Truck Pride Partners recently announced two new supplier agreements – one with Exide Technologies and the other with Donaldson Company. Truck Pride Partners was recently formed from the dissolution of Truck Pride from the Independent Warehouse Distributors.
The new supply agreement with Exide, makers of electrical-energy products, makes them the preferred vendor for the Truck Pride Partners battery line. The two-year agreement includes Exide branded and Truck Pride private label batteries sold in the U.S. and Canada.
According to the announcement, while Exide has had a long-time supplier relationship with the original Truck Pride organization, this new agreement marks the first time that Truck Pride has selected a sole preferred battery line supplier.
“This initiative in the area of product management was a critical strategy, allowing the new Truck Pride Partners to strengthen ongoing vendor relationships,” says Truck Pride Partners’ product committee chairman and member Bruce Greer. “Our goal was to gain supply chain efficiencies on certain product categories, with commercial batteries being a principal focus.”
Adds Jeff Sandt, director of Product Management for the marketing group, “Truck Pride now is laser-focused on bringing increased value to its members. Exide, which offered the most robust procurement strategy, sales and marketing support and a vast technology base, was a clear choice.”
The new agreement provides incentives for members who previously purchased from other battery vendors, plus loyalty incentives for members who continue to purchase from Exide.
“Truck Pride’s selection of Exide illustrates our strength in tailoring a sophisticated battery program for each customer, balancing a range of variables including pricing, depth of product offering, marketing and sales support, distribution efficiency and recycling capability,” says E.J. O’Leary, Exide’s president and COO. “These capabilities will help Truck Pride members serve their own customers more effectively while streamlining their own procurement processes.”
The agreement with Donaldson makes the manufacturer of filtration systems and components the group’s preferred vendor for exhaust products.
“Through a new initiative in the area of product management, Truck Pride Partners is prepared to strengthen ongoing vendor relationships. The first product category that went through an analytic review process was heavy-duty exhaust,” says Greer. “We need to gain a stronghold on certain product categories we market and compete within, and so exhaust has a new focus for Truck Pride Partners.”
“This preferred status for exhaust systems with Truck Pride Partners will expand our distribution channels for Donaldson exhaust products,” says Joe Lehman, vice president, Engine Aftermarket business at Donaldson Company. “We are pleased and appreciate the confidence that Truck Pride Partners has in us and our industry leading filtration technologies.”
