CHICAGO, IL (May 7, 2009) – R. L. Polk & Co., the recognized leader in data-driven solutions and automotive aftermarket intelligence, presented the 2009 Polk Inventory Efficiency Awards yesterday during the 2009 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) held at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago. The Polk Inventory Efficiency Award recognizes and rewards outstanding aftermarket companies for process improvements relative to inventory efficiency.
Awards were presented for excellence in two categories: Manufacturer and Retailer/Distributor. In the Manufacturer category, Gates Corporation, headquartered in Denver, Colo., was recognized for developing its Demand Flow electronic kanban system. Gates was able to reduce inventory, while improving inventory quality and supply chain speed. The award was accepted by Jeff Brekke, president, automotive aftermarket and Dave Miller, director, marketing and product management of Gates Corporation.
“I think the Polk Inventory Efficiency Award is a milestone you can use to help motivate, and it’s one more thing that you can bring recognition to all of the people involved in this,” said Jim Magill, senior vice president, supply chain management, Gates Corporation. “It is a fair amount of work, but the recognition I think for the overall Gates Corporation has been well worth that effort.”
In the Retailer/Distributor category, Amherst, New York-based Uni-Select, USA received the award for implementing its E-Modeling online inventory management tool, which the Uni-Select team created to manage its inventory to its maximum yield and provide a strategic and competitive advantage to its stores, while reducing the surplus inventory in its supply chain. “Uni-Select’s E-Modeling system went from a good system to a great system when we started to integrate the Polk data as a component of the tool,” said James Buzzard, executive vice president, Uni-Select USA. “Having the market intelligence at our fingertips made all the difference.”
The award was accepted by Richard Roy, CEO and President; James Buzzard, Executive Vice President; and Brent Windom, Vice President, North American marketing and product management, on the company’s behalf.
The awards were presented by Mark Seng, vice president, aftermarket sales & client services and Stephen Polk, chairman, president and CEO of R. L. Polk & Co.
“Over the past five years of presenting the Polk Inventory Efficiency Awards, we have seen some exceptional projects aimed at inventory efficiency. Both Uni-Select and Gates are outstanding additions to this exclusive group,” said Seng. “It is truly amazing how much of a difference these projects can make to their respective company’s bottom lines. On behalf of Polk, I’d like to congratulate everyone from Uni-Select and Gates for achieving this honor.”
About R. L. Polk & Co.
R. L. Polk & Co. is the premier provider of automotive information and marketing solutions. Polk collects and interprets global data, and provides extensive automotive business expertise to help customers understand their market position, identify trends, build brand loyalty, conquest new business and gain a competitive advantage. Polk helps automotive manufacturers and dealers, automotive aftermarket companies, finance and insurance companies, advertising agencies, media companies, consulting organizations, government agencies and market research firms make good business decisions. A privately held global firm, Polk is based in Southfield, Mich. with operations in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.