How did they get started, what aspects do they like most and what challenges are they facing today

Autosphere is always looking to speak with jobbers and how their careers have unfolded. In the first of a two-part series, we decided to ask a couple of young jobbers in different situations and asked them about their thoughts. We contacted Allan Wood at UAP/NAPA and Stephen Squires of Colonial Auto Parts to see what they felt about being a successful jobber.

Our first question was to ask them how they got involved in this industry?
Allan led off by stating, “Previous to my career in the auto industry I attended culinary school. When an opportunity to give a different type of customer service presented itself, I took a leap to try something different. My wife and in-laws operate a NAPA AUTOPRO location, so I’ve always been somewhat connected to the industry. I was very fortunate early in my career to have two mentors that helped shape my thought process on customer service and showed me the ropes in the industry. They are still very much a part of my career and life.

Stephen has a bit of a different story… “While I was by no means forced into the industry; avoiding it completely was not exactly possible with my grandfather and both of my parents being involved in the family business. As I grew up, time was often spent at the store and travel often had business elements where I would meet industry partners. Once I was old enough, summer breaks meant working in the warehouse or out delivering parts to garages. So, while I was not forced into the industry it was probably a bit preordained!

Next, we wanted to ask them if there was anything in particular that drew them to the aftermarket and the distribution side?
Allan said: I have always been a car guy and grew up watching Shade Tree Mechanic, Motoring 2000 and Horsepower TV on Sunday morning with my grandfather. I have always enjoyed providing a solution to a problem and car parts were a natural fit.

We then asked what they like most about working in this industry?
Stephen related that, “Growing up I saw many positive aspects of the industry which I still see today. The industry is much more relationship driven than it is transactional. While I think this has reduced some over the years with the reduction of independent owners and Canadian sales staff, by no means do I see it disappearing going forward. I believe that being able to develop relationships with customers and suppliers is much more enjoyable than a sale always being about the dollars and cents. I also consider it to be a very interesting industry; there can be a lot of variety in the day-to-day operations, and it is an industry that is going to continue to evolve and change over the coming years so there is always something new to consider and the job is not monotonous.

Allan stated, “Being able to work with professional customer partners and providing unique solutions. The industry is a close-knit community and I’ve been able to make many friends whether they are customers, co-workers, suppliers or product specialists.

Our next question was what they felt is most challenging working in the aftermarket distribution sector?
Allan remarked that “The industry is flooded with great product and even better people. Keeping up with technology and ever-changing vehicles can be a challenge. The end user is more educated than ever so making sure we give our ASP’s the best service is critical.”

Stephen added: “One of the more important things I have learned in my brief time in the industry is that it is a long road, and it is always important to try and maintain good relationships because you never know when you might need someone down the line. It is incredible how many times I have heard people say that they won’t do business with a company or a person because 30 years ago they felt that they had been done wrong. Even if the company has been sold three times since then and 90% of the people have turned over, as far as they are concerned, there is nothing that could be changed for them to be willing to do business with them again. Ultimately, everyone is in it to do well for themselves and sometimes you need to make changes, but you never know what will happen in the next 5, 10 or 30 years so it is always important to treat people with respect and maintain the relationship.”