A conversation with GenNext’s 4 Under 40 Award winners

The following comes from the October 2018 issue of Truck Parts & Service. To read a digital version of the magazine, please click the image below. 

From left: Truck Parts & Service Editor Lucas Deal and GenNext President Nick Seidel present the first 4 Under 40 Awards to Don Reimondo (accepting for Nikki Paschall), Ian Johnston, Steve Hansen and Nick Tosie. Photo courtesy Gene Ho.

Last month at the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN) Aftermarket Distribution Summit GenNext presented its first ever 4 Under 40 Awards, sponsored by Truck Parts & Service. The awards were created to honor young aftermarket individuals for their personal growth, corporate achievements and industry contributions prior to age 40.

Inaugural award winners were Steve Hansen, director of marketing at Minimizer; Ian Johnston, vice president and co-owner at Harman Heavy Vehicle Specialists; Nikki Paschall, marketing pro-grams manager at HDA Truck Pride; and Nick Tosie, national accounts manager, aftermarket at BorgWarner.

After the award presentation, Truck Parts & Service had the opportunity to speak with the four winners about their time in the aftermarket, and the future of the industry.

How long have you worked in the heavy-duty aftermarket?

Steve Hansen: 15 years, all with Minimizer.

Ian Johnston: 24 years (when including part-time work), all with Harman HVS. Full time since 2006.

Nikki Paschall: Six years, all with HDA Truck Pride.

Nick Tosie: 14 years.

What prior positions/roles have you held in the aftermarket?

SH: Prior roles include sales, sales manager and national accounts manager before becoming director of marketing three years ago.

IJ: Harman HVS is the only place where I’ve been employed and earned a paycheck. Having said that, I have done most of the jobs at our company, from shipping/receiving to delivery driving, health and safety, counter sales, market-ing and now my full role as co-owner and vice president in charge of sales, operations and marketing.

NP: Two years in the hospitality industry after graduating from Northwood University’s Automotive Marketing program.

NT: Outside sales at MHC Kenworth, parts and service manager at Lonestar Truck Group, territory sales manager at Phillips Industries and regional sales manager at BorgWarner/Delco Remy.

Why did you choose a career in the heavy-duty aftermarket?

SH: At first glance it’s not the sexiest industry but there truly are a lot of great opportunities and great people. The tenure of the people in this industry proves that I’m not the only person that thinks this way. People tend to stay once they join.

IJ: I think it chose me, to be honest. Being a third-generation family owner and the fourth generation of Harman ownership, I have spent the majority of my life living and working at Harman HVS. But the industry is a great industry, filled with amazing people and it gave me such an amazing opportunity in life I would have been foolish to not pursue it.

NP: It chose me. I had made strong connections during my time at Northwood that ended up in a job opportunity with HDA Truck Pride. I thought it would be a great “summer job” while my husband and I relocated for his career. Little did I know I’d fall in love with the commercial vehicle industry and stay.

NT: Being a car and truck enthusiast, anything with wheels and an engine excites me. I originally entered the industry on the automotive side out of high school as a technician and became ASE Master Certified (which I still hold today) and worked my way into service advising. I connected with MHC Kenworth later and liked the idea of working with bigger vehicles in a more business-to-business-based atmosphere. The manager I had at MHC noticed my knack for relationship selling and moved me into parts sales, much to my protest, since I had always been on the service side. It ended up being a natural fit. When I got a chance to work on the supplier side of the industry within the aftermarket I really found my home. I enjoy the relationships formed in the aftermarket and the ability to impact not only our own business but our distributors’ businesses as well. I love what I do every day and cannot think of an industry I’d rather be in.

What did you know of the heavy-duty aftermarket before entering the industry?

SH: Not much. I drove a truck a bit in high school over the summer for a local co-op.

IJ: I’m sort of a “lifer” in the heavy-duty industry. By no means was I an expert or a truck aficionado at the start, but I had been surrounded by the market my whole life having a father who owned a heavy-duty distribution business. The best knowledge I’ve learned came while working my way up through the various ranks of Harman HVS.

NP: I’d worked briefly with each OEM during my educational career at Northwood, but that’s the extent. I didn’t understand the stark differences between retail automotive and retail aftermarket, let alone the complexities that the heavy-duty aftermarket offered.

NT: Growing up, my dad held various positions within truck dealerships and has worked for Meritor since the early 1990s, so I grew up around trucking. Additionally, my grandfather was a truck driver. I honestly cannot remember a time when I wasn’t around the industry.

What is your favorite part about working in the heavy-duty aftermarket?

SH: The people are great.

IJ: The people, hands-down, are my favorite part. I have been so privileged to get to know, be mentored by and become friends with so many amazing people from all across the world that I would not have otherwise met if I had not joined this industry. I have always found the people of the aftermarket are so will-ing to help, offer advice and be there for you when you need them. It’s something I truly cherish about our industry and something that really separates us from a lot of other industries. We are still a throw-back industry where people buy and sell with people that they know and trust.

NP: The people. You hear everyone talk about how much this industry is still driven by people but it’s 100 percent true. The strong relationships I’ve built in my six short years pale in comparison to the 40-plus-year relationships that my mentors have developed. In my role and responsibility, I get to sit in the middle of the supplier, distributor and end user. We are able to impact each segment of the market from production to consumption and build relationships through the process.

Nick Tosie

NT: The relationships. Our industry is still relationship- and service-based. It’s not all about price. It’s a tight network of friends that are always willing to help if I need guidance.

What do you believe is the biggest challenge facing the heavy-duty aftermarket?

SH: Competing with dealer groups. The all-makes programs are gaining real traction.

IJ: There are a number of very large challenges facing the aftermarket. From consolidation to non-traditional entrants into the marketplace, new technologies and ultimately an ever-increasing downward pressure on margin, all of these are making for a very competitive, dynamic and quickly changing marketplace in the heavy-duty aftermarket.

Nikki Paschall

NP: Finding the right people to drive the industry forward and the overall acceptance of technology in our marketplace. I use the word “acceptance” purposefully — I believe there’s an inherent aversion to change, good or bad, even when it’s going to continue to grow our industry. Finding the right people to propel our industry forward will be critical in the next decade.

NT: Our biggest challenge today is bringing new and young people into the industry. We have a large number of our industry leaders and top performers starting to hit retirement age. Our industry, on the surface, isn’t sexy and isn’t something most of today’s young people are exposed to. Getting the word out there that this is an excellent industry and a lot of fun with some great rewards is going to be important as we move into the future.

How are you working to address that challenge?

SH: We are heavily focused on training to sell the value of Minimizer versus a non-brand product. We support this with 12 local territory managers and Distributor Training Expo (a joint event with GenNext and the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network).

IJ: Harman HVS is working to add new technologies, product lines and segments to meet our customers’ constantly changing needs. We also are working to constantly bolster our value proposition to our customers. We all move boxes in distribution but listening to your customers’ needs and trying to solve issues and pain points for them allows you to be a more trusted advisor with your customers, rather than just being another person selling to them. This adds value, which enables you to differentiate your boxes from everyone else’s.

NP: Since the inception of GenNext, we’ve worked hard to create opportunities for students to witness the heavy-duty aftermarket. I never knew this side of the world existed as a student, so we’ve made it a mission to bring as many students as possible to HDAW, to pair them with supplier and distributor partners, to open their eyes to a career opportunity they’ve never considered. It’s also important to recognize the young talent that’s currently in the heavy-duty aftermarket. The 4 Under 40 award is a great honor and brings strong appreciation to the efforts our generation is making.

NT: I spend a lot of time letting contacts in other industries know about job openings and talking to friends about how much I love our industry, along with the benefits of working in the trucking industry. Getting the word out about GenNext is an important part of addressing this challenge. Anytime I meet someone young in our industry I ask them if they’re aware of GenNext.

Why did you become involved with GenNext?

SH: I helped to invent it. But seriously, a group of us younger aftermarket professionals were discussing how to get more young people involved in the industry and eventually we turned that idea into a reality.

Ian Johnston

IJ: I became involved very early, as myself and some other industry people saw a real need for youth, diversity and a new group of skills, ideas and perspectives in the heavy-duty aftermarket. Once GenNext was established, it was about building an association and platform that would help draw the talent, help train and mentor new talent and retain them in our industry. Of all the industry boards and positions I have held in the aftermarket, GenNext has been the most rewarding and fulfilling by far. Giving back to the industry that has given my family so much over the past 80 years is a no-brainer to me. I firmly believe a more healthy and robust heavy-duty aftermarket will help all of the businesses and individuals in it.

NP: We felt the industry needed a group where younger employees could network with each other, attend events together and learn from each other. It was a void. I jumped on the GenNext bandwagon very early on and have had the honor of sitting on the board of directors for the past couple years. I strongly believe in the purpose of GenNext.

NT: I became involved because I believe the organization is working on one of the biggest challenges facing our industry and because it provides an opportunity to network with likeminded individuals in my age group as well as opens mentoring opportunities from our older industry leaders.

Why is GenNext important to the heavy-duty aftermarket?

Steve Hansen

SH: GenNext allows younger industry talent to catapult their career by meeting other industry contacts.

IJ: GenNext is the premier association for new executives and future leaders in our industry. It offers training, knowledge and mentoring, and gives individuals new to the aftermarket a real and meaningful place to get connected, get involved and help drive real results for their companies and the industry. GenNext in its partnership with the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN) is the place for the future leaders of the heavy-duty industry to become connected with the larger aftermarket as a whole and a place to show the industry what they are capable of.

NP: It provides a creative outlet for the “next generation” of leaders, an opportunity to network, bounce ideas off each other and lend advice on personal and professional issues. It goes back to the industry being focused on people and the opportunity to strengthen relationships.

NT: GenNext addresses the need to not only attract new industry talent but also to help develop the young leaders already within the industry. For all industries, having quality people is one of the largest challenges and GenNext works on this in multiple aspects.