LEWISTON, Maine—VIP Tires & Service recently held its annual Managers Conference, with managers from all 56 of the dealership's locations meeting to discuss business issues and receive training from more than a dozen key suppliers.
In addition, awards were given to managers who achieved “Top 10” status for sales growth during VIP's fiscal 2013. The company said the annual meetings “reflect VIP's commitment to continuing education and investment in the leadership skills of its people.”
Training was held at stores from Bangor, Maine, to Concord, N.H., with each manager spending a full day engaged in learning how to further develop the knowledge and skills of their teams, VIP said, noting that the training goal “was to showcase the past year's success stories and focus on the goals ahead.”
John Quirk, VIP's president and CEO, said he was “really proud of all that our people have accomplished this past year. They had a lot thrown at them, but they found a way to win despite the hurdles. Their passion for helping customers is evident in their desire to create strong, winning teams.”
The company said the sessions “helped VIP's store-level leaders keep focus on the company vision after a year of change” that included the dealership selling its parts division at year-end 2012 and all 56 of its stores undergoing a complete remodeling. “Through it all, the staff has remained committed to being the resource their customers can turn to for all their automotive needs,” Mr. Quirk said.
“By focusing all of our energy on tires and service, we can make a real difference for our customers,” said Kurt Hamel, market manager for the Lewiston/Auburn region. “It has always been the mission here at VIP to 'earn automotive customers for life,' and these annual meetings definitely helped me find new ways to realize that goal.”
Lewiston-based VIP operates stores throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts that provide retail and wholesale tire installation and automotive service.