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Aftermarket Daily News 7 7 Tuesday, November 1, 2016 service comes even close. NitroFill's new "Tire Inflation Maintenance Program" is the latest ver- sion of its extraordinarily effective cus- tomer retention solution, that combined with its inflation gas and program ben- efits, leverages this monthly mainte- nance need into customer traffic and loyalty. The logic is simple: inflate a cus- tomer's tires with air and they can be serviced anywhere. Inflate them with something other than air, and so long as that customer knows their tires are filled with something different, they are much more likely to return to the source of that gas when they need their tire pressure adjusted. Inflate their tires with a medium that increas- es fuel economy, tire life and safety, and the odds that they will return increase even more. Combine this medium with an array of free customer benefits such as tire repair and replacement coverage, roadside assis- tance and more, plus a comprehensive customer contact and management system that utilizes text messages, e- mails and Facebook to send automated monthly inflation reminders, cus- tomized for your business and includ- ing your choice of service coupons, online review solicitations, custom content, interactive customer surveys and more. Add a customer manage- ment platform that tracks the wear of NitroFill (Cont'd. from p. 1) each customer's tires and provides an array of additional communication and reporting features and you have effec- tively bonded your customers to your business. Why would you want to flood your service drive with customers who only want their tire pressure checked? Because tire inflation maintenance is the Holy Grail of tire sales. According to industry studies, an incredible 78 percent of consumers purchase their replacement tires from the first car care professional that informs them of the need. If your customers are rou- tinely returning to your shop for their tire pressure needs, your staff will always be the first to inform them when they need new tires, and 78 per- cent of the time, make the sale. NitroFill customers don't just return to your business more often, typically four times more often than non- NitroFill customers, they return with the expectation that your staff is going to inspect their tires. There's more. Don't let your staff forget that each time a NitroFill customer returns for a regular tire check, they do bring their entire vehicle with them. What better time to check their oil change sticker, odometer and service records. To learn more about NitroFill and the Tire Inflation Maintenance Program, watch the video at www.nitrofillnow.com, call 954.970.1691 or stop by booth #41197 in the South Hall. joining GM, I served as Vice President and General Manager of Delphi Product & Service Solutions, which included oversight of the independent aftermarket and original equipment (OE) service channels. Before joining Delphi, I man- aged aftermarket offerings for Continental, Federal-Mogul, TRW and Visteon. I'd say the biggest takeaway from my career so far has been the importance of brand building, and that's what is so exciting about ACDelco. When you talk about a brand like ACDelco with a 100- year legacy in the aftermarket backed by the global resources of GM, it's really exciting to think of the possibilities. ADN: What sets ACDelco apart from competitors? DM: While we have a healthy respect for all of our competitors, we bring genera- tions of automotive aftermarket experi- ence and leadership. In fact, this year we are celebrating our 100th year in the industry. That's experience few can match, and this is no secret within the technician community when it comes to selecting parts for maintenance and repair. In fact, in a recent Global Market Research survey earlier this year, inde- pendent installers said ACDelco was the "most trusted full-line parts brand" (based on an April 2016 Global Market Research survey of independent auto repair shop installers of brands offering products in five or more parts categories) in the automotive aftermarket. We credit this, in part, to our unique status as the true General Motors Original Equipment parts brand. ACDelco doesn't just sell parts – we also provide training and marketing sup- port for our network of 5,000 independ- ent Professional Service Center program participants. ADN: What will visitors see in ACDelco's AAPEX booth? DM: Visitors will experience the breadth and depth of our product lineup, which includes more than 90,000 parts across 37 lines. We'll showcase our vast portfo- ACDelco (Cont'd. from p. 1) lio of GM OE, Professional, Advantage and Specialty parts available for most makes and models. This year, we'll be highlighting some exciting new products in our brake, collision and hybrid vehicle replacement parts portfolios. We'll also demonstrate state-of-the- art e-business solutions like CONNEC- TION, which offers tools that enhance shop productivity, accelerate parts lookup and inventory tracking, and much more. ADN: What are you doing to support your aftermarket customers? DM: When shops partner with us, they preserve their independence while get- ting world-class marketing support and customer lead generation. Along with the training I mentioned, we're launching new parts and expanding existing lines such as new starters and alternators, cabin air filters and more GM OE offer- ings such as tire pressure monitoring sys- tems and powertrain components. GMsi and TIS2Web software give shops the ability to keep diagnostic work in-house and profitable. We also under- stand relationships are important, so we have several hundred feet on the street calling on our customers. ADN: What makes you most optimistic about ACDelco's future? DM: As our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra has men- tioned many times, the automotive indus- try is going to change more in the next five years than it has in the last 50. The aftermarket is no exception, and this positions ACDelco for growth. The average passenger car on U.S. roads today is more than 11 years old, and vehi- cle ownership is rapidly growing in many key emerging markets. This creates the potential for growth around the world. As we look ahead to our next 100 years, I think the trust we've established will differentiate us from our competi- tors. For more information, visit www.ac delco.com, call 800.ACDELCO or stop by booth #4609 at Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX). cross-linked molecular composition and non-porous attributes. The secret lies in POR-15 Rust Preventive Coating's curing process. Most paints dry through evaporation, but POR-15 Rust Preventive Coating dries faster when moisture is present. It has the opposite chemistry of ordinary paints. Now add to that POR-15 Rust Preventive Coating's incredible hard- ness, toughness and flexibility, and you have a coating that is practically inde- structible. POR-15 is great for auto restoration and this incredible product is now sold in 52 countries around the world. POR-15 (Cont'd. from p. 1) POR-15 is the trusted brand in the paint and coatings industry that stands for superior quality control, durability and customer service. Best known for the unbeatable POR-15 Rust Preventive 3- Step System with permanent results, POR-15 also offers a wide variety of spe- cialty paints and coatings to include POR-15 Top Coat, High Temp Heat Resistant Paint, Engine Enamel and Floor Armor. POR-15 has designed effective and efficient product systems, kits and accessories for several applica- tions and functions. For more information, visit www.por15.com or stop by booth #23793. These numbers beg an obvious ques- tion: why bother? The hugely compelling answer: the customer! This customer is unusually knowledgeable, demonstrates die-hard brand loyalty, is extremely enthusiastic and wields an inordinate amount of mar- ket influence, and this influence is most significant. Enthusiasts buy cars for themselves, frequent auto parts stores and their opinions have a disproportion- ately strong ripple-effect that steers the purchase choices of their social circle. They are the catalyst triggering a high percentage of vehicle and parts sales. Take one look at any magazine stand, and it tells a story. Names like Hot Rod, Drag Racer, Muscle Car Power and many others fill the racks. Enthusiasts are buying these magazines, voraciously consuming information, sharing their knowledge and purchasing their informed choices of vehicles and parts. Although the correlation of new car purchases to happy performance enthusiasts is not always well-articulat- ed, for decades the OEMs have instinc- tively realized the importance of feed- ing this crowd's enthusiasm – a chal- lenge that is met by releasing exciting, new performance parts with ever- improving functionality and engineer- ing products that are at the forefront of the aftermarket. OEMs can't do this immense task all by themselves. The performance parts market is too broad, too fast-moving and customers' choices can change as fast as women's clothing fashions. To get an understanding of this reality, we inter- Performance Parts (Cont'd. from p. 1) viewed Booth Platt, Special Projects Manager for Specialty Auto Parts U.S.A., Inc., known for its PROFORM ® brand of performance parts. Stating the requirement for success: "From a functional standpoint, we look for innovative solutions to everyday problems, and from an appearance stand- point, we strive for elegance. Among our patentable products are battery hold- downs that don't corrode, ignition wire holders that help organize the engine compartment, oil drain plugs that prevent messy oil seepage while being unscrewed, funnels that permit any excess fluid to be easily returned to the original container, clever wrench acces- sories that solve clearance issues, advances in the engine-cooling field and widely recognized dress-up parts for crate engines which have clean, distinc- tive lines. We design and manufacture many bolt-on parts which define the appearance of OEM crate engines today, setting them apart from the aftermarket competition." With regard to the overall market: "The OEMs and the big chains will be well-served by continuing to recognize the value of consistently serving the needs of generation after generation of performance parts buyers, racers and street car enthusiasts. Fostering their enthusiasm retains their brand and store loyalty, which in turn continually helps brand positioning and leads to sales. That has value far beyond what a glance at performance parts' sale revenue numbers might indicate." For more information, stop by booth #23667.