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Editor’s Notebook: Learning Starts at the Top

This industry has top talent all around it. From the manufacturer/supplier ranks, to the parts distribution system, to the service and repair specialists who collectively keep America's vehicles running, we have so many to applaud.
By Mary DellaValle
Mary became editor of Tire Review in April 2019. She joined Babcox Media in 1988 as the senior editor of Brake & Front End. In her 32-year career with Babcox, Mary has contributed across the brand portfolio in a variety of ways, most recently serving as the editor of ImportCar before joining the Tire Review team. Her appointment to Tire Review makes her only the 10th editor of the brand in its 118-year history.
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This industry has top talent all around it. From the manufacturer/supplier ranks, to the parts distribution system, to the service and repair specialists who collectively keep America’s vehicles running, we have so many to applaud.

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Recently, the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) and National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) recognized 20 outstanding individuals with the 2011 AAIA World Class Technician Award, out of the more than 759,000 automotive technicians working in the U.S. (Click here for additional details and a full listing of award winners.)

Accolades such as these likely bring to mind your own path to success. Whether you’re a successful shop owner or a knowledgeable, skilled technician, you set your sight on a career, achieved the required training and education, and worked hard to meet, and even surpass, your goals and career objectives.

And, you know that your present and future commitment to professionalism and service excellence requires a continual commitment to training. Training that starts at the top — that is practiced, re-enforced and encouraged by those in leadership positions.

To that point, I’m sharing some insightful qualities of a great leader, which I recently read in a local business magazine. It said, Great Leaders are Great Learners, and they:

• Inspire and create conditions for employees to excel.

• Commit to help others excel.

• Realize their effectiveness requires continuous learning.

• Stay open to learning.

• Replace old leadership habits with new, more impactful ones.

• Genuinely listen instead of prejudging ideas, ensuring good decision-making.

• Seek solutions from diverse sources in non-traditional places.

• View experience as life’s best teacher.

How much emphasis do you put on training? Do you encourage and inspire continual training at your shop? If you want your employees to help “lead” your shop to greater profitability, then you need to empower them for greater achievements and get them on the path to learning. Your shop’s success depends on it.

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When Your Shop Is Worth Much More Than You Thought

Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.

By Art Blumenthal
Leveraging more than 30 years of experience as both an aftermarket business owner and aftermarket technology executive, Art Blumenthal LLC provides business intermediary and advisory services to both buyers and sellers of industry businesses of all sizes. Art is a member of IBBA (International Business Brokers Association, Inc.). For more information, or to initiate a no-obligation confidential consultation, visit www.art-blumenthal.com.
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Case Study: Owner of San Francisco-based Import Service Shop Delighted to Discover Just How Valuable His Business is to Qualified Buyers
I sometimes share case studies of the clients I have been able to assist in my role as an aftermarket business broker and provider of intermediary and advisory services. I do that when I think the story will provide a reader in similar circumstances with new insights or helpful information.
In the case of Cowden Automotive, Inc., I acted in a consulting capacity assisting the owner and his broker in valuing the business, creating a marketing plan, finding a qualified buyer, and arranging financing for the sale.
Although every sale of a shop in which I am involved has its own unique set of circumstances, which makes my job both very interesting and very challenging, Cowden Automotive stands out as particularly memorable because I was able to demonstrate to the long-time owner, Paul Cowden, that his business was worth about three times what he had initially thought.
Needless to say, delivering that kind of good news to a shop owner is a rewarding experience. Discovering that the sale of his business would result in his retirement nest-egg being substantially larger than he had ever thought was a fitting tribute to someone who had spent his entire working career as a busy automotive service shop owner.

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