Professionals new to the motor vehicle aftermarket attended the University of the Aftermarket’s Aftermarket 101 Seminar recently at Federal-Mogul Corporation’s world headquarters in Southfield, Mich.
The program’s goal is to educate new aftermarket employees about the industry from a North American and global perspective, covering every level of the supply chain from manufacturing through end-user issues. The class included nearly 60 aftermarket professionals representing warehouse distribution, program groups, publishing, association management and manufacturing.
“This annual seminar is an invaluable tool for organizations that want to help new employees better understand our complex industry,” said Brian Cruickshank, MAAP, director of the University of the Aftermarket. “We cover the industry from top to bottom and participants left the program with a solid foundational understanding of the industry.”
The day-and-a-half program included presentations on the structure of the aftermarket, aftermarket history, the state of the aftermarket, channels of distribution, service dealer issues, the global aftermarket and a class discussion on the image of the aftermarket among consumers. The program also included a field trip to Federated-member warehouse Motown Automotive Distributing Co. in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Presenters included Brian Cruickshank, University of the Aftermarket; Bob Egan, Federal-Mogul; Rick Guirlinger, Bourke Services; Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA; Jim Dykstra, Dykstra’s Auto Service; Matt Leuchtmann, Federal-Mogul; and Motown staff.
