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Bill Hanvey: ‘A National Apprentice Program Is Long Overdue’
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By Counterman
Genuine Parts Co. (GPC) reported full-year 2023 sales of $23.1 billion, a 4.5% year-over-year increase.
Net income was $1.3 billion, or $9.33 per diluted share, an increase of 12.3%.
Full-year net sales in the Automotive Parts Group, which includes NAPA Auto Parts, were $14.25 billion, up from $13.67 billion in 2022.
Fourth-quarter automotive sales were up nearly 1% to $3.5 billion.
While GPC’s international automotive businesses posted positive sales growth in local currency, the U.S. automotive segment saw a dip in sales, GPC President and COO Will Stengel noted during the company’s Feb. 15 conference call.
“In North America, while results fell short of our expectations, we remain focused on our strategic initiatives and continue to make solid progress,” GPC Chairman and CEO Paul Donahue said during the call. “We’ve undertaken a comprehensive review of the NAPA business to identify key issues, and we have taken action to improve the performance at NAPA. We are confident we are focused on the right initiatives to positively impact our performance in the quarters ahead.”
Coinciding with the release of its full-year and fourth-quarter 2023 financial results, GPC said the company is launching a global restructuring “to better align the company’s assets and further improve the efficiency of the business.”
The restructuring includes a voluntary retirement offer in the United States, along with “a rationalization and optimization of certain distribution centers, stores and other facilities,” according to the company.
Through the restructuring, GPC said it expects to realize approximately $20 million to $40 million of savings in 2024, and approximately $45 million to $90 million on an annualized basis. The company also expects to incur costs of approximately $100 million to $200 million related to the restructuring efforts in 2024 and will report the restructuring costs as a non-recurring expense.
“The primary objective of the global program is to continue to simplify and streamline our operations consistent with our overall business strategy,” Stengel explained during the conference call. “When we simplify, we increase the speed of local service, deliver operational productivity, improve the efficiency of our teams and reduce our overall cost to serve.”
Stengel noted that the restructuring initiative “is a similar playbook to our previous GPC program implemented in fall 2019 that delivered positive results.”
“Aspects of the restructuring are already in flight, and some will take place in the months ahead,” Stengel added.
Focus on NAPA
Stengel talked at length about efforts to revitalize GPC’s NAPA Auto Parts business.
GPC has identified three areas of improvement for NAPA: improving fill rates in key product categories, “operational rigor in our stores” and capitalizing on commercial growth opportunities, Stengel explained.
Adjustments to “certain key suppliers to improve fill rates” boosted fourth-quarter “category trends,” Stengel said, adding that “we’re encouraged by the positive momentum.”
“Second, our in-store service levels measured by on-time delivery to customers have significantly improved as a result of increased focused on last-mile operating disciplines,” Stengel said.
Stengel noted that efforts to improve commercial sales growth are “ongoing.” GPC recently appointed Tom Skov to the newly created role of executive vice president, sales & store operations, North America.
“He’s an automotive-parts expert and has a deep understanding of our customers field sales and store operations,” Stengel asserted. “We’re excited for the strong leadership Tom will bring to our sales and store operations field teams.”
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By Counterman
The VIPAR Heavy Duty Family of Companies announced that industry veteran Candy Daume has joined its team as a new program manager.
Daume will be working with the company’s supplier partners to refine and develop parts-purchasing programs for its distributor network, VIPAR noted.
Daume has more than 25 years of heavy-duty aftermarket experience, including experience as COO of a large distributor with responsibility for multiple locations and nearly 100 employees.
“We’re excited Candy is joining our team and the wealth of experience and expertise she brings to our organization,” said Larry Griffin, VIPAR Heavy Duty Family of Companies’ vice president of program management. “She will be instrumental in serving our VIPAR Heavy Duty and Power Heavy Duty distributors, as well as our supplier partners, through development of innovative programs to ensure our network’s continued success.”
Daume is a graduate of Lake Land College in Mattoon, Illinois.
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By Counterman
new national survey by Atomik Research reveals 91% of American motorists say they’ve experienced a dead battery, but nearly two-thirds (65%) of motorists admit they don’t think about having their car battery checked until it’s too late.
To raise awareness of the importance of having a reliable car battery, Advance Auto Parts is giving away free DieHard batteries on National Battery Day, which is Sunday, Feb. 18.
Advance said it will surprise randomly selected customers with a free DieHard battery, including those getting their current battery tested, at participating stores nationwide.
As part of National Battery Day, Advance is partnering with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield to encourage motorists to get their car batteries tested.
“Checking the performance of your car battery can prevent unfortunate and even unsafe events caused by dead batteries,” said Junior Word, Advance’s executive vice president, U.S. stores.
Additional data from the national Atomik survey commissioned by Advance in January underscores the need to remind motorists to get their car batteries checked:
Sixty-five percent of motorists say they’ve missed or been late to something due to a dead car battery; nearly 10% say they missed or were late to an important life event – such as a wedding, funeral or birth of a child. Only 2% of motorists indicate they’ve had their car battery checked before a cross-country road trip. Only 5% of motorists report having ever checked their car battery when there is a drop in temperature. The post
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By Advance Auto Parts
Advance Auto Parts Puts a Charge in American Motorists on National Battery Day With Free DieHard® Auto Batteries Giveaway and Complimentary Battery Testing Nationwide Feb. 18
02/14/2024 New survey reveals 91 percent of motorists have experienced a dead battery, but nearly two-thirds admit they don’t think about having their car battery checked until it’s too late
RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP), a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider, is jump-starting motorists’ attention to the safety and reliability of their automobiles by giving away free DieHard® batteries on National Battery Day, Sunday, Feb. 18.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
link hidden, please login to view Customers who visit their local Advance Auto Parts store on National Battery Day, Sunday, February 18, may be randomly selected to receive a free DieHard auto battery. (Photo: Business Wire)
A new national survey by Atomik Research reveals 91 percent of American motorists say they have experienced a dead battery, but nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of motorists admit they don’t think about having their car battery checked until it’s too late.
On National Battery Day, Sunday, Feb. 18, Advance will surprise randomly selected customers with a free DieHard® battery, including those getting their current battery tested, at participating stores nationwide. As part of National Battery Day, Advance is partnering with pro football star quarterback Baker Mayfield to encourage motorists to get their car batteries tested.
“Our team of automotive experts are committed to customer care and advancing the needs of today’s motorists, such as offering complimentary curbside battery testing and installation every day, including on National Battery Day, Sunday Feb. 18,” said Junior Word, Advance’s executive vice president, U.S. stores. “Checking the performance of your car battery can prevent unfortunate and even unsafe events caused by dead batteries.”
Additional data from the national Atomik survey commissioned by Advance in January further validates the need to remind motorists to get their car batteries checked:
65 percent of motorists say they have missed or been late to something due to a dead car battery, including nearly 10 percent say they missed or were late to an important life event – such as a wedding, funeral or birth of a child Only 2 percent of motorists indicate they have had their car battery checked before a cross‑country road trip Only 5 percent of motorists report having ever checked their car battery when there is a drop in temperature To learn more about Advance’s car care offerings, including DieHard®, or find a store location, visit
link hidden, please login to view. DieHard® is America’s most trusted auto battery* and part of Advance’s portfolio of owned brands. About Advance Auto Parts
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installer and do-it-yourself customers. As of October 7, 2023, Advance operated 4,785 stores and 320 Worldpac branches primarily within the United States, with additional locations in Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The company also served 1,307 independently owned Carquest branded stores across these locations in addition to Mexico and various Caribbean islands. Additional information about Advance, including employment opportunities, customer services, and online shopping for parts, accessories and other offerings can be found at
link hidden, please login to view. Fleishman-Hillard, Inc. and Advance Auto Parts commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,004 drivers throughout the United States. The sample consists of adults who own or regularly operate a gasoline-powered vehicle — hybrid and EV drivers were excluded from the sample. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points with a confidence level of 95 percent. Fieldwork took place between January 9 and January 11, 2024.
* Based on 2021 independent survey of nationally representative sample of 1,200+ drivers.
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By Counterman
Dayco has become a partner brand for the industry’s eXtra loyalty program.
eXtra is a multi-brand loyalty offering geared toward automotive repair shop owners that allows them to buy, earn and redeem points without cutting box tops or tracking sales. It currently has 17,000 participating shop owners in the United States and Canada, and is growing rapidly.
Shops that are registered in the eXtra program now have access to eligible Dayco products and can earn points for purchases that can be redeemed for more than a million items, including everything from high-end merchandise, apparel and electronics from major retailers to travel vouchers, gift certificates and business solutions.
In addition, there are giveaways and incentives for shops as well as daily promotions and regular communication on new products, training information and educational content from the program’s brand partners.
Dayco products offered through the eXtra program include serpentine-belt kits, timing-belt water-pump kits, timing-chain kits and water pumps.
“This program has been well-received in the industry and is growing quickly,” said Tom Tecklenburg, VP of Dayco N.A. sales & marketing. “It’s extremely easy for shops to participate and we love that it offers Dayco a way to reward those repair shops who purchase from us. Plus it gives us an opportunity to educate eXtra shop members on the quality and effectiveness of all of our kits and system solutions and what sets the Dayco brand apart from competitive products.”
U.S. repair shops interested in the eXtra program can visit
link hidden, please login to view, and Canadian shops can visit link hidden, please login to view. For more information about Dayco’s aftermarket products or access to the company’s full library of technical information and repair videos, visit the
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