From left: General Manager Kelvin Shearer, Parts Manager Jon Pedersen, and Service Manager Ryan Moudry have been instrumental in overhauling the parts and service departments at Friesen Chevrolet.
Keeping an ear to the ground
Sutton, Neb.—As an outside sales representative for Friesen Chevrolet in 2010, Kelvin Shearer knew an opportunity when he saw one.
Casey and Kevin Cooper are expanding their 122th Street East store in Tacoma. Having the right staff in place allows them to concentrate on growth.
Working on the business, not in it
Tacoma, Wash.—Kevin and Casey Cooper are confident owners of two shops on the edge of Tacoma because of the quality staff and systems they have in place to handle growth.
From left: Joe Tuha, body shop manager; Brian Noeth, parts manager; Justin Heutel, fixed operations manager; Doug Sucher, service manager, conduct numerous inter-department meetings to ensure the dealership is optimizing service and operations.
Team spirit stands tall at Sunset
Sunset Hills, Mo.—Brian Noeth has worked at dealerships where friction between departments wasn’t uncommon, which, unsurprisingly, often resulted in poorer overall store performance.
From left: Pickering siblings Trent, Brandon and Taylor, say new exterior signage and colors are carried across all other marketing aspects of the business and shop identity to bring cohesiveness and brand definition.
‘From the ’50s to the future’
Lakewood, Colo.—Randy Pickering has an important date marked on his calendar — November 2020.
Dennis Sweeney (front, left) says his parts department team is driving new growth as the dealership expands. “If you don’t have good people, you’ve got nothing,” he says.
Leading from the front
Oakland, Calif.—As a former member of the United States Marine Corps, Parts director Dennis Sweeney has taken what he had learned from his service and carried it into the civilian work world at Oakland’s Downtown Subaru.
CAR Guy Owner and PDR Nation Chairman David Pinto uses a Keco K-Beam Jr. mini bridge lifter to repair a crease.
Improper PDR can create safety concerns and place customers at risk
Your smart phone’s weather app sounds an alert, the area map a blotch of red showing severe weather. As thunder roars and wind speed increases, the tinny sound of cars’ pelted sheet metal marks the beginning of hail season.
Rudy Gargiulo, owner of C&M Automotive & Transmission, says that as vehicle components last longer, shops must re-tool their business models.
Capitalizing on new technology
Simi Valley, Calif.—Vehicle complexity can often present challenges in service and repair for many shops, but Rudy Gargiulo embraces the opportunities new car technology presents.
From left: General Manager Kelvin Shearer, Parts Manager Jon Pedersen, and Service Manager Ryan Moudry have been instrumental in overhauling the parts and service departments at Friesen Chevrolet.
Casey and Kevin Cooper are expanding their 122th Street East store in Tacoma. Having the right staff in place allows them to concentrate on growth.
From left: Joe Tuha, body shop manager; Brian Noeth, parts manager; Justin Heutel, fixed operations manager; Doug Sucher, service manager, conduct numerous inter-department meetings to ensure the dealership is optimizing service and operations.
From left: Pickering siblings Trent, Brandon and Taylor, say new exterior signage and colors are carried across all other marketing aspects of the business and shop identity to bring cohesiveness and brand definition.
Dennis Sweeney (front, left) says his parts department team is driving new growth as the dealership expands. “If you don’t have good people, you’ve got nothing,” he says.
CAR Guy Owner and PDR Nation Chairman David Pinto uses a Keco K-Beam Jr. mini bridge lifter to repair a crease.
Rudy Gargiulo, owner of C&M Automotive & Transmission, says that as vehicle components last longer, shops must re-tool their business models.

Auto Care Association Opposes Trump Administration’s Proposal to Increase Chinese Import Tariffs

“The Auto Care Association urges President Trump not to follow through on his threat to increase tariffs on $200 billion in imported goods from China as soon as this week. The proposed sudden increase from 10% to 25% would have an immediate negative impact on not only the U.S. businesses that...
Casey and Kevin Cooper are expanding their 122th Street East store in Tacoma. Having the right staff in place allows them to concentrate on growth.

Working on the business, not in it

Tacoma, Wash.—Kevin and Casey Cooper are confident owners of two shops on the edge of Tacoma because of the quality staff and systems they have in place to handle growth. “We give the credit of our success to the willingness of our teams to do their very best work and be the best at what a repair...
Patty Armstrong and James Van Cleve handle both parts and service at the longtime Ford store in Morton.

Small-town Ford dealer has won big-league top award 27 times

Morton, Wash.—If it’s excelling at customer service and satisfaction, then Van Cleve Ford has accomplished that and more as the small-town Ford store has won Ford’s prestigious President’s Award about as many times as any dealer in the country. With just 14 employees, Van Cleve sits in the shadow...
From left: General Manager Kelvin Shearer, Parts Manager Jon Pedersen, and Service Manager Ryan Moudry have been instrumental in overhauling the parts and service departments at Friesen Chevrolet.

Keeping an ear to the ground

Sutton, Neb.—As an outside sales representative for Friesen Chevrolet in 2010, Kelvin Shearer knew an opportunity when he saw one. “It seemed like every shop I would call on in Nebraska and Northern Kansas was saying the same thing — they wanted better delivery service. I made it my goal to make...
CAR Guy Owner and PDR Nation Chairman David Pinto uses a Keco K-Beam Jr. mini bridge lifter to repair a crease.

Improper PDR can create safety concerns and place customers at risk

Your smart phone’s weather app sounds an alert, the area map a blotch of red showing severe weather. As thunder roars and wind speed increases, the tinny sound of cars’ pelted sheet metal marks the beginning of hail season. To a collision repairer, it may sound like “pennies from Heaven,” but if...
Dennis Sweeney (front, left) says his parts department team is driving new growth as the dealership expands. “If you don’t have good people, you’ve got nothing,” he says.

Leading from the front

Oakland, Calif.—As a former member of the United States Marine Corps, Parts director Dennis Sweeney has taken what he had learned from his service and carried it into the civilian work world at Oakland’s Downtown Subaru. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . At a Glance • Parts department annual sales: $...
From left: Those who addressed attendees at the Educators Roundtable were Walt Commans, ASE Western States field consultant and ASE Education Foundation manager; Sarah Patterson, CTE supervisor for the state of Washington; Butch Jobst, ASA-NW chairman of the board and education committee chair; and Richie del Puerto, automotive tech instructor at Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center in Everett, Wash.

Records set at 2019 Automotive Training Expo as need for training grows

SeaTac, Wash.-The 2019 Automotive Training Expo (ATE) was a “total sellout,” said Jeff Lovell, AMAM, of ASA Northwest (ASA-NW), the event producer. “In total we had more than 1,000 people with some 700 registered for the 60 management and technical training classes we offered over three days. It...
From left: Pickering siblings Trent, Brandon and Taylor, say new exterior signage and colors are carried across all other marketing aspects of the business and shop identity to bring cohesiveness and brand definition.

‘From the ’50s to the future’

Lakewood, Colo.—Randy Pickering has an important date marked on his calendar — November 2020. It’s when he’s set to retire and will hand off two-location Pickering’s Auto Service to his three children, Trent, Brandon and Taylor, who represent the family’s fifth generation in the automotive industry...
 
 

Parts & People

Parts & People is published monthly by Automotive Counseling and Publishing Company, Inc., a Colorado corporation, P.O. Box 18731 Denver, CO 80203, 303-765-4664. President-Lance Buchner. Founded by Lance Buchner and Dave Lucia.

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