The Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network has announced that the association’s annual spring meetings now will be held in conjunction with Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week. The next HDAW will be held Jan. 21-24, 2008, at The Mirage in Las Vegas, Nev.
“The special committee assigned to consider the various options for the CVSN Spring Conference did a great job” says Robyn Spitzke-Kent, executive vice president of Fort Garry Industries and current president of CVSN. Ken Duval, president of Canadian Wheel and incoming president of CVSN, headed the committee, which met several times via conference call and then in person with HDAW and industry leaders.
“While our Fall ‘Annual Business Forum’ is and will remain focused on industry initiatives, our Spring meeting fits very well into the format of HD Aftermarket Week,” Duval says. “After careful consideration and lengthy discussions with the HDAW Joint Operating Committee, the conference organizers, CVSN and the JOC have agreed that holding meetings together in one location will create a much greater event and conference for all.”
The addition of CVSN to the leadership brings the major independent distributor association and all of its resources to the HDAW conference. CVSN will contribute staff and member resources to the planning and execution of HDAW. Expertise in the planning and scheduling of the Pre-Scheduled One-on-One meetings will be leveraged with CVSN’s management of this important element of the HDAW conference. CVSN members and supporters also will be involved heavily in the planning and production of the other elements of the conference.
“Everyone involved worked tirelessly toward a solution that both strengthens CVSN and helps HD Aftermarket Week achieve its goal of an all-industry, all-organization independent HD aftermarket conference,” Duval says. “I think we will all be pleased with the outcome.”
CVSN will be a “sponsor” of HDAW ’08 and will join the ranks of organizers, with HDDA and HDMA in 2009. HDAW organizers are the ownership of the event and are responsible for the overall conference business and production.
The HDAW leadership has actively pursued CVSN as a partner in the annual event. “By CVSN joining arms with HDAW, we will truly take the heavy-duty aftermarket up a notch or two, to borrow a popular phrase,” says Jerry Weis, president of Ott’s Friction and HDAW 08 chairman.
“We will now enjoy critical-mass of the independent HD Aftermarket represented within the HD Aftermarket Week conference,” Weis says. “We have held strong HDAW conferences the past two years, but it’s time to beef up our lineup by adding many of the real power-players of the HD aftermarket. CVSN members will be joining the conference in prominent leadership roles. Just think of the power of these groups joining forces – the planning, the brainstorming, the solutions and the focus on serving customers even smarter – it’s absolutely ‘out of the ballpark’ with CVSN joining the HDAW roster.”
CVSN was formed in 2006 from the merger of the Council of Fleet Specialists and the National Wheel and Rim Association, and is North America’s largest distributor-governed association. CVSN, with close to 90 members and more than 500 warehouse locations across North America, is the voice of the independent aftermarket distributor. The purpose of CVSN is to strengthen not only its members’ businesses but also the relationships between its members and their supply partners.
“By including CVSN in the leadership of HDAW, we feel this will be the most significant annual meeting in our industry for years to come,” says Joe Mejaly of ArvinMeritor, and HDAW ’08 vice chairman. “All of the industry leaders – distributors, suppliers, the media, education and solution providers – will all be in one venue. We couldn’t be more pleased. This is what we have envisioned HDAW becoming – all of the industry together once a year in one location.”
