More than 330 dealers and their guests attended the recent American Tire Distributors Alliance Dealer Business Conference in Las Vegas. The event was highlighted by business-building seminars.
"We believe that our job is to be a lot more than just your distributor. The industry is constantly changing, and having the knowledge necessary to capitalize on the these changes is the key to success," said Dick Johnson, chairman and CEO of American Tire Distributors (ATD), in his opening remarks.
"It’s our responsibility to provide our family of dealers with new ideas and a clear vision to succeed in an increasingly competitive marketplace."
Bill Berry, president and chief operating officer, identified key industry opportunities for the independent tire dealer. He urged dealers to "take advantage of their advantage" by:
* providing superior service via expert problem solving, and offering customers a hassle-free buying experience.
* developing the high performance tire and wheel business.
* building relationships with customers by getting involved in the community.
"The meeting format was very beneficial," said Larry Vining, an Alliance dealer and owner of Turner & Osborne Tire Co. in Columbia, Tenn. "Anytime we can get together and talk about business is a good step toward solving some of the problems and issues we are facing today."
Also on hand was Julie Foudy, the captain of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and Olympic gold medalist, on behalf of the Uniroyal Youth Soccer program. She said ATD has the largest number of participating dealers in the country.
