Federated Member Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Celebrates Grand Opening Of Technical Training Facility

Federated member Hovis Auto & Truck Supply celebrated the grand opening of its Hovis Technical Training Center with an open house March 23-24 at the Mercer, PA, facility. Manufacturer representatives and training partners from key suppliers were in attendance to speak with Hovis customers about new products and upcoming training to be held at the center.

Federated member Hovis Auto & Truck Supply celebrated the grand opening of its Hovis Technical Training Center with an open house March 23-24 at the Mercer, PA, facility.

New Hovis Technical Training Center with "The Chief."

The open house featured a business management course entitled “More Profits and More Cash for My Automotive Repair Business,” conducted by Mike Allen, vice president, Federated Auto Parts. Manufacturer representatives and training partners from key suppliers were in attendance to speak with Hovis customers about new products and upcoming training to be held at the center. The event brought in more than 200 customers to tour the 10,000 sq. ft. hands-on training facility where guests were treated to a BBQ lunch, door prizes, giveaways and a special appearance by “The Chief,” Hovis Auto Wrecking’s 80-ton rotator wrecker.

Since opening in November 2011, the Hovis Technical Training Center has trained more than 550 customers.

“We are excited to see our training center grow so quickly and to be a part of bringing the newest technology and techniques in the automotive repair, coatings and heavy duty industries to our customers and employees,” said Curt Hovis, vice president of Hovis Auto & Truck Supply.

The Hovis Technical Training Center is dedicated to instructing with the most advanced tools and equipment to help with time-saving and problem-solving techniques. The center boasts a fully-equipped body shop with mixing rooms, prep deck, oversized paint booth and a 14-foot overhead door for heavy duty truck access, as well as four-post and two-post lifts, wireless alignment machine, tire changer, balancer and diagnostic labs.

“The Hovis Technical Training Center is committed to educating professional technicians in a state-of-the-art facility, close to home, reducing shop downtime and travel expenses,” continued Hovis. “We recognize the critical need to provide technicians with comprehensive instruction, technical materials and educational programs, and we understand they don’t want to travel across the country to get it. That is why we are bringing leaders in the industry to western Pennsylvania.”

The Hovis Technical Training Center has developed an educational curriculum to bring together leaders in the automotive, heavy duty, and paint and body industry to train on the latest technology, techniques, and applications in their specific fields. These certified trainers from DuPont, Akzo Nobel/Sikkens, 3M, Delphi, Federal Mogul, Abex, Meritor, etc. bring their expertise and industry knowledge to the training center in a streamlined curriculum that allows technicians to choose the courses that best suit their needs. In addition to technical training, the facility offers technicians, managers and owners the opportunity to participate in best business practice education to maximize traffic to their shops, improve return visit rates and increase their bottom lines.

For more information, visit www.hovistrainingcenter.com or follow the Hovis Technical Training Center on Twitter at @hovisttc.

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.

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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