Fixed Ops Journal - June 2021 - F4

FIXED OPS JOURNAL
FIRST RESPONDERS
FOJ Forum sparks interest of those who 'stay on top' of industry
W
DAN SHINE
dan.shine@crain.com
Fixed Ops Journal editor
Tuesday, July 13
At Your Service: The State of the
Industry
Where do dealership service
departments stand 16 months
after the start of the pandemic?
Speakers :
 Zach Brandt, general manager,
Capitol Ford
 Bob Cawley, fi xed ops director,
Horne Auto Group
 Kim Saylor, senior product
marketing manager, CDK Global
Tuesday, July 20
Strategies for Customer Retention
How are smart fi xed ops directors
using data, technology and other
tools to keep customers coming
back?
Speakers :
 Patricia Fradenburg, service
manager, BMW of Southpoint
 Mary Nurse, dealer principal,
Nurse Chevrolet-Cadillac
Tuesday, July 27
Turning the Corner on Collision
and Parts
Advanced technology in vehicles
means more complex collision
repairs and an opportunity for
dealerships. Forward-looking
retailers also are using
technology to boost parts sales.
How can these strategies help
dealerships adapt and grow?
Speakers :
 Nate Chenenko, director, and
e've spent the
past couple of
months planning
our fourth
annual Fixed
Ops Journal Forum, scheduled
for the fi ve Tuesdays from July 13
to Aug. 10. We've held strategy
meetings, solicited ideas, set the
topics for each week and started
inviting speakers and panelists.
And as we made these plans,
in the back of my head, I had this
small worry whether we were
putting together a program interesting
enough that people
would want to attend. Luckily,
Mike Weldon quickly eased my
concerns.
Weldon, fi xed ops director at Hansel Auto Group in the Sonoma Valley
region of Northern California, was the fi rst registrant for the FOJ Forum.
He submitted his online registration the morning of April 12, the
same day an ad promoting the forum appeared in that month's Fixed
Ops Journal. Seven minutes later, Rodrigo Sapunar, an after market
manager at Bruno Fritsch in Chile, followed suit.
" I'm more proactive than I thought, " Weldon, 66, quips when I tell him
he was fi rst in the door.
Weldon has spent most of his life involved in the auto industry, starting as
a boy sweeping the showroom fl oors at his father's car business. His father
would add after market items such as a radio or air conditioning for new
cars sold by local dealerships. For the past 10 years, he's been at Hansel,
which has nine brands across eight rooftops plus a collision center.
He says he watched last year's forum sessions - they will be virtual
again this year - and took away a lot of good information.
" I'm really interested in the industry, " he says. " Th ere are so many
changes going on. I want to stay on top of it. "
Weldon says he looks for " nonbiased information to chew on a bit and
try to understand how it fi ts in our environment. Because what might be
happening on the East Coast might not be happening on the West
Coast. "
If you want to be like Mike, you can register at: autonews.com/
fojforum.
" I'm looking forward to it, " Weldon says of this year's forum. " I love the
content; it's very relevant to today. " 
Fixed Ops Journal Forum - Strategies for Sustainable Growth
Hear from some of the industry's best as they share information, strategies and insights designed to help
you transform, innovate and grow your fi xed ops business. Register at autonews.com/fojforum.
Gabi Salomon, senior
consultant, Carlisle & Co.
 Brian Crossin, instructor,
NADA Academy
 Michael Cuene, managing
partner, Broadway Automotive
 Larry Edwards, chairman,
Edwards & Associates Consulting
 Mike King, parts director,
Tasca Automotive Group
Tuesday, Aug . 3
Rethinking the Technician
Shortage
The repair industry's most vexing
personnel challenge can be solved.
How will the right moves now pay
off for years to come?
Speakers :
 Gus Hoelscher, service
manager, Austin Subaru
 Dustin Peugeot, founder,
Matrix Trade Institute
 Hannah Simmons, technician,
Austin Subaru
 Matt Stroud, service manager,
Magic Toyota
Tuesday, Aug . 10
Take the Wheel: Shifting Shopper
Perception at the Dealership
CDK Global shares the results of
its survey shining a light on
shopper's biases around
dealerships vs. other service
providers and the impact on
servicing decisions.
Speakers :
 Fred Fordin, VP, Dealer
Professional Services, CDK
 Cody Penna, service director,
First Texas Honda
 Dean Petersen, fi xed ops
director, Greenville Luxury
 Dewayne Sanders, fi xed ops
director, North Park Lexus
PAGE 4 JUNE 2021

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Fixed Ops Journal - June 2021

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