Aftermarket Insider Issue 81 - (Page 16)

a s s o c i at i o n n e w s head of the class Automotive Parts Headquarters (APH) 20 12 The AAIA Education Committee, sponsor of the AAIA Head of the Class Award, has been interviewing winners of the 2012 award to learn more about each company’s philosophy and success with its education and training investment. Below is information provided by Corey Bartlett, president, Automotive Parts Headquarters (APH), St. Cloud, Minn., recipient of the 2012 Head of the Class Award – Warehouse Distributor Category. we offer online, webinar, classroom, conferences, small group meetings and video/YouTube options. What new techniques, if any, will you employ for 2013? How did Automotive Parts Headquarters recognize that training was so important? There was never an “a-ha” moment or the “light bulb that went off.” Training has always been important to our company; however, our training requirements have changed with our growth and we needed a better way, a more formal program, to get different constituencies the information and training they needed – not just general product knowledge, but also on what it takes to contribute to a successful team and how to provide a high level of customer service —from the counter to the corporate office. How has APH’s training strategy evolved? What is different today is that we offer more in-depth targeted sessions with specific curricula rather than providing education and training across large groups of employees. In the “old days,” we could almost get everyone together in one room* — not any more. We now get specific groups together, such as assistant managers, managers and sales professionals, each with content precisely for their needs. The availability of technology has also helped to make specific content programs deliverable to our different audiences. In 2005, we started a program of monthly training video exercises. Today, We plan on continuing our education and training focus on three areas – store operations, marketing and human resources, each led by the managers of these departments. We will review and improve on how the education and training in each of these areas is structured and what should be required for specific employees. We will continue to take advantage of the training established for us at St. Cloud State University and the Saint Cloud Technical and Community College for our train-the-trainer, outside sales and pointof-sale training programs. These programs were funded by a grant we received in 2011 from the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership. * Today APH employs 775 employees at 80 locations. 16 | AFTERMARKET INSIDER | VOLUME 81 http://www.autopartshq.com/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Aftermarket Insider Issue 81

Aftermarket Insider Issue 81
Contents
President’s Message
If It Matters… It’s at eForum
Campaign Update
Government Affairs
Member Profile
Toolbox: The Workplace Then and Now
Impact Award
Head of the Class
Market Intelligence: Globally and Locally

Aftermarket Insider Issue 81