Ford adds 'Omnicraft' aftermarket parts brand

DETROIT (Jan. 31, 2017) — Ford Motor Co. has launched Omnicraft, an aftermarket parts brand dedicated to non-Ford brands. The car company said this will allow its dealers to service up to 90 percent of competitive makes and thus generate more sales.

Officials said Ford's customer service division wants to generate more dealership business by providing parts to cover non-Ford and non-Lincoln vehicles. The new brand will exist alongside the Ford/Lincoln-dedicated Motorcraft brand.

It's the first time the auto maker's service division has added a new brand in 50 years.

"Omnicraft is a significant benefit to any vehicle owner who needs parts or to have their vehicle serviced," Frederiek Toney, president, Global Ford Customer Service Division, said. "Now, owners of non-Ford vehicles have access to quality parts at a competitive price, backed by Ford and installed by Ford's world-class certified technicians."

Ford will roll out about 1,500 parts numbers to roughly 500 Ford and Lincoln dealerships nationwide, officials said. They expect all 3,200 dealerships will be covered by some point next year.

Ford said adding the new brand expands Ford and Lincoln dealers' market potential to as much as 90 percent of the market from about 20 percent.

The first wave of parts will include those most commonly requested, such as oil filters, brake pads, rotors, starters and alternators.

Brett Wheatley, executive director of North America Ford customer service division, said the decision was about growth.

"It's something where we have a parts pie, and we just want to have the largest slice of that," he said. "We're very, very bullish."

Ford's Quick Lane service centers have serviced non-Ford and non-Lincoln vehicles, Mr. Wheatley said, but had to purchase the parts from third-party vendors.

"The training is already out there; they know how to do it," he said. "They just haven't had the supply."

The company did not provide any sales expectations.

Ford filed for a trademark on the name in June 2016.

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Michael Martinez is a reporter with Automotive News, a sister publication of Tire Business.