Fullbay hosted its first Diesel Connect Conference earlier this month in downtown Phoenix.
The conference, which served as the commercial repair industry’s premier networking and knowledge sharing event, brought together various members of the heavy-duty industry to share and discuss everything relating to heavy-duty vehicle repair. It was attended by more than 200 people, sold out months in advance, far surpassing attendance expectations for its debut year.
“We are extremely pleased with the turnout and participation at Fullbay’s first Diesel Connect Conference,” says Patrick McKittrick, CEO of Fullbay. “From networking with peers and keynote speakers, to knowledge sharing with industry experts and fellow shop owners, Diesel Connect served as a vehicle to connect the diesel industry in ways that exceeded our expectations. We thank everyone who attended and contributed to the event.”
The conference was held on June 8-9 and featured keynote speeches from Colonel Greg Gadson and Jonathan Starks, CEO of FTR. Gadson, shared a personal story about his life and military experience that centered on the importance of having a strong, capable team at the helm to support you when you’re down. He related this to the shop owners in attendance who juggle hiring and retention issues on a daily basis, while Starks discussed the state of our economy and making sense of the market.
[RELATED: Shop owners talk parts shortage at Fullbay conference]
Fullbay says educational topics and key takeaways included:
- The State of Heavy-Duty Repair with Fullbay Executives: the challenges and successes shop-owners are currently facing
- Digital Marketing with Nick Adams, Founder, Dieselmatic: the importance of using digital marketing to find customers and recruit new technicians
- Mobile Repair Services with Dave & Jan Kettle, Quality Mobile Fleet Services: the positives of mobile services and why communication is key to preventing customer issues
- Technician Efficiency and Utilization with Troy Willich, TDI Fleet Services: covered common reasons for utilization issues in shops and how to correct them
- Tackling the Tech Shortage with Jay Goninen, Co-Founder & President, WrenchWay: an in-depth look into the ‘why’ behind the technician shortage and how the industry can overcome it
- Shop Foundations: Setting (And Raising) Your Labor Rates with Stacy Conner, President, Equipment Experts, Inc.: a detailed conversation about the importance of value relating to pricing
Additionally, the conference featured two shop-owner roundtable discussions that covered a wide range of topics regarding the maintenance of heavy-duty repair shops. The Fullbay team closed out the conference by reinforcing the importance of giving back to the community, announcing that the company has donated over $100,000 to various charities within the industry via its Fullbay Cares initiative.
Fullbay says attendees will receive recordings of each session covered at the conference within the next month, while all other individuals will be able to download select sessions later this year.
Following the success of the 2023 Diesel Connect Conference, Fullbay says it has plans to explore a second annual event. An official announcement will be made later this year.
