The heavy-duty aftermarket of old is expanding.
From the proliferation of North American suppliers across oceans an into burgeoning and emerging markets to the e-sales opportunities available to distributors at home, the impact of globalization is visible across the entirety of the heavy-duty aftermarket.
It’s with that in mind that the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA) and MacKay & Company have added a panel titled “Global Views of the Heavy Duty Aftermarket; We’re Not Alone Out There!” to next month’s Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue (HDAD) on Jan. 25, 2016, in Las Vegas preceding Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) 2016.
Set to be moderated by Truck-Lite Executive Vice President of Sales Tim Walker, the panel will feature five noted industry professionals who have significant experience expanding their business in overseas markets. Each will address the trials, tribulations and terrific business opportunities they have encountered as they’ve expanded their operations outside North America, with the hope of providing guidance and direction for attendees who are considering or attempting to do the same.
“The reason we have the people on the panel that we do is because each of them has a personal experience developing an aftermarket presence for their business in developed countries and emerging markets, and they can give the audience a peek at their personal experience,” says Walker. “They have experienced the ins and outs of entering a new market, and have experienced just about anything you can imagine.”
In addition to Walker, other panelists will include Tom Clevinger, senior vice president and general manager – Global Truck & Bus at Navistar, Bill Gordon, president – aftermarket division at Bergstrom, Jeev Khanduja, vice president at Automann, and Emily Poladian, managing director – Asia at Firestone Industrial Products.
Walker plans to allow each panelist time to highlight their individual overseas experiences before opening the discussion up to the audience and group participation. It is his hope that the panelists will provide engaging commentary that will stimulate audience not just during the session, but also through the remainder of the week.
And while the panel is filled with supplier representatives, Walker says the group’s discussion also will provide plenty of valuable information for independent distributors intrigued by the potential of globalization. New market identification, partnership building and exporting procedures are all areas distributors must master to grow overseas, and Walker says his panel has experience in each area in nearly every market imaginable.
“Almost no two markets are the same,” he says. “The differences and expectations can be entirely different [from one market to another]. We hope to provide a little bit of perspective on how to prepare for that.”
For more information on HDAD and to register, please visit www.hdma.org.
