Know Who Your Friends Are By Ken Peck One of the most important things we can do as small rebuilders and sup- pliers is realize who is in our corner and who will turn their back on us if that is what turns the buck. Too often small rebuilders are knocking each other in the head and swapping customers back and forth with an ever-downward spiral of prof- itability. Working together where possible and remaining on good terms can help you to succeed. With the ever-rising number of units out there and corre- sponding parts, no one can stand alone and carry everything. The same prin- ciple goes with your suppliers. You don’t want to burn any bridges, but keep a watch out for who is in your corner. There are sup- pliers out there who send your cus- tomer the same flier they send you. There seems to be less and less loy- alty to those who helped build these suppliers up. Another problem is the big get big- ger and the smaller get swallowed up. How many times have we seen Wal- Mart open a super store in a small town? At first people think this is great. They can get goods cheaper and do most of their shopping in one place. Soon, however, a lot of the money is leaving town and small businesses start closing down. Then the people of the town start missing those small stores and the service and caring they could get there. They miss the personal con- tact and realize that people they care about are gone. This has happened many times over and the same basic scenario looks as though it may be occurring in our industry. We all need to keep in mind how important our contacts are, whether it is a supplier or a competitor. Some- times the easiest way to buy may in the long run come around to bite us. I wish that old drug store with the soda fountain was still in my neighbor- hood—Eckerds Drug put him out of business. Yet it was as much the fault of us as the consumers as it was the big drug store chain. Stand together small rebuilder. Help each other where it is possible and prudent. Remember those who supply you without getting tunnel vi- sion on just the big guy. Come to the joint E+ and A.E.R.A.C. Shows in May and meet the smaller and medium-size sup- pliers and have a chance to visit with other small rebuilders. There are some changes that are unavoidable, but others we can fight. Don’t be shortsighted. Pay attention to who will help you in your quest for suc- cess and who will box your ears for a dollar. Good, old-fashioned loyalty and decency in business does not have to disappear. Come join us in Niagara Falls in May and let’s pull together to stand against those who would forget that the little man is who got them where they are. Ken Peck is owner of PCO Wholesalers, Inc., Orlando, FL. FEBRUARY, 2000 Page 1 of 1