Aftermarket Business World salutes the troops

May 1, 2014
As a result of this moment of clarity our entire Advanstar Automotive Group has worked diligently on our special “Salute The Troops” issues for every property we produce in May.

Every so often I get one of those “Aah Haa!” moments when something I didn’t grasp or understand suddenly becomes crystal clear. I consider those to be my “How can I be so stupid?” moments.

Last fall, I actually slapped my forehead after realizing that it was time for Advanstar Automotive Group to recognize the men and women who serve in the U.S. military, and all those veterans who came before them. It was startlingly obvious. The automotive industry has long been filled with vets and active duty personnel who have made sacrifices to give all of us a better life.

As a result of this moment of clarity our entire Advanstar Automotive Group has worked diligently on our special “Salute The Troops” issues for every property we produce in May. When we began compiling ideas, stories poured in immediately from across the automotive sector. Our publications, Motor Age, Automotive Body Repair Network (ABRN) and Aftermarket Business World, share with you shop owners, distributors, technicians, suppliers and others who in one way or another are tightly connected to the military.

But we didn’t want to stop there. We wanted to maintain our mission as the leading source of quality technical and business management information, but with a twist. You’ll find throughout our coverage entertaining features on military technology and business operations we hope you’ll enjoy.

Here in Aftermarket Business World our cover story from James E. Guyette (pg. 4) talks about the military thread that runs through our industry and shares advice on the parts procurement process for distributors. On page 12, Lockheed Martin talks about its vast global supply chain, which supports military vehicles around the world.

Our columnists this month also pay tribute to the men and women who serve, or have served, the U.S. Armed Forces. Washington D.C. Correspondent Stephen Barlas shares a personal connection with his father during a battle site reunion (pg. 14), Bob Moore gives homage to his friend, and long-time aftermarket executive Jerry McCabe (pg. 16) and Mark Smith evaluates the value of nicknames and the military legacy of his great Uncle Muck (pg. 15). There is much more inside.  

As always, we aren’t simply making this a “publication” project. We have a special webinar May 22 at 8 p.m. EST on A/C Servicing Best Practices conducted by Motor Age Technical Editor Pete Meier in cooperation with MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla. We journeyed to the home of Central Command at MacDill and hung out with the airmen (and women) charged with keeping the base mobile. Due to base security, we had to record this webinar but we will be “live” and standing by to answer your questions.

We also have produced numerous video interviews with active and former military now working in the automotive sector. If you sell to any Sterling Auto Body shops you might enjoy our conversation with Sterling’s Bob Benjamin, an Army Ranger who recently returned from his second deployment to Afghanistan. ABRN Managing Editor Krista McNamara talked to Bob soon after his tour ended, and his daughter’s tour as an Apache attack helicopter pilot was just beginning. See the video at abrn.com/benjamin.

We know we’ve only scratched the surface this month. So I’m encouraging you to continue sharing stories and goodwill initiatives with us aimed at helping active and former military veterans. It’s the least we can do to honor those who have sacrificed so much for us.

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