Standard Motor Parts (SMP) scoured the country for those auto repair and body shops that were most representative of their target market to feature in their testimonial campaign for their TechSmart division.
SMP approached Audra Fordin, fourth generation owner operator of Great Bear Auto Repair and Auto Body shop in Flushing, Queens, N.Y., based on her exposure in the media and her profile as a top notch honest shop that has been buying SMP products almost since their inception. Great Bear Auto Repair and Auto Body Shop started a national franchise program in 1933, not as a franchisee but as a franchiser.
Jay Eckstein, the director of marketing services for SMP, who is launching the TechSmart product line was quite impressed with Audra not only as an owner/operator of an auto repair and body shop but as a citizen, who with her own funds, started a national not for profit, Women Auto Know whose mission is to empower and educate women of all ages to be safe, confident and knowledgeable drivers, passengers and consumers.
Audra's not for profit has enlisted persons with disabilities and veterans to manufacture a full line of fashion and dog leads from used tires that would otherwise be in our landfills. "We were initially interested in Audra because of her many accomplishments, but we chose to feature her in the new TechSmart communications campaign because we recognized that her values align very closely with those of the TechSmart brand - commitment, quality, innovation and integrity," said Eckstein.
SMP immediately supported Audra's not for profit with a donation and consideration of an ongoing relationship. SMP not only creates top of the line auto parts, but does so with an environmentally conscientious mindset, finding ways to use green manufacturing processes. The TechSmart line is filled with products built to the SMP standard that allow technicians to easily diagnose car trouble and fix it. As an owner of an auto repair shop I always turn to SMP products and I am thrilled to be the face of TechSmart products," said Audra.
Women Auto Know is a not-for-profit, founded in 2009 by Audra Fordin, CEO/President of Great Bear Auto Repair and Auto Body in Flushing, New York. Audra is a fourth generation owner of the Great Bear franchise. Her great grandfather founded Great Bear in 1933, and took its recognition to one of the country's leading automotive franchises in the country. Today, Audra is a regional, as well as a nationally recognized advocate for empowering women, education for the automotive repair industry, and supporting veterans and persons with disabilities. To find out more about Audra and her work go to womenautoknow.com.
