The conference started with opening remarks from NAPA Denver Distribution Center (DC) General Manager Scott Carlson, followed by a series of speakers addressing NAPA's industry analysis, jobber programs, sports advertising promotions, and fleet offerings.  Later that afternoon, meetings were held on the Total Automotive Management System (TAMS) and custom pricing, followed by a trade show with exhibits that evening.

During Carlson's opening speech, he compared running a parts business to operating an NFL team.  "A third of a successful team's business revolves around talent," Carlson said.  "Like the NFL, we need to draft, hire, and train talent."

Another third of the equation is to build a strategy and plan for success, he said.  "You have to make sure your vision is crystal clear.  You have to share it and get employees to buy into that vision."

The final key to a successful parts business is to execute the plan.  "In the NFL, this is game day; in business, it's game day everyday." 

Industry trends
Eric Fritsch, Mountain Division vice president for Genuine Parts Co., took a broader look at the industry, citing increasing competition from new-car dealers, in both wholesale parts sales and repair.  "The new-car dealer is expected to gain 5 percent market share largely at the expense of independent repairers," he said, noting that dealership service now accounts for 25 percent of total market share.

Although a large portion of vehicle population remains in light trucks and SUVs (43 percent), import vehicles on the road now account for 35 percent, Fritsch said, adding that this naturally creates a channel shift towards OE dealers, as there are some limitations for independent shop owners to work on those vehicles, and the importance form, fit, and function becomes amplified.

NAPA plans to get more aggressive in differentiating itself from the competition by doing two things better, Fritsch said, which is emphasizing locally owned and operated jobber stores and delivering superior technology through parts-ordering systems.

The morning was highlighted by a motivational speech from Hurdle about success in life and baseball. 

Remain confident
"One of the strengths of a good leader is to hold confidence and not be swayed by daily or weekly results," Hurdle said, relating to the ups and downs the Rockies experienced in the '07 season leading up to the playoffs and eventual matchup with the Boston Red Sox in the World Series.  "It's important in leadership to have somebody that acts way better than they talk.  You need to be a doer, not a talker."

Two defining moments of the season were the three-game sweeps of the New York Yankees in late June and the New York Mets in early July, Hurdle said.  Between those series, however, the Rockies lost eight straight games, with four of them being embarrassing walk-off losses, he said.

"I kept seeing a team that was getting smoked, kicked, and knocked down and playing the next day like nothing happened," Hurdle said.  "They had to go through that adversity and learn that your confidence cannot be shaken by results."

Constantly being questioned by the media, Hurdle said he learned to ignore negativity and not be concerned with impressing others.  "I did not care what other people thought outside our club walls."  Store owners and managers must be second-guessed all the time, he said.  Like baseball, he said, you must empower your employees to be leaders, not just employees, and to be accountable for their performance. 

Stick to the game plan
"As we all know, you can do your best and never get anything done," Hurdle said.  "At the end of the day, we won or lost.  If we did not execute well, we were at the mercy of the game.

"The Colorado Rockies this last season were dubbed an 'overnight sensation,'" Hurdle said with a chuckle.  "I would have loved one of those people to live in my house the last six years.

"We prepared for our future through our past, if we paid attention," Hurdle said.  Last winter, he said he took veteran players and told them what the game plan was, in an attempt to hold them accountable, he said, a move that worked well in the end.

"Sometimes I thought I was a babysitter in the most expensive playpen in Denver," Hurdle said. But, he pointed out, everyday it worked a little better.  "Each day they took more ownership.  They weren't just involved in the process anymore.

"We simplified everything and took it to the little league level," he said.  "Fun and focused is a combustible duo."

The common fabric in business and sports is that everybody counts, or nobody counts, Hurdle said.  "It took all of us to get here." 

Bury the ego, focus on your people
"You've got to find a way to dig a hole in the backyard and put your ego in it," Hurdle said, adding that his goal is to "be a simple man in a complex world."  That includes being a good father, husband, and manager, he said.

"If you show interest in your people, they develop loyalty," Hurdle said.  "Loyalty generates energy that develops better results.

"Are you mentoring your people?" he asked.  "I focus on the first step, not results."  That involves mentoring players or employees, patting people on the backs and showing genuine interest, he said.  "You have to show them that you believe in them."  When there's common goal and nobody cares who gets credit, great things can happen, he said.