After two long years away, VIPAR Heavy Duty’s IMPACT Conference returned this week with a hybrid event at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Fla. In its kickoff general session Monday, the team at VIPAR Heavy Duty wasted little time diving into the changes the organization has experienced since its last meeting in Texas in 2019.
COVID-19 and its endless business disruptions have unquestionably challenged VIPAR Heavy Duty and its stockholders, but the last two years also have enabled the group to assess, analyze and improve its operations. And with the supply chain under more scrutiny than ever before, President and CEO Chris Baer says VIPAR Heavy Duty’s organizational updates have made the company more agile and essential to North American commerce.
“Everyone in this room, your stock has gone up over these last two years,” he says. “We all know well the importance you play in keeping business moving.”
Yet while Monday’s session was expectedly heavy on supplier relations, it wasn’t the only area of emphasis.
Chairman Bill Nolan, president of PBS Truck Parts and CommPar, says VIPAR’s stockholders also tasked the group with a substantial number of initiatives pre-COVID to help maintain ‘True Group Value’ that are beginning to come to fruition. From updating the group’s order management system and strengthening its Global Parts Network business, to further development of its PARTSPHERE Digital Ecosystem, VIPAR Heavy Duty has invested heavily in resources and technology to enable its members to remain competitive in the aftermarket for decades to come.
“We will change and continue to adapt to whatever is coming toward us,” he says.
