PBES to Hold Webinar on Visual Merchandising for Jobbers on Aug. 11

The Paint, Body & Equipment Specialists (PBES), a segment of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), will hold a Webinar entitled, “Visual Merchandising for PBE Jobbers: Proven Methods for Designing Store Environments and Product Displays to Increase ROI,” on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT.

Visual merchandising (VM) is the art and science of designing a store environment and displaying merchandise to facilitate maximum sales. Although the “store front” of the business is not where PBE jobbers see their greatest sales, taking the time to put proven merchandising techniques to work in your store is well worth the effort and investment.

This session, which includes multiple pictures and diagrams, focuses on the importance of store image; how to think like a grocery store; fixture and product display options; delivery area design for easy product selection; driver marketing techniques; and product awareness ideas to increase your customer’s confidence in your store’s inventory.

You’ll learn:

• The importance of traffic flow to increased sales. 
• How product displays can influence additional customer purchases. 
• The importance of clean design and décor.

This complimentary one-hour Webinar features Chris Johnson, senior managing partner and co-founder of Aftermarket Partners, Inc., a consulting firm that has worked with dozens of automotive aftermarket manufacturers to develop, launch and support durable goods, software, e-commerce solutions and information Web portals. Johnson has more than 20 years of distribution experience in the automotive collision industry.

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/146217753. After registering you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the Webinar.

07/13/2010



REMINDER: PBES to Host Happy Hour at CIC Meeting in Chicago Next Week

The Paint, Body & Equipment Specialists, a segment of AAIA, will be hosting a happy hour for jobbers at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC), July 21-22, in Chicago, Ill. The happy hour will be held on Wednesday, July 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Gallery 824 at the InterContinental Chicago O'Hare hotel.

“We all need to support the programs that CIC provides for collision repair shops,” said PBES chair Werner Diersch, Painters Supply & Equipment Co. “Jobbers should learn more about CIC and tell their customers. Organizations like CIC make a difference in the industry. We hope to reach out to all of them this year.”

Please join PBES prior to the CIC Opening Reception.




06/29/2010



PBES to Host Happy Hour at CIC Meeting in Chicago

The Paint, Body & Equipment Specialists, a segment of AAIA, will be hosting a happy hour for jobbers at the Collision Industry Conference (CIC), July 21-22, in Chicago, Ill. The happy hour will be held on Wednesday, July 21 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Gallery 824 at the InterContinental Chicago O'Hare hotel.

“We all need to support the programs that CIC provides for collision repair shops,” said PBES chair Werner Diersch, Painters Supply & Equipment Co. “Jobbers should learn more about CIC and tell their customers. Organizations like CIC make a difference in the industry. We hope to reach out to all of them this year.”

Please join PBES for a drink prior to the CIC Opening Reception. For more information on CIC, visit www.ciclink.com/. For more information on PBES, visit www.aftermarket.org/Segments/PBES.aspx.  




06/24/2010



PBES Elects New Chairman, Board Members

The Paint, Body & Equipment Specialists (PBES), a segment of AAIA, has recently elected a new chairman and board members to their committee. Werner Diersch, Painters Supply & Equipment Co., was elected as the 2010-2011 chairman, while the following individuals were elected to the board:

05/18/2010



From the Field (BodyShop Business): PBE Jobbers Flocked to Phoenix for Business Education

More than 100 paint, body and equipment jobbers gathered in Phoenix, Ariz., April 27-29, for the annual Paint, Body & Equipment Specialists Spring Conference. The theme this year was “Boosting Your Bottom Line.”

Click here to read the full article.




04/06/2010



2010 PBES Spring Conference: Business Solutions for Jobbers Roundtables

The 2010 PBES Spring Conference, April 27-29, at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix, Ariz., will feature three roundtable topics on Tuesday, April 27 from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The roundtable discussions will be led by PBES Segment Committee members. The topics will cover “Technology for Efficiency and Effectiveness”; “Lean Practices: What Are You Doing to Cut Costs?” and “Cash Flow: What Are You Doing to Keep Cash Flowing?” Join us to learn about best practices for your company.

The 2010 PBES Conference pre-event brochure is now available online. Click here to view the preliminary schedule and session descriptions. Click here to download the registration form or click here to register online. For more information on the conference, contact Arlene Davis or Marcella Tilli at 301-654-6664.




03/30/2010



Rick Ashley Discusses “The Skilled Approach to Marketing” at the 2010 PBES Spring Conference

Rick Ashley, OctaneVTM, will lead a session on “The Skilled Approach to Marketing: A Practical
Guide to Getting Your Marketing in Gear” at the 2010 PBES Spring Conference, Wednesday, April 28 at 1 p.m., at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix, Ariz.

Ashley’s session will cover the components of marketing; how to position your company; and how to deploy marketing initiatives creatively within your budget. Attendees will learn how to create an easy, actionable marketing plan; how to divide and conquer your target audience for planning purposes; and how your new marketing skills can save you money when it comes time to budget.

Ashley has been president and chief strategist of OctaneVTM since 2001, and is personally involved in helping clients involved in the vehicle and transportation industries both identify and achieve their marketing goals. A 27-year marketing veteran, Ashley has spent the last 20 years as president of Ashley & Associates, Inc., an Indianapolis-based marketing firm that specializes in the industrial and manufacturing sectors and has a rich business-to-business background. Before launching Ashley & Associates, he held a partnership position as president of Barnecut Marketing. Ashley graduated cum laude from Indiana University.

The 2010 PBES Conference pre-event brochure is now available online. Click here to view the preliminary schedule and session descriptions. Click here to download the registration form or click here to register online. For more information on the conference, contact Arlene Davis or Marcella Tilli at 301-654-6664.




03/25/2010



PBES to Hold Jobber Webinar on April 6

The Paint, Body & Equipment Specialists (PBES), a segment of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), will hold a Webinar entitled, “How Does a Progressive Jobber Provide Value-Added Services to Support Its Shops?” on Tuesday, April 6, 2010, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT.

PBE jobbers are finding themselves becoming the main supplier of value-added services to their shops in addition to providing quality products. In this time of shrinking margins and reduced staffing, jobbers are asking themselves, “What kind of value-added services can I provide with my company’s current resources in order to keep and attract the best customers?” 

A complimentary one-hour Webinar, featuring Joe Mattos, CEO, Pro Finishes PLUS, Temple Hills, Md., and moderated by Chris Johnson, senior managing partner and co-founder, Aftermarket Partners, Inc., San Diego, Calif., will outline additional services that your company can provide to assist your customers.

The Webinar will address:

• Customer services
• Marketing support
• Internal processes

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/599677416. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the Webinar.

Joe Mattos is the CEO of Pro Finishes PLUS, a regional leading distributor of automotive paint and body shop supplies and leading provider of innovative support services to help keep their customers productive and profitable. Founded in 1928, the company has succeeded based on a simple philosophy of providing the highest-quality products and the most responsive services to professionals in the refinish and coatings industry. Today, Pro Finishes PLUS has more than 150 employee owners in their 17 offices, stores and warehouse locations.




03/23/2010



Greg Horn to Provide Insight on “Current Events in the Collision Industry” at the 2010 PBES Spring Conference

Greg Horn, Mitchell International, Inc., will lead a session on “Current Events in the Collision Industry” at the 2010 PBES Spring Conference, April 29 at 9:30 a.m., at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix, Ariz.

Horn’s session will outline current events including accident and total loss frequency data, collision repair shop trends, parts and paint use trends, new automobile technology that will reduce collisions and injuries but increase repair costs, and the latest information from the Mitchell Collision Parts Price Index, which looks at part inflation by type (OEM, Aftermarket, LKQ). Attendees will learn what’s happening in the collision repair environment; part and paint use trends; and vehicle origin and part type inflationary trends.

Horn is vice president, industry relations at Mitchell International. He has more than 20 years of automobile service and insurance experience, beginning with working at VW/Porsche repair shops while working his way through college. Prior to joining Mitchell International, Horn was vice president, material damage claims for GMAC Insurance Personal Lines, where he oversaw all auto and recreational vehicle repair programs, as well as the used vehicle extended service contract program. While at GM, he served on the General Motors Dealers Fixed Operations Advisory Board, as well as the GM Safety Council. Horn also served six years on the I-Car Education Foundation board.

The 2010 PBES Conference pre-event brochure is now available online. Click here to view the preliminary schedule and session descriptions. Click here to download the registration form or click here to register online. For more information on the conference, contact Arlene Davis or Marcella Tilli at 301-654-6664.




03/16/2010



Jonathan Carey to Discuss the Changing Financial World at the 2010 PBES Spring Conference

Jonathan Carey, BB&T Capital Markets, will lead a session on “Getting Your Financial House in Order in the New World” at the 2010 PBES Spring Conference, Thursday, April 29 at 8 a.m., at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix, Ariz.

Carey’s session addresses how changes in the financial world are affecting your business, what your company’s finances need to look like to obtain credit and how the credit markets have affected valuation. Don’t want to sell in this market but believe doing nothing is not an option? This session will also address the benefits and considerations of a stock merger. Attendees will learn what to expect when looking for credit today; the new world for business valuation; and the benefits and considerations of a stock merger.

Carey is a vice president in BB&T Capital Markets’ investment banking practice. Prior to joining BB&T, he was a senior associate in the consumer products investment banking group at Advest, Inc. Carey also previously served as vice president at an early stage venture capital firm. In addition, he was a member of the investment banking team at Merrill Lynch in New York. Carey began his career with Ernst & Young LLP, first serving in the firm's audit group, and ultimately serving as a senior consultant on the firm's strategy consulting team. He has extensive experience executing merger and acquisition assignments, equity underwriting and recapitalizations. Carey received an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Accountancy, cum laude, from The George Washington University. He is a Certified Public Accountant.

The 2010 PBES Conference pre-event brochure is now available online. Click here to view the preliminary schedule and session descriptions. Click here to download the registration form or click here to register online. For more information on the conference, contact Arlene Davis or Marcella Tilli at 301-654-6664.




03/09/2010



Kim Hazelbaker Presents “The Status of Highway Safety” at the 2010 PBES Spring Conference

Kim Hazelbaker, Highway Loss Data Institute, will lead a session on “The Status of Highway Safety: Are We There Yet?” at the 2010 PBES Spring Conference, Wednesday, April 28 at 3:45 p.m., at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix, Ariz.

The Highway Loss Data Institute, a division of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), shares and supports IIHS’s mission of reducing losses to both people and property from crashes on the nation’s highways, through scientific studies of insurance loss results by vehicle make and model. Hazelbaker’s session describes the scope of the highway safety problem, crash-testing results and statistics from the insurance database. Attendees will learn structure improvements and their effect on crashes; effect of electronic stability control and hybrids on insurance claims; and high horsepower in insurance losses.

Hazelbaker is senior vice president at Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), where he has been for the past 21 years, initially joining as director of statistical analysis. HLDI is a private non-profit organization that gathers, processes and publishes insurance data concerned with the human and economic losses associated with owning and operating motor vehicles. The HLDI database currently holds the insurance records of more than 150 million individual vehicles. Prior to joining HLDI, Hazelbaker worked in a diplomatic capacity as statistical advisor to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He has held technical and management positions with the Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hazelbaker holds a masters degree in economics and statistics and a bachelors in business from the University of Missouri.

The 2010 PBES Conference pre-event brochure is now available online. Click here to view the preliminary schedule and session descriptions. Click here to download the registration form or click here to register online. For more information on the conference, contact Arlene Davis or Marcella Tilli at 301-654-6664.




03/02/2010



Bruce Katcher Talks “Creative Compensation Alternatives” at the 2010 PBES Spring Conference

Bruce Katcher, Ph.D., Discovery Surveys, Inc., will lead a session on “Creative Compensation Alternatives” at the 2010 PBES Spring Conference, April 28 at 2:30 p.m., at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix, Ariz.

Katcher’s session addresses the components of compensation plans; why plans often fail; how to tie compensation plans to organizational and individual objectives; and alternative compensation methods. Attendees will learn what pay compensation plans can and cannot do; how to develop compensation plans that are related to organizational objectives such as profit, customer service, cost control and loyalty to the organization; and how to introduce and institute different types of pay plans.

Katcher is an industrial/organizational psychologist, consultant, author and speaker. Katcher founded Discovery Surveys in 1993, and specializes in helping organizations improve the morale, motivation and productivity of their employees. The author of 30 Reasons Employees Hate Their Managers and An Insider's Guide to Building a Successful Consulting Practice, Katcher has more than 25 years experience advising senior management. He has consulted more than 100 clients including Alcoa, Amcast, Bankers Trust, Dunkin' Donuts, Fidelity Investments, Johnson & Johnson, Revlon, Sodexho USA, Timberland, the Tata Group, Tufts University Medical and Dental Schools and W.R. Grace. Katcher received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in 1983.

The 2010 PBES Conference pre-event brochure is now available online. Click here to view the preliminary schedule and session descriptions. Click here to download the registration form or click here to register online. For more information on the conference, contact Arlene Davis or Marcella Tilli at 301-654-6664.




2/23/2010



Noah Rickun Announced as Kick-Off Speaker for 2010 PBES Spring Conference

Noah Rickun, BuyGitomer, Inc., will kick off the 2010 PBES Spring Conference, April 27-29, at the Embassy Suites in Phoenix, Ariz., with a session on “Sales Mastery: How to Dominate Your Market In Any Economy.” In the session, scheduled for Wednesday, April 28, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Rickun will provide valuable insight, best practices and real-world examples that can be implemented immediately by you and your staff. Attendees will learn principles of sales greatness that prepare you and your staff to win; real-world insight and understanding on buying motives and how to create a buying atmosphere; and how to build rich relationships, brand yourself and dominate your market.

Rickun is the CEO of Jeffrey Gitomer’s TrainOne, the world leader in online, interactive sales training and personal development. Prior to this position, he served as vice president of sales at ETE REMAN. Rickun managed a team of 21 inside sales and service reps, and was responsible for business development. He managed key account relationships and developed customer training programs that combine product training with sales training. Rickun grew an underperforming sales team from $2 million to $20 million in just four years. Rickun holds a B.S. in business from University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Business and a JD from Marquette University Law School.

The 2010 PBES Conference pre-event brochure is now available online. Click here to view the preliminary schedule and session descriptions. Click here to download the registration form or click here to register online. For more information on the conference, contact Arlene Davis or Marcella Tilli at 301-654-6664.




2/11/2010



Book Hotel Reservations Online Now for 2010 PBES Spring Conference

Hotel reservations for the Paint, Body & Equipment Specialists (PBES) 2010 spring conference, April 27-29 in Phoenix, Ariz., can now be booked online by clicking here. The 2010 conference will once again be held at the Embassy Suites Phoenix-Scottsdale. Attendees can reserve rooms for a group rate of $159/night by referencing “PBES/AAIA Meeting.” Complimentary Internet is included in the rate. The deadline for room reservations is March 19, 2010.

For more information on the 2010 PBES conference, “Boosting Your Bottom Line,” e-mail segment liaison Arlene Davis at arlene.davis@aftermarket.org. 

1/19/2010


PBES Announces 2010 Preliminary Spring Conference Schedule

The pre-event brochure for the Paint, Body & Equipment Specialists (PBES) 2010 spring conference, April 27-29 at the Embassy Suites Phoenix-Scottsdale in Phoenix, Ariz., will be mailed in the next few weeks. Click here to view a preliminary conference schedule and registration form. For more information on the 2010 PBES conference, “Boosting Your Bottom Line,” e-mail segment liaison Arlene Davis at arlene.davis@aftermarket.org. 



11/24/09


Northeast States Move Toward Adoption of Waterborne Paint Requirements

The Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) officially adopted a resolution calling on its member states to adopt waterborne paint regulations. The model regulations place limits for volatile organic compounds (VOC) that would require collision repair facilities to convert to waterborne basecoat refinish systems by Jan. 1, 2012. The model rule further specifies the use of fully enclosed spray gun cleaning systems and unatomized cleaning, disassembly and cleaning in systems that are closed when not in use, or in systems that are designated to capture solvent emissions. The model also would impose recordkeeping requirements for paint supply companies as to the regulated products that are sold and to whom they were sold. Collision shops would also need to maintain records of regulated paints used and purchased. 

The model rule will now be considered for adoption by the states that comprise OTC. This includes all states and the District of Columbia from Maine to Virginia. While amendments are possible, states are encouraged to adopt the major provisions of the model without substantial changes.

The model rule can be found at www.otcair.org/interest.asp?Fview=stationary.



11/17/09


PBES Announces Dates for 2010 Conference

The Paint, Body and Equipment Specialists (PBES) have recently announced their 2010 spring conference dates. The segment conference will be held April 27-29 at the Embassy Suites Phoenix-Scottsdale in Phoenix, Ariz. Industry professionals should expect to receive a save-the-date postcard in the month ahead.

For more information on the 2010 spring conference, visit http://www.aftermarket.org/Segments/PBES.aspx. 

PBES to Rejuvenate Membership

In an attempt to retain and recruit members, the Paint, Body and Equipment Specialists (PBES) are working to add value for their members. At the PBES fall meeting in September in Boston, Mass., the committee felt it was important that the members have an opportunity to connect to the segment on a regular basis. When polled, the committee agreed that networking was the most important reason to be a member of PBES.

A sub-committee was formed to address retaining and recruiting, jobbers, suppliers and reps to PBES. The PBES committee brainstormed the following recommendations:

• Bi-monthly Tele-conversations – The Tele-conversations will have a moderator and agenda and will last no more than 45 minutes to one hour. Free to members and prospective members.
• Two Webinars – The topics for the two Webinars would be selected from the 2009 spring conference program. Free to members and prospective members.
• SmartBrief – PBES relevant news – Weekly updates in the AAIA SmartBrief.
• Regional Meetings – Joe Mattos, Mattos Pro Finishes and Guy Bargnes, Bargnes Associates, LLC, were asked to meet with reps from the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) to determine if they would be willing to work with PBES and allow the group to piggyback on their event with a PBES event. Mattos and Bargnes will report back to the full committee on the status.
• Ask the suppliers of the PBES segment to assign a member of their staff as a PBES advocate. Keith Bell, BASF; William Small, DuPont; Bob Wenzinger, PPG; Gueary Preston, Fibre Glass-Evercoat; and Mark Ritt, 3M, all agreed to be the advocates for their companies.

We hope that as current members, you will find the expanded education helpful and that you will let us know what topics you would like to see discussed in the bi-monthly Tele-conversations. Please e-mail suggestions to Sue Kalish at sue.kalish@aftermarket.org.