MERCER, Pa. — Hovis Auto and Truck Supply, Inc. are distributors of far more than just automotive aftermarket parts — they are also providing a lifeline, in the form of training, for shop owners and technicians.
And keeping techs in the know is no small feat. “We always say that technicians have to be smarter than doctors. Doctors have been working on the human body for centuries, which has remained virtually unchanged, while technicians are working on systems that are constantly changing,” Hovis says.
With 13 stores and a 100,000 square-foot distribution center, Hovis mainly services western Pennsylvania with twice-daily runs to each location, and the availability to serve customers directly at the DC.
“I had the concept about 15-20 years ago,” Hovis says. But the idea only started to physically solidify in 2008, when the company purchased its current Mercer campus — a former sports facility and overnight camp. What is now the Hovis DC and management offices formerly housed an indoor deck hockey rink, soccer field and wrestling facilities. Camp signage and motivational quotes still adorn the walls, now serving as encouragement fodder for employees of the zone-organized DC.
But the company’s real pride rests in a building that previously housed dormitories — the Hovis Technical Training Center. With 725 trained and counting since the November 2011 opening, the center offers automotive service and repair, body, paint and heavy-duty classes, taught by manufacturer-supplied experts.
“One manufacturer trains daily with no overlap. The summer months are very paint-heavy, while fall and spring tend to focus more on automotive repair and service classes,” says Meredith Marburger, the training center’s marketing manager.
Once the training topics and material is developed, “we are very clear about what they will come out of training classes learning,” Hovis says. “Everyone has been burned on training. They’ve paid too much for not enough. Time is the most valuable commodity and we don’t want to waste it.”
Currently the only distributor with this type of program, Hovis doesn’t look to the center as a major revenue source, but instead a great conduit into customer relations and education.“The training center is not viewed as a profit center for Hovis. We charge for training based on the trainer’s fee, and that fee is passed through to the trainees,” Hovis says, making the process much more economical than in the past. “We cover our costs and build future customers. That’s our whole goal in this. It meets our expectations.”
To develop training topics and curriculum, “we go to the manufacturers first to see what training they have available. We survey customers to see what they want, and we reconcile the two. We want to have full classes,” says Marburger.
“We learn the principle, practice in the shop and then review the principle again in the classroom. We find this to be the most effective method. We modify training times based on the category,” Hovis says.
“Everything we work with is for sale. We are a Chicago Pnuematic toolhouse, and use 3M and Norton sanding and finishing products, and we are able to sell a lot of parts once techs and the owners can see them in action,” she says.
Four flat screens televisions hang throughout the facility that serve as both informational and promotional tools. They feature digital advertisement displays, in place of hard signage, and broadcast scheduling and technical information for training attendees.
The training center relies on word-of-mouth, traditional advertising like paper fliers and direct mail and social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to help boost awareness of the facility and training sign ups. “Salesman go into shops with iPads, which helps to really show what the facility looks like and how it is equipped. “Most people need to see it to believe it. Our training facility is nicer than most people’s shops,” Hovis says.