The 32nd annual Truck Parts Seminar, hosted by Truck Parts & Service magazine, was held last month in Deerfield, Ill., and featured discussion on market globalization, channel distribution issues and employee attraction and retention.
The event, themed “Aftermarket Survival Guide,” was attended by nearly 70 representatives from manufacturers, distributors, fleets and aftermarket marketing groups. The two-day event featured nine speakers over three sessions, each accompanied by roundtable discussions.
During one session, the increasing globalization of parts manufacturing and procurement “is here to stay,” according to speaker Don Reimondo, senior vice president of customer relationship management for the Affinia Group Inc.
Reimondo says globalization is less about counterfeit parts than low-cost parts and that customers look to manufacturers and distributors to “put quality parts in the box.” It is the services and support that accompany parts that will continue to differentiate suppliers, and that these need to be continued to be leveraged to stay competitive, he says.
Adds speaker Kurt Danielson, vice president, truck and bus tire marketing, Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, “There’s always going to be somebody cheaper, it’s what you wrap around the product.”
Defining the Channels
The makeup of aftermarket distribution, according to speaker Todd Kindem, director of sales and marketing for ArvinMeritor’s Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket, is more complex than it was 15 years ago when it was a simple two-channel system with OEM dealers and warehouse distributors. “Today it’s more complex with marketing groups and automotive edge-ups, and WDs and OESs all want or have private label products,” he says.
