Great People, Great Business
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George Clark died February 9, 82 full years behind him.
Those who have worked in this industry for only a few years may not know the name, certainly not as well as some of the veterans who have been around for a long time. Me? I guess I fall somewhere in the middle. With only a couple of decades under my belt, I consider myself pretty new to the industry.
George was from what many believe was a gentler time in the industry, and held a unique position in the Canadian automotive aftermarket as the publisher of this magazine, joining in 1978 and staying through a good part of the 1980s. Of course, when he left he didn’t leave the aftermarket; he went to start his own gig, and when that didn’t last, stayed on in publishing for the automotive aftermarket.
To many he was best known for his Automotive Report newsletter that showed up in the mailboxes of many people in the aftermarket. While it covered some hard news, it was best remembered for the appointment notices and tidbits that he came across during his sales calls to manufacturers. Of course he wasn’t perfect, and a story told with the greatest affection was that the reason he printed the next issue was to include a correction for the mistakes made in the last one. He would laugh too.
George was a friendly face, usually found in mid-laugh or mid-story at every event during a time when the face-to-face sales call was the only way to do it, and he built a great deal of respect with his colleagues and his competitors in doing so.
He will be missed.
Thinking about George has me thinking about the fact that I have had the privilege of sharing more than a few pints with those who grew up with the aftermarket during a time when competing reps shared cars and hotel rooms, and got into more than just a little mischief when the day was done. Friendships that were formed during those times endure to this day.
There are some who believe that kind of personal relationship is gone forever.
While it is true that many of us routinely make business connections with people we have never met, separated by many miles and more than a little technology, I believe that the importance of personal relationships and the personal integrity that makes business keep working have not eroded.
It is true that the rapid shift in the aftermarket has brought new faces and new personalities into the mix, but I have already seen the seeds of what will surely grow into enduring friendships when we look back some years from now.
No, the value of the personal relationship is not gone, nor is it lessened. But it does take time, and friendships are something you can’t hurry. The great thing about the aftermarket is that it offers so much–and people tend to stay.
And, while many join the industry due to a love of the automobile, they stay for the people. And that will never change.
— Andrew Ross, Publisher and Editor
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NEXT MONTH
April’s focus is on Premium Level Products: Brake, Chassis, Motor Oil, Ignition and Emission System, to name a few. Plus, Performance Parts Market Trends.
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