With one PBE Jobber 20 Group formed, another on the way and a third on the horizon, Square One Systems (SOS) is proving its leadership in the collision repair industry as a provider of 20 Groups.
These PBE Jobber 20 Groups allow companies in the industry with similar business models to share information on how to improve their businesses, according to SOS. By filling these groups with companies from various regions of the country, participants are assured that no competitors will participate, creating a relaxed and supportive environment.
The initial PBE Jobber 20 Group meeting with the first group was held in Chicago in late November; the meeting was moderated by Guy Bargnes, an industry expert and former executive at BASF Corporation.
Participants surveyed were pleased with the initial meeting. Brandon Ashcraft, the second generation general manager of Bond Paint, a four-location PBE operator based in Albuquerque, N.M., says he took part in the event in Chicago because of its “unique format” that allowed for the exchange of information not available elsewhere.
“Spending a day and a half discussing key business issues and assessing financial impact with a group of successful owner/operators who are in the PBE Distribution business has tremendous value and I suspect will only get better as the group evolves,” Ashcraft states.
The meeting’s first morning featured guest speaker Harry Harrison, a CPA from the Washington, D.C.-based advisory firm of Aronson & Company. Harrison detailed business and related political issues from an “inside the Beltway” perspective. Harrison also outlined a number of 2010 tax and business planning matters in a progressive and spirited style. A dynamic question-and-answer session followed.
The first PBE Jobber 20 Group has agreed to meet three times each year, and has already scheduled meetings throughout 2010.
“We had a group of PBE Specialists representing 45 locations from 14 states in a meeting together for the first time,” says Bargnes, who operates the Michigan-based consulting firm Bargnes Associates LLC. “Each participant contributed substantially to the issues and concerns raised, and many offered solutions based on their business background and experiences. This dynamic is a key element of a successful ‘20 Group’ program and I am confident all attendees benefited.”
John Bosin of EDM Davis LLC says he was impressed with the speed at which SOS’s newest 20 group came to fruition. “More distributors will certainly want to take advantage of additional groups that will be forming, especially in these unusual economic times,” he adds.
Bargnes notes he is pleased with how the first group came together and is confident there is more need to be met. He is in the process of developing a second group and hopes to have a third organized by the end of 2010.
“These new 20 Groups are open to all PBE Jobbers, both single and multi-line, regardless of paint affiliation,” says Bargnes. “The goal is pure and simple: to help any interested PBE Jobber to improve their business.”
For more information, visit www.square1sys.com. To inquire about participating in a new PBE Jobber 20 Group, contact Guy Bargnes at (313) 432-2191 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
