January of 2007 was a very interesting month. Among other things, it was the month in which the second Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week (HDAW) was held in Las Vegas, and in my opinion, the meeting was a success!
In a lifetime of wandering around in our industry, I doubt that I have seen more independent truck parts distributors in one place at one time since the height of the success of The Council of Fleet Specialists (CFS) in the early 1990s. And, with that many of their customers in town, just about every industry supplier of consequence also was there.
Again, since the halcyon days of CFS, I don’t believe our overall industry has been so well represented. The attendance rate at HDAW is very good for the whole industry. Many critical issues loom ahead for us, and it is vital that we be able to speak with a unified voice on those issues-HDAW gives us one chance to do just that.
However, like any rose, this particular bloom had a glaring set of thorns. The Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network (CVSN) was not at HDAW. As a matter of fact, at HDAW, I heard that CVSN has announced 2008 dates for its meetings that will, if followed through on, generate a great deal of extra cost and inconvenience for almost everyone in the truck parts business.
CVSN is the residual organization resulting from the merger of CFS and America’s oldest heavy-duty distributor organization, The National Wheel And Rim Association (NWRA). CVSN is the largest and most vital organization serving independent truck parts distributors, and it was not at HDAW, an obvious vehicle for industry unity.
That must change!
But, how can that change? What must the industry do to get CVSN to participate in HDAW in 2008 and beyond? After all, there have been multiple meetings designed to move CVSN into HDAW, and they all have failed. I fear that without a radical change on the part of one of the two players involved in this scenario, any future overtures also will fail.
Is there a way to get this job done? I believe there is.
When I met with Robyn Spitzke-Kent, the president of CVSN, in her office at Fort Garry Industries last summer, she concisely explained the reasons why CVSN wouldn’t be in Las Vegas this past March. The organization has two issues that just won’t go away.
First, it feels that as a new organization, it must preserve “the integrity of its brand.” It must be more than just part of something larger, rather it must be seen as a strong standalone organization.
Second, as just a supporter of HDAW, the funds CVSN would receive would be insufficient to conduct the training and other functions it believes essential to accomplishing its long-term goals.
So, might there be a way for the industry to respond to those concerns? I’m sure there is, but again, it will require more than a restatement of previous positions to make it happen. Somehow, either CVSN must drop its objections, which I doubt will happen, or the show sponsors will have to find a way to answer those objections in a positive manner.
Is it possible that there is a way other than HDAW to forge true industry unity? Possibly, if a way could be found to bring Heavy Duty America, Vipar Heavy Duty and Truck Pride, the leading marketing groups, together, there would be. To me, however, solving the CVSN/HDAW riddle seems the fastest and most practical answer to the issue at hand.
This is not a task which can be done easily, but in my opinion, it is doable. Please remember the comment of Benjamin Franklin who pointed out during The Revolutionary War, that “either we shall all hang together, or we shall surely all hang separately.” The truck parts industry must have unity, or the noose may not be far off.
