Vendors and council members filled NAPA headquarters for two days at the end of March to attend the third annual NAPA Auto Care Vendor Partner Summit.
This event overlapped with the biannual NAPA Auto Care Advisory Council meeting and provided the opportunity for the Auto Care team, council members, and vendors to celebrate the past year and look forward toward the next.
During the event, Auto Care looks back at the success of the past year and presents four Vendor Partner Awards: Marketing and Service Excellence, Strategic Contributor, MVP, and Vendor of the Year. This year’s award winners included Endeavor Business Media as the 2023 Marketing and Service Excellence recipient, NAPA TRACS as the 2023 Strategic Contributor, Jay Sorensen of AutoNetTV as the 2023 MVP, and KUKUI as the 2023 Vendor of the Year.
These awards are well-recognized among vendors as a prestigious recognition to receive from NAPA Auto Care headquarters and motivates them as they plan for upcoming years.
"I am grateful for the partnership the Vehicle Repair Group has formed with NAPA Auto Care, and we are honored to receive this distinguished award,” said Chris Messer, VP/group publisher of the Endeavor Business Media Vehicle Repair Group. “This would not have been possible without the collaborative work from our team, which shows what Endeavor Business Media is capable of when we are at our best.”
Vendor partners are key to NAPA Auto Care’s ability to provide the best services to Auto Care centers and ensure that the vendors they work with share the same goals and standards as NAPA Auto Care.
"We pride ourselves on providing industry-leading solutions from reputable vendors for all our NAPA Auto Care center members," said Jason Rainey, vice president of NAPA Auto Care. "Our third annual Vendor Partner Summit proved that NAPA Auto Care does exactly that. We celebrate this year's winners, including Endeavor Business Media's Vehicle Repair Group, KUKUI, NAPA TRACS, and Jay Sorensen."
Endeavor Business Media
Endeavor Business Media joined NAPA Auto Care in a major collaboration by taking over the production of the NAPA INSIGHT quarterly publication at the beginning of 2023. Known for automotive publications such as Ratchet and Wrench, MotorAge, PTEN, and FenderBender, EBM brings industry expertise and a fresh look to NAPA INSIGHT to share success stories and important NAPA news and, ultimately, better serve Auto Care centers.
This collaboration led to EBM receiving the 2023 Marketing and Service Excellence Award.
"Since taking over INSIGHT in 2023, the Endeavor Business Media team has done an amazing job helping to manage the messaging to our 18,000+ NAPA Auto Care centers and 6,000+ parts stores,”
said Rainey. “The media expertise that Endeavor brings to the table leads our industry, and they have taken our important communication medium, INSIGHT, to a whole new level. We are proud to have them as our business partner.”
NAPA TRACS
The partnership between NAPA TRACS and Auto Care has a long history, spanning over 35 years. NAPA TRACS provides shop management solutions to Auto Care center owners, helping them increase efficiency and profitability. NAPA TRACS continues to work toward providing shops with the tools they need to be successful and will offer this service for years to come.
“We continue to grow closer and closer in our goals and our strategic direction,” said Dan Harbeck, director of sales and marketing at NAPA TRACS. “The partnership between NAPA TRACS and NAPA Auto Care will continue to grow stronger.”
Jay Sorensen
Jay Sorensen, account manager at AutoNetTV Media, was an exemplary team player, and his work was representative of the NAPA brand values. AutoNetTV has partnered with Auto Care for 15 years and continues to innovate and anticipate the needs of shop owners.
“We are always exploring opportunities to expand our product and service offerings,” said Sorensen. “This involves introducing new products, as well as integrations with other NAPA vendors that complement our existing products to meet evolving NAPA Auto Care center needs.”
The collaborative nature of AutoNetTV’s goals showcases what a NAPA partnership should look like at its best and helps promote success for both NAPA and vendors.
KUKIU
A partner for eight years, KUKUI was awarded 2023 Vendor of the Year for its dedication to providing services to every Auto Care center, regardless of size or budget. This commitment and attention to detail has created a mutually beneficial relationship between KUKUI and Auto Care center owners and highlights the impact a partnership can have on a business.
“Partnering with a brand like NAPA Auto Care is so valuable to us here at KUKUI because the values and goals of our two organizations are very much in line,” said Connor Tracy, director of partner development at KUKUI. “We both want to collaborate with shop owners — no matter what size or stage — to help them grow, and to support the shop owner for many years to come. Really, both of our successes are tied to the success of the shop owner.”
Looking Forward
While celebrating the past, the Vendor Partner Summit acts as a catalyst for progression as Auto Care plans for the future. Attendees value the opportunity to work together in this shared vision and reestablish the importance of this bond.
“The annual Vendor Summit is essential for relationship building, strategic alignment, knowledge sharing, feedback and collaboration, and networking, as well as recognition and celebration,” said Sorensen. “It serves as a cornerstone event that reinforces the foundation of our partnership with NAPA and sets the stage for continued growth and success in the year ahead.”
Working toward a unified goal is crucial to the strength of these collaborations. Having the opportunity to plan together reminds vendors of what motivates them and their companies.
The best vendors understand the importance of this collaboration and work together to help both NAPA and Auto Care center owners, ultimately benefiting their own businesses. This would not be possible without the opportunity to gather together at events like the NAPA Auto Care Vendor Partner Summit.
“Collaboration is often key to successful partnerships,” said Sorensen. “By fostering open communication, sharing insights, and working closely with NAPA, we have been able to maximize the effectiveness of our partnership and achieve remarkable outcomes.”
More information regarding this year’s Vendor Award winners and a complete list of NAPA Vendor Partners can be found on the member site.
