Professional Distributor - 7
COVER STORY
Business risks
that PAID OFF
Roy Hernandez
Cornwell Quality Tools
Waxahachie, Texas
Three mobile tool dealers reflect on
making changes, taking chances, and
coming out on the other side.
Reid
Thomas
Independent
Houston, Texas
by Sara Scullin, Editor
H
ave you ever considered a cross-country move ... even when
business was going well? Did you "migrate" to mobile tool sales
from a completely different field? The prospect of change is often
daunting, whether we are the ones to initiate the change or life's circumstances give us a nudge. Take a tip from these mobile dealers who have
encountered significant change in their life and business, each navigating their way through with a healthy dose of hard work, support, and
unwavering optimism.
WHEN IN DOUBT,
HEAD TO THE BEACH
Mike Gruber
Mac Tools
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Many times, life dictates your next
move and you follow along for the ride.
Mac Tools distributor Mike Gruber had run a very successful route for
ten years in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He had loyal customers and made
easy tool sales. Despite this, there came
a time in Gruber's life when he and his
wife reevaluated their situation and
decided to make some changes.
"My wife was pursuing an MBA at
Penn State while also working in marketing. After graduating and looking
around the area for jobs, we realized
how few jobs existed around [there] in
her career field. One night at dinner,
she and I both expressed how we'd
like to move out of the area. She never
really wanted to bring it up in the past
because my business did so well, and
she thought I would never want to walk
away from it.
"We then started looking [at regions]
where she could get a job and I could
purchase a route to continue on with
Mac Tools," Gruber says. "This process was somewhat stressful, because
we needed to satisfy both of our career
paths. We ... finally settled on Virginia
Beach after talking to a local distributor that expressed interest in selling his
failing route."
The startup was a bumpy ride, Gruber recalls. He says selling the old business took about a year ... and plenty of
work to get accounts receivable down.
"Collections were through the roof, but
there were no sales. I had to re-learn
how to sell things again," he says.
When the Mac Tools distributor
purchased his new route, and as he
worked to turn it around, he quickly
found the scenery wasn't the only
Mike Gruber
Mac Tools
Virginia Beach,
Virginia
Professional Distributor I August 2019 I VehicleServicePros.com 7
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
Professional Distributor
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Professional Distributor
Editor's Note: A risky (and rewarding) business
Business risks that paid off
Show Me Your Truck
Most Wanted
2019 PTEN Innovation Award Winners
Sneak Peek
Product Training
Go Sell Something: You can teach an old dog new tricks ... especially if that dog is you and you want to earn more money.
In Focus Products
Diagnostic Discourse: Programming: Where did it start, and what options are available to today's technicians?
Driving Sales
Tales from the Road: Tool dealer John Loobey's love of martial arts led him to compete on American Ninja Warrior.
Professional Distributor - 1
Professional Distributor - 2
Professional Distributor - 3
Professional Distributor - Editor's Note: A risky (and rewarding) business
Professional Distributor - 5
Professional Distributor - Business risks that paid off
Professional Distributor - 7
Professional Distributor - 8
Professional Distributor - 9
Professional Distributor - 10
Professional Distributor - 11
Professional Distributor - 12
Professional Distributor - 13
Professional Distributor - Show Me Your Truck
Professional Distributor - 15
Professional Distributor - Most Wanted
Professional Distributor - 17
Professional Distributor - 2019 PTEN Innovation Award Winners
Professional Distributor - 19
Professional Distributor - 20
Professional Distributor - 21
Professional Distributor - 22
Professional Distributor - 23
Professional Distributor - 24
Professional Distributor - 25
Professional Distributor - 26
Professional Distributor - 27
Professional Distributor - Sneak Peek
Professional Distributor - 29
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Professional Distributor - 34
Professional Distributor - 35
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Professional Distributor - 37
Professional Distributor - Product Training
Professional Distributor - 39
Professional Distributor - 40
Professional Distributor - 41
Professional Distributor - Go Sell Something: You can teach an old dog new tricks ... especially if that dog is you and you want to earn more money.
Professional Distributor - 43
Professional Distributor - In Focus Products
Professional Distributor - 45
Professional Distributor - 46
Professional Distributor - 47
Professional Distributor - Diagnostic Discourse: Programming: Where did it start, and what options are available to today's technicians?
Professional Distributor - 49
Professional Distributor - 50
Professional Distributor - 51
Professional Distributor - Driving Sales
Professional Distributor - 53
Professional Distributor - Tales from the Road: Tool dealer John Loobey's love of martial arts led him to compete on American Ninja Warrior.
Professional Distributor - 55
Professional Distributor - 56
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