Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • Bridgestone Senior Players Championship should be 'normal event' with fans at Firestone
      TBC Corp. to make donation to company charity to reward vaccinated employees
      Titan to offer free COVID-19 vaccines at Iowa facility
      Bridgestone hosts vaccination events for plant employees
    • Bridgestone develops EV tire for solar-powered vehicle
      GM, Ford among businesses urging Biden to cut U.S. emissions by 2030
      Light trucks/CUVs to take 82% of new U.S. sales by 2028 — SEMA
      SEMA closes deal for SEMA Garage property in Michigan
    • Pep Boys offering $100,000 in scholarships to aspiring techs
      GM, Ford among businesses urging Biden to cut U.S. emissions by 2030
      Love's moves Indiana retread plant to larger site nearby
      Ziegler Tire employees receive back pay after investigation
    • Love's moves Indiana retread plant to larger site nearby
      Michelin adapts 'QuickScan' tire monitoring system to cars
      Prometeon's 2020 earnings off slightly on 15% lower sales
      Fisher: Expect robust recovery in last half of year
    • GM, Ford among businesses urging Biden to cut U.S. emissions by 2030
      Ziegler Tire employees receive back pay after investigation
      Bridgestone part of Louisiana environmental settlement
      New York chipping in $3M+ toward Sumitomo factory expansion
    • Goodyear to supply tires for World Tour bicycle racing team
      Michelin adapts 'QuickScan' tire monitoring system to cars
      Prometeon's 2020 earnings off slightly on 15% lower sales
      Goodyear to highlight international racing effort in ‘GoRacing' e-magazine
    • GT Radial named Formula Drift PROSPEC spec tire
      4WP partnering with CORVA to help protect off-roading in California
      Goodyear to highlight international racing effort in ‘GoRacing' e-magazine
      Goodyear goes retro for 'Throwback' NASCAR race at Darlington Raceway
    • Bridgestone develops EV tire for solar-powered vehicle
      Yokohama OHT adds severe-duty solid tire to Galaxy brand
      Bosch adds 22 aftermarket parts in Q1
      Snap-On introduces TreadReader handheld tire scanner
    • Pep Boys offering $100,000 in scholarships to aspiring techs
      Ziegler Tire employees receive back pay after investigation
      Goodyear to add 'chatbot' feature to consumer-facing websites
      Michelin adapts 'QuickScan' tire monitoring system to cars
    • Fisher: Expect robust recovery in last half of year
      Bosch adds 22 aftermarket parts in Q1
      Marinucci: Detailed instructions will save time
      Bartec introduces TPMS software updates
    • Light trucks/CUVs to take 82% of new U.S. sales by 2028 — SEMA
      WTC webinar to address tire/wheel-balancing process errors
      SEMA closes deal for SEMA Garage property in Michigan
      SEMA picks site in Michigan for 2nd SEMA Garage
    • SBA extends and expands COVID-19 loan program
      Stimulus spending should help tire industry
      Giti disputes report blasting tire maker for accepting PPP funds
      SEMA survey shows resilient auto aftermarket in 2020
    • Coopers are ready to rock: Cooper Tire, Alice Cooper seek best garage band
      Last Mile: Delivery surge raises demand for medium truck tires
      Nexen touting manufacturing quality milestone
      Apollo isn't planning U.S. plant — yet
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
      Sponsored By AppointmentPlus
      Three Important Lessons Learned for the Tire Business During a Pandemic
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      Choosing the right balancing equipment
      Safety tips for wheel balancing
      An introduction to wheel balancing
    • Video: Demounting
      Demounting Equipment
      Making rims ready for a tight seal
      Tire changer types, tips and trends
    • Video: Safety
      Making friends with OSHA
      Ergonomics on the shop floor
      Customers
    • Video: Tire Repair
      Tire repair: Shining a light on visual inspections
      Staying safe when repairing a tire
      Essential tools, materials and equipment for tire repair
    • Video: TPMS Service
      Decoding sensor data for TPMS diagnosis
      Replacement TPMS sensor overview
      The life-saving work of TPMS
    • Video: Training
      Advantages of apprentice program partnerships
      Options and resources for CE tech training
      Internship ideas to attract tech talent
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      Jack stands for commercial tire service
      All types of lifts for all types of work
      Tips and recommendations for lifting safety
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      Using torque sticks to speed service times
      The danger of too much, too little torque
      The importance of torque specifications
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
  • Awards
    • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
January 21, 2003 01:00 AM

Looking for a few good young people

Dan Marinucci
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    AKRON (Jan. 20, 2003)—Chris Jordan isn't a U.S. Marine Corps recruiter, but he is looking for a few good people.

    He represents a core of alert people in the automotive repair industry who recognize the dire need to attract younger talent to our service bays, service desks and auto parts counters. In this column and the next one, I'll share his useful insights from the “trenches.”

    Mr. Jordan has been an outside sales representative for Carquest Auto Parts in Lima, Ohio, for 12 years. He calls on 65 accounts per week that run the entire gamut of professional auto repair in and around this small industrial city in the western part of the state. To me, that experience qualifies him as an informed front-line observer.

    Regular Tire Business readers know I've often discussed recruiting. When I met Mr. Jordan and our conversation turned to this topic, I realized we were speaking the same language. I thought you'd enjoy hearing this argument from a fresh voice in a different sector of our business—someone who's arguably still a kid.

    After graduating from high school in 1990, Mr. Jordan went directly into the auto parts business. He readily admits to starting out with nothing more than a love of cars and lots of enthusiasm. Not only have these traits served him well since then, he maintains that successful people in every sector of our industry share them.

    The first order of business, Mr. Jordan argues, is identifying and recruiting career-minded car lovers with a positive attitude. “The generations in the business are getting older—I just don't see many young people in it. It isn't presented as a glamorous industry, either,” he commented.

    Ultimately, Mr. Jordan told me, our industry may get its most meaningful head start on this goal when auto service professionals get more involved with local schools, positively influencing high school guidance counselors and job-placement advisers. Convey the message early and often that there are countless opportunities for kids who like cars.

    If these opinion leaders don't believe solid careers exist throughout the auto service industry, why would they recommend it to anyone? In an era of ongoing downsizing and job insecurity, Mr. Jordan said, do these opinion leaders in schools understand that jobs in our industry cannot be shipped offshore?

    Meanwhile, owners and managers must stop assuming that vocational and trade schools know exactly what they're seeking in a prospective new hire. Instead of assuming, get involved with the advisory committee of a local vocational school and explain just what you want. Listening to both sides of the fence—the local auto service community as well as the local trade school—motivated Mr. Jordan to join the advisory committee of Apollo Career Center in Lima.

    “Automotive instructors are dying to get input from industry people who are willing to get involved,” he said. “At the same time, business owners don't realize the impact their input can have on a school—input that ultimately im-proves the hiring situation.”

    For instance, Mr. Jordan recalled coaxing two well-respected local service shop owners into participating in an advisory committee meeting. Participating simply meant explaining to the instructors the kinds of skills and attitude they needed in youngsters applying for jobs as technicians. “The school's instructors have been thanking me ever since then for getting the business community involved and talking about what they expect from a new hire,” he said.

    Not only does this kind of basic industry participation improve the chances of schools producing worthwhile new hires, it also reduces the risk of the industry losing potentially useful workers. For example, some vocational school graduates get a brutal awakening when they're job hunting because they discover the school really didn't prepare them for the working world of auto repair. After several disappointments, these potentially good workers often leave the industry for good.

    “We know of kids who got disgusted with bleak prospects in auto repair and ended up flipping burgers for a living. This is the kind of kid who loves the automotive industry, but he's lost. We have got to ‘capture' this type of kid before he leaves us,” Mr. Jordan explained.

    Tune in to my next column, when Mr. Jordan discusses how to update our thinking about potential losers in the wrench-spinning business.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION
    • Awards
      • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award