Welcome to my tenure as publisher of BodyShop Business magazine. I must say it’s an honor to serve this tremendous industry.
While I may be new to the collision repair industry, I’m a lifelong automotive aftermarketer, having spent the last 20 years of my life in various sales and marketing positions, mostly on the aftermarket hard parts and distribution sides of the industry.
For the last six years here at Babcox, I’ve been the publisher of a magazine your jobbers and distributors may be familiar with – Counterman magazine. It’s my intent to bring the same level of enthusiasm and experience I have for the hard parts market to the collision repair industry.
As I’m finding, however, the collision industry is a very different animal, one with a unique roster of personalities, issues, challenges and opportunities. I’ll be relying on my excellent editorial staff, and you, to guide me through the collision repair maze.
During the brief time that I’ve been in place here, the one obvious characteristic I’ve been able to observe is the overwhelming passion everyone seems to have for the collision repair business. And, in my opinion, that’s the most valuable characteristic of all.
During the next few months, and certainly over the next few years, I’ll be traveling the country, meeting as many of you as possible and sharing in your passion for your businesses and the industry in general. This I look forward to.
After being made aware of the challenges this industry faces (and I’m already learning that there are many), I know we’ll have a lot of work ahead of us. But with passion – along with determination and resolve – we can make the necessary changes.
My favorite cliché, especially when it comes to assessing the fate of an overall industry is, "a rising tide raises all ships."
For a marketing-focused aftermarket sales dog like me, no truer words were ever spoken. All industry participants benefit when the greater good is protected and enhanced. And the tide will rise when all passions and energies are focused on the overall betterment of the industry. Your businesses will thrive if the industry is thriving – and they’ll suffer if the industry is sick.
As the publisher of BSB, it’s my job to ensure that our publication delivers the information and knowledge you need to run a successful business and to monitor the industry’s pulse to make you aware of inherent dangers, as well as positive trends and best practices. We must earn your trust every month with each issue, and we intend to continue doing just that. We also strive to empower you through knowledge and accurate information.
Please don’t hesitate to let me know if ever we fail in that regard – and do it with passion.
