Gene Damron, vice president/general manager of Page Brake Warehouse, is the 2006 Truck Parts Distributor Of The Year.
From time to time, Damron will be writing a column for Truck Parts & Service providing information or offering an opinion about what is happening in the heavy-duty aftermarket.
Mile after mile-at the Page Group we believe it’s more than our slogan. It’s what characterizes our organization and it represents the independent distributors’ entrepreneurial spirit within an ever-changing industry.
Despite a successful history, the inevitable question of the aftermarket’s future always lingers, particularly when the changes within our industry are coming faster than ever before.
The change driven by new technology and regulation can create challenges, but innovation and the ability to adapt to change may be among the greatest attributes of independent distributors.
In addition, we are in an era where “mega” seems to be the status quo. The consolidation of independents and dealers, along with the number of national chains synergized by their mere size, are benefiting at the expense of traditional independent distribution.
Store ownership contributes to success, yet “mega” may pose a threat to distribution as we have known it.
