Pat Adams is the parts director, Sherwood Automotive Group, a dealership group in Salisbury, Md., that sells Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Kia vehicles. The company recently signed an agreement with Mighty Distributing Systems to become a Mighty Auto Parts franchisee. The dealership uses aftermarket parts internally to refurbish and service used cars, and also plans to become a parts supplier to other dealerships in the region.
Where did you get the idea to become a Mighty franchise operation?
I went to a NetProfit meeting in Birmingham, Ala., and Mighty did a presentation there. They talked about increasing profits and looking at things in a different way. I was very impressed with the products and the whole program. I contacted them when I got back from that trip, and talked to our owner about doing it. We went down to Atlanta, looked at their operation and felt it was a right fit for us.
Did you handle aftermarket parts prior to the Mighty partnership?
We used a local parts warehouse. We had hot-shot delivery. We didn’t really stock those parts because we didn't understand the aftermarket. We didn't have the tools to look up the parts. With Mighty, everything is very easy and user friendly. All the counter people have access to the website. And we got a good education on what the aftermarket is and how it works.
We did stock some aftermarket inventory at our Kia store, but we were unhappy with the service we were getting. Everything we had was non-returnable.
Was this a big change for you in terms of how you viewed the aftermarket?
We went to the franchise training school and learned so much. I had always thought the aftermarket parts were inferior. I truly did think there were separate plants producing these parts. I didn't know that the OEM and aftermarket batteries all came from the same plant. I was a little naïve about the aftermarket.
What we did in the dealerships was we looked at the dollar value of what we were buying out. We told the parts people we were not doing anything differently. We use aftermarket parts already because we have an all makes/models service department. We're just saving a lot of time and money. Nothing changed but our efficiency.
Have you been selling parts to other dealerships yet?
Once we had our first 30 days with Mighty and were stocking our dealerships, we did do some outside sales. The deeper I got into Mighty, the more I realized that they could furnish everything that a dealership needs. We are now stocking shop supplies, hang tags, floor mats and so forth. They have a full line, so we can reduce our accounts payable to different vendors. We don’t have to shop around on price. They've got a tool program, they've got a shop supply program and advertising materials.
Pat Adams is the parts director, Sherwood Automotive Group, a dealership group in Salisbury, Md., that sells Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Kia vehicles. The company recently signed an agreement with Mighty Distributing Systems to become a Mighty Auto Parts franchisee. The dealership uses aftermarket parts internally to refurbish and service used cars, and also plans to become a parts supplier to other dealerships in the region.
Where did you get the idea to become a Mighty franchise operation?
I went to a NetProfit meeting in Birmingham, Ala., and Mighty did a presentation there. They talked about increasing profits and looking at things in a different way. I was very impressed with the products and the whole program. I contacted them when I got back from that trip, and talked to our owner about doing it. We went down to Atlanta, looked at their operation and felt it was a right fit for us.
Did you handle aftermarket parts prior to the Mighty partnership?
We used a local parts warehouse. We had hot-shot delivery. We didn’t really stock those parts because we didn't understand the aftermarket. We didn't have the tools to look up the parts. With Mighty, everything is very easy and user friendly. All the counter people have access to the website. And we got a good education on what the aftermarket is and how it works.
We did stock some aftermarket inventory at our Kia store, but we were unhappy with the service we were getting. Everything we had was non-returnable.
Was this a big change for you in terms of how you viewed the aftermarket?
We went to the franchise training school and learned so much. I had always thought the aftermarket parts were inferior. I truly did think there were separate plants producing these parts. I didn't know that the OEM and aftermarket batteries all came from the same plant. I was a little naïve about the aftermarket.
What we did in the dealerships was we looked at the dollar value of what we were buying out. We told the parts people we were not doing anything differently. We use aftermarket parts already because we have an all makes/models service department. We're just saving a lot of time and money. Nothing changed but our efficiency.
Have you been selling parts to other dealerships yet?
Once we had our first 30 days with Mighty and were stocking our dealerships, we did do some outside sales. The deeper I got into Mighty, the more I realized that they could furnish everything that a dealership needs. We are now stocking shop supplies, hang tags, floor mats and so forth. They have a full line, so we can reduce our accounts payable to different vendors. We don’t have to shop around on price. They've got a tool program, they've got a shop supply program and advertising materials.
