Eastern Automotive Warehousing/Auto Machinery - Autosphere

fact that we’re a family business with fi ve
generations of ties to our area, that we
know what people want—because we ask
them—and that we value customer service
above all else, positions us very well
in today’s market. Also, we have a faster
reaction to economic trends in the Atlantic
Canadian marketplace because we’re well
positioned compared to those who aren’t
from the area. We know the market, know
our customers and can react to programs
and challenges more effi ciently than our
competitors. With Auto Value we’re given
all the tools on the marketing side making
us competitive with all the larger chains,”
David tells us.
We asked David how different business was
today as compared to 20 years ago. “Ten
years ago was a turning point for us, but
20 years ago Eastern was much different
because we weren’t quite sure of the company
direction. We had a warehouse with a
few smaller customers and a pretty decent
size jobber business. We were hovering
between the jobbing and warehousing
business. When we joined Auto Value, we
decided to go hard into the warehousing
business. We now have 14 Auto Value banner-fl
ying stores—none 10 years ago—and
18 Certifi ed Service Centres! We‘ve really
started to grow the program.”
Still learning
“I’ve been lucky to have two mentors—
my Grandfather Ron, and my Dad, Doug.
They’ve taught me so much. They come
in everyday, both have different styles
of management and it’s good to learn
from each. In addition, they’ve both been
very supportive of my desire to continue
my education. Currently I’m enrolled in
Leadership 2.0 at Northwood University
PHOTOS: STEPHEN MACGILLIVRAY, atwphoto@atwphoto.com
where I plan to continue on to get an
executive MBA.
“I now deal with Auto Value and sit on
some of their committees. They’ve defi nitely
given us the tools to become more
successful and gave us what is pretty
much a ‘turn-key’ parts store program we’d
struggled with before. They’ve also given
us a Certifi ed Service Centre program to
stay competitive today. I have the opportunity
to talk to the ‘experts’ in the industry
at meetings gaining valuable insight
and knowledge from them—a big asset.
“We try to implement as many Alliance
programs as we can, depending on the
area of the store or service centre which
can benefi t from and be best served by
the program information. We use just
about every program available somewhere
throughout our organization—they’ve certainly
helped us grow our business successfully.
All the programs are good ones;
you just have to fi nd the one that fi ts. They
provide enormous support.”
The future
The future is important to Auto Machinery/
Eastern Automotive Warehousing. “Auto
Machinery has been around for a long
time and does a very good job at servicing
customers. We must be prepared to continue
the great service into the future with
the goal to enhance our relationships even
more. With Eastern Automotive, we’re
looking to grow distribution—expanding
more with corporate and independent
locations into Nova Scotia plus targeting
more growth here in New Brunswick. Our
three stores in Newfoundland are doing
very well, indicating a growth market in
that province as well.
“We expanded our current location and
now our new, modern facility boasts
32,000 sq. ft. In our area, I believe there
will continue to be vast opportunities in
the aftermarket. Many people are choosing
not to trade in cars, opting to keep
and maintain them. The current economic
climate has shown people that with good
maintenance they can hold on to their
vehicle longer, eliminating a huge expenditure.
Maintenance and repair equals
longevity, resulting in more disposable
cash and that’s a good thing. And here the
aftermarket has a huge advantage. The
industry has taken the right steps for us to
go forward in the future by giving us the
tools we need to help our customers keep
their vehicles in good repair,” David says.
Getting involved
ADVERTORIAL
“I’ve been involved with AIA since I started
in the business and sit on the Atlantic
Division board. I’ve been involved with
YES, an amazing group of young people,
and was honored with the AIA young
executive of the year award in 2008.
Through YES I’ve made many great connections.
I encourage any young person to
enter the aftermarket industry and they’ll
surely find an occupation which is fun,
fulfi lling and full of great opportunities,”
David concludes.
Auto Machinery/Eastern Automotive
Warehousing is an enduring family run
business, which has grown with the times
and will continue to evolve with new technologies,
products and the ever-present
customer service. We certainly wish them
at least another 95 years of success.
| www.autosphere.ca | December 2009 | CarCare Business | 15