to assemble now than they were then, but the electronics are a whole different matter.

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WHY DO YOU BELIEVE COLLISION REPAIRERS CONSIDER YOU A LEADING PARTS DEALER? AMABLE VALLE: We don’t service the whole state. We’ve concentrated on Miami Dade county and we offer good service and we’re competitive; we’re not the lowest but we are competitive. We have a decent inventory. Gus Machado has been here since the early ’80s.

He’s got a good reputation and is well known. Everyone knows who we are and it’s good for us. We’re well known in Latin America, too.

JERAD BALLARD: We have fourteen of the most knowledgeable sales staff in the industry—twelve inside and two outside salespeople. They have decades of GM parts experience, and our #1 goal is to make sure customers receive the right part the first time.

TODD OLIVEIRA: I would say our customer service. We make sure quality parts are delivered to every customer. We update our customers every 24 hours about the status of their orders. We consider other dealerships customers too; we don’t pass on costs from what we buy from dealer to dealer. We have a broad customer base, and we work well with insurance companies, especially on the body side.

We always look for programs where we can get the OEM product at the price without passing it on; we don’t want to create problems for their customers with non-OEM products as well.

August 2021

HOW HAVE THE EVENTS OF THE PAST YEAR AFFECTED THE INDUSTRY?

WHAT CHANGES DO YOU SEE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR THE INDUSTRY?

AMABLE VALLE: The first month was difficult; sales performance took a big hit. Many dealerships slowed down. But we cleaned constantly, required masks, bought a compressor and anti-microbial materials, and slowly we started coming around. At the beginning of this year we had the best month we’ve ever had. It’s going to get really expensive; people are going to have to repair their cars and use them longer.

AMABLE VALLE: Hopefully I’ll retire! Older dealership professionals will move on and the next tech-savvy generation will arrive and work through the internet. Our business and industry is going to be a lot more regulated through online orders. You’re going to have to ensure good tracking and fulfillment, and we’re already doing a lot of that. Everything will be online and customers will demand more. The next generation has grown up with smartphones and tablets. They can handle it. It wasn’t any different for me; from catalogs to microfilm to digital.

It’s always a learning process.

JERAD BALLARD: It’s negatively affected the new car market. It hasn’t really affected our wholesale parts business, but the new car lots are empty. Every dealer in town lacks new inventory due to the microchip shortage. It hasn’t affected our business much, however, and it may have even helped our wholesale business because everyone has been fixing their cars.

The 11-year average of cars on the road will probably increase as new sales have dropped.

TODD OLIVEIRA: Actually it’s helped us; we actually picked up business during COVID. Social media and Microsoft Teams helped us connect to our customers and helped us identify the right parts in a time when we couldn’t get together. I think the hardest challenge now is parts availability, though I think many dealerships will experience a swift return to pre-COVID operations. I think we’ll see more automated systems, especially with body shop vendors or partners dealing with customers.

81

JERAD BALLARD: We’ve been increasing sales the past three years, and I think we’ll increase year over year for the next several years; people are hanging onto their vehicles and repairing them, and there are a lot of great dealerships and shops out there providing service to those people and their vehicles. I think the next five years will be great for body, mechanical and dealer parts sales.

TODD OLIVEIRA: Everybody is switching over to EV. Battery-operated vehicles are going to be huge. We’re already getting estimates to put in charging stations, and by 2030 Ford and Mazda are adding over a dozen EV-only models. Autonomous vehicles will change how insurance is structured, and the same vehicles and advanced EVs will require dealerships to overhaul their parts inventory and infrastructure in order to service them. States will continue to update their legislation regarding EVs--many have already done so. And by 2030, autonomous vehicles will represent roughly 25 percent of the total passenger vehicle population.

Another large percentage of cars on the road will be "connected," with data reinforcing critical system components.

Collectively, it’ll be a 360 for the industry. All we can do is prepare for it.

fenderbender.com

2021 FENDERBENDER’S READER’S CHOICE: OEM PARTS DEALERS

SPECIAL PROMOTION

The OEM parts dealers recognized by FenderBender readers

{

IN THE WEST

ABC Nissan Acura of Tempe Advantage Dodge Ram Chrysler Fiat Alexander Auto Group Anchorage Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Center Arapahoe Hyundai Audi Mercedes-Benz Porsche of Albuquerque AutoNation Beaverton Toyota Bell Honda Berge Auto Group Bill Luke Automotive Dealerships Bill Pierre Ford Seattle BMW MINI of Escondido Bob Smith Auto Group Bob Smith Motors Borman Autoplex Bountiful Mazda Boyland Auto Group Bravo Chevrolet Cadillac Browning Automotive Group Bruce Titus Automotive Group Bunnin Chevrolet Cadillac Camelback Cars Capitol Expressway Auto Mall Car Pros Automotive Group Cardinale Automotive Group Carr Auto Group Carson Nissan Carson Toyota Caruso Ford Cerritos Mitsubishi

August 2021

}

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Cerritos Nissan Chapman Automotive Group Chase Chevrolet Christopher's Dodge World Circle Automotive Group Citrus Motors Corley Automotive Group Coulter Automotive Group Courtesy Automotive Group Crown Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Cutter Auto DCH Auto Group Doin' It Right Dealers Don Rasmussen Company Doug's Automotive Group Dublin Auto Group Earnhardt Auto Centers Euromotors Auto Group Evergreen Chevrolet Ford Lincoln Fairview Ford FH Dailey Chevrolet Fiesta Auto Group Findlay Auto Group Firmage Group Automotive Fisher Auto Fowler Automotive Frank Motors Group Freeman Auto Group Fremont Auto Mall Friendly Ford Galpin Motors Garcia Auto Group Garden Grove Kia Gee Automotive Companies

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Gladstone Mitsubishi Glenn E Thomas Company Gold Coast Acura Group 1 Automotive Guaranty Chevrolet Haddad Automotive Group Harbor Auto Group Hayward Mitsubishi Hendrick Automotive Group Heuberger Subaru Hoehn Motors Holman Automotive Horace Nissan Hyundai House of Imports INFINITI of Denver INFINITI of Oxnard INFINITI of Scottsdale Jerry Seiner Dealerships Jim Marsh Automotive Jim Vreeland Ford Jody Wilkinson Acura John Elway Dealership Group John Hine Temecula Subaru Ken Garff Automotive Group Ken Harvey Auto Group Kendall Automotive Group Keyes Cars Kia of Alhambra Kia of Cerritos Kia of Irvine Kiefer Auto Group Kirby Auto Group LAcarGUY Lamb Auto

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WEST

Landmark Ford Lanphere Auto Group Larry H. Miller Dealerships Lee Johnson Auto Family Lithia Motors Maita Chevrolet Mark Christopher Auto Center Martin Automotive Group McKenna Auto Group Melloy Auto Group Menholt Auto Group Mercedes-Benz of Littleton Mercedes-Benz of Scottsdale Mercedes-Benz of Temecula Metro Autogroup Michael Hohl Motor Company Mike Hale Family Dealerships Mike Maroone Automotive Group Montano Acura Moore Auto Group Morehart Murphy Auto Center Moreland Auto Group Moss Bros. Auto Group Nate Wade Subaru New Century Automotive Group Nissan of Las Cruces Norm Reeves Superstore Normandin Chrysler Jeep Dodge North County Kia Oakland Acura Oakland Kia Ocean Subaru of Fullerton O'Meara Motors Ontario Volkswagen Ontario Volvo Orange Coast Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Orange Coast INFINITI

August 2021

Oremor Automotive Group Oxnard Mazda Pacific BMW Paradise Chevrolet Peak Kia Pedder Auto Group Penske Automotive Group Peoria Ford Peoria Nissan Performance Automotive Perkins Motor Company Perry Automotive Group Pinnacle Nissan Pitre Auto Group Power Ford Prescott Honda Pueblo Dodge Chrysler Jeep Toyota Quality GMC Buick Rector Motor Car Company Reno Buick GMC Cadillac Rickenbaugh Automotive Group Ron Dupratt Ford Roy Robinson Chevrolet Subaru Rusnak Auto Group Rydell Automotive Group Sands Chevrolet Santa Barbara Auto Group Santa Barbara Honda Nissan Santa Fe Kia Santa Monica Audi Santa Monica BMW Santa Monica Buick GMC Schomp Automotive Group Serramonte Ford Serramonte Volkswagen Subaru Shelly Automotive Sierra Auto Cars

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Sisbarro Dealerships Smith Volvo Cars Sonic Automotive Sterling BMW Stevinson Automotive Group Sunnyvale Ford Lincoln Sunroad Auto Swickard Auto Group Temecula Hyundai Tempe Kia The Brown Auto Group The Faricy Boys Ford The Niello Company Thorson Motor Center Tonkin Auto Group Toyota of Santa Barbara Trophy Automotive Dealer Group Tuttle-Click Automotive Group Underriner Motors Universal Auto Group University Volkswagen Mazda University VW Audi of Seattle Ventura Toyota Ventura Volkswagen Vescovo Toyota of Las Cruces Victory Toyota Volkswagen of Oakland Volkswagen SouthTowne Volvo Cars Bend Webb Automotive Group Wilson Automotive Wise Auto Group Ziems Ford Corners

fenderbender.com

2021 FENDERBENDER’S READER’S CHOICE: OEM PARTS DEALERS

SPECIAL PROMOTION

THE WEST DEALER PERSPECTIVE: FenderBender reached out to a few of the top OEM parts dealers in the West region to take a deeper look at who these suppliers are, what makes them stand apart, and how they see the industry moving forward after the challenging past year.

ANDREW HIRSCHMANN Parts Manager Ken Garff West Valley Chrysler Jeep Dodge West Valley City, Utah

DENISE HAWKE Parts Manager Santa Monica Audi Santa Monica, Calif.

ED LUERAS

Parts Manager Heuberger Subaru Colorado Springs, Colo.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE INDUSTRY, AND WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE DURING THAT TIME? ANDREW HIRSCHMANN: I’ve been in the industry for 25 years. The biggest change is the digital and information world. I started in wholesale, and you’d pick up the phone and it was hard to get people to even fax stuff to you. Now, there are several different programs available and all sorts of things each manufacturer is doing specific to each of them. Now, there’s a much more involved process.

The older you get, you tend to believe things were better back in the day, but in the new information age all the processes and information available from the manufacturer is an amazing tool. Tasks such as inventory control, off-the-shelf fill rates and cataloging have gone through amazing upgrades.

August 2021

DENISE HAWKE: I’ve been in the industry for 35 years and the biggest change is what we’re going through right now. We’ve never had to do business with the doors closed or moving so much business online. Body shops have slowed down a lot but I think that has more to do with technology; cars are loaded with more modules and sensors so we’re not seeing the work we used to come through.

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ED LUERAS: I’ve been doing this for 36 years. Computer systems and the rise of digital ordering is the biggest change and inventory control has changed along with it. We can’t do anything without computers, and if we lose our power, we lose our internet and we lose the ability to fulfill orders and speak to our vendors and customers. You can’t do business without internet access.

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WHY DO YOU BELIEVE COLLISION REPAIRERS CONSIDER YOU A LEADING PARTS DEALER? ANDREW HIRSCHMANN: I would hope that it’s our overall customer service. I’m a sports person, and I want to have the right team. Treat people right and you’ll get lifetime customers.

From our notepads to our interpersonal interactions, that’s the goal. Own your mistakes and recruit the right members to the team. I’d put my team up against any team in the world. It’s about education and doing everything in our power to own and fix our mistakes. Our little motto here is saving the world one part at a time.

DENISE HAWKE: Our staff makes Santa Monica Audi wonderful. I tried to find a staff of happy people; we want to break the “grouchy old parts guy” stereotype. I want people to hear the smile in our voices when we answer the phones. We go over and above for our customers—I’ve had people several times on their way home say, ‘You know what? I’m close and I’ll drop that part off for them,’ or even suppliers who choose to take their lunch hours nearby specifically to conduct business. It also helps that we have a large inventory.

ED LUERAS: I think our inventory and our people—we attribute our success to our people answering the phones, our sales people and support staff.

It’s a good crew that cares about what they do and how they do it, day to day.

Happy employees help and it’s the people who make who you are.

August 2021

HOW HAVE THE EVENTS OF THE PAST YEAR AFFECTED THE INDUSTRY?

WHAT CHANGES DO YOU SEE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR THE INDUSTRY?

ANDREW HIRSCHMANN: Nothing stopped, really. I was still even or equal on the year. The only thing holding us back is supply; the demand is there. You can’t get new cars and many of the lots are empty or emptying. It’s hard to know what’s next, but people still need their cars fixed. We ran a skeleton crew and understood that nurses had to get to work, and that kept us motivated as business ramped up back to usual. That’s the fixed ops side of it. We stay steady.

ANDREW HIRSCHMANN: I’m scared for the industry as a whole. I think we’re headed toward an ‘08/’09 scenario as we plateau out a bit. How many manufacturers and repairers will get EV vehicles right? The technology is exciting; driverless cars are coming but they’ve not proven safe at all. One in six jobs in this country revolve around the automotive industry and that can’t change. Not everyone will be able to afford EVs and driverless cars, and until the accidents come down, most people won’t want them.

We’re headed to a smarter and more climate-friendly car, but can we supply the batteries? Can we supply the replacement parts? Will we be able to support the manufacture of tomorrow’s vehicle? How do we evolve with the next 18 million cars? I hope we don’t stumble too much. I’m excited for it all.

DENISE HAWKE: It depends on what the new normal is going to be.

What are the laws going to be? I’m working on promoting internet sales and I think that’s part of the future for parts people everywhere. People may have discovered they actually liked not leaving the house. We have concerns about technology causing problems in their vehicles, but there aren’t as many vehicles on the road. We’ll see less wholesale business in the future because there’s less people driving the miles that they used to. We saw our wholesale drop and we expected it to; meanwhile the technology is so advanced that you need specialized equipment and specialized people.

ED LUERAS: It’s starting to affect us now, actually; the pandemic has influenced much of what we’re experiencing, especially with regard to the microchip shortage. The biggest factor going forward that will affect parts departments and fixed ops, period, will be profitability; dealership sustainability is on the table a bit, as we focus to retain as much business and to be as profitable as possible. I think there will be a big focus on customer satisfaction and timely delivery of parts and orders. We’ll also run as lean as possible—if you don’t have any cars to sell, someone has to carry the dealership, but it’s not the first time this has happened. When things crashed in 2008, that same focus remained. We’re prepared for the future.

85

DENISE HAWKE: Electric vehicles are coming. Here in California they won’t be selling non-electric vehicles past 2030, and as everything moves that way nationwide, I don’t know how that’s going to affect our business. Not much occurs with EVs maintenance-wise, so we’re concerned about the viability of some of our partners, our inventories, our customers and ourselves. Along with the e-technology, we’ll continue having more ADAS components, crash sensors and fail-safes. Everything will change but it’s still a few years away.

ED LUERAS: I see a lot of uncertainty, especially regarding technology. With everything becoming more mobile, the industry will change a lot for what breaks and what doesn’t break with these vehicles. Technician uncertainty is a factor; if and when they go electric, many common mechanical issues will simply disappear. There will be more parts replacements and less wearable parts on these cars. You’ll have less crashes due to increased safety.

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