CONWAY — Supply chain issues combined with labor shortages compounded by the pandemic. Rising prices due to inflation. A move to more computerized parts and more electronic vehicles.
It’s a lot for small business owners in the automotive aftermarket (businesses that serve customers once their vehicles leave a dealer's lot) to contend with.
kAm%@ 96=A 2FE@>@E:G6 27E6C>2C<6E D9@A @H?6CD 4@A6 :? E@52J’D >2C<6E[ }p!p |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? '2==6J 9@DE65 2 EH@\52J D6>:?2C 3J 2FE@ C6A2:C D9@A 6IA6CE ':? (2E6C9@FD6 @? u63] b\c 2E E96 #65 y24<6E |@F?E2:? ':6H #6D@CE :? }@CE9 r@?H2J]k^Am
kAm(2E6C9@FD6 @7 {@?5@?56CCJ :D AC6D:56?E 2?5 7@F?56C @7 %96 (2E6C9@FD6 vC@FA[ 2? 2FE@>@E:G6 244@F?E:?8[ EC2:?:?8 2?5 4@?DF=E:?8 4@>A2?J] w6 92D >@C6 E92? b_ J62CDV 6IA6C:6?46 :? E96 2FE@>@E:G6 27E6C>2C<6E 2?5 92D HC:EE6? D6G6C2= >2?F2=D @? 2DD6E >2?286>6?E] w:D DA64:2=EJ :D H@C<:?8 H:E9 2FE@ C6A2:C D9@A @H?6CD[ A2CED DE@C6 @H?6C 2?5 @FED:56 D2=6D A6@A=6]k^Am
kAmp }2GJ G6E6C2? 2?5 `hfa !=J>@FE9 $E2E6 8C25F2E6 H:E9 2 568C66 :? 3FD:?6DD[ (2E6C9@FD6 :D 2FE9@C @7 Q%96 {23@C u24E@CJQ 2?5 E96 Q}p!p 6I4=FD:G6 pFE@r2C6 u:?2?4:2= v!$]Q
w:D H@C<D9@AD C6A@CE65=J 92G6 C6G@=FE:@?:K65 E96 H2J AC@76DD:@?2= E649?:4:2?D 2?5 D9@A @H?6CD :?E6C24E H:E9 E96:C A2CED DFAA=:6CD]k^Am
kAmw6 92D @776C65 H@C<D9@AD 6I4=FD:G6=J 7@C }p!p 7@C E96 A2DE a_ J62CD]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ 9:D }@CE9 r@?H2J H@C<D9@A 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9[ 96 :D D4965F=65 E@ AC6D6?E 2 E2=< |2C49 `c\`d :? q2?8@C[ |2:?6]k^Am
kAm“(6 925 23@FE ac A6@A=6 2?5 `a 2FE@>@E:G6 C6A2:C D9@AD C6AC6D6?E65 2E E96 7@CF> 2=@?8 H:E9 >6>36CD @7 E96 }p!p |2:?6 D2=6D E62> 2?5 @FCD6=G6D[” D2:5 q:== !6CCJ[ D2=6D >2?286C 2?5 4@\@H?6C @7 }p!p |('[ 2 =@42= 4@>A2?J H:E9 DE@C6D :? r@?H2J[ #65DE@?6 2?5 uCJ63FC8[ |2:?6]k^Am
kAm%9@D6 D9@AD :?4=F56 }p!p pFE@ !2CED r@?H2J[ ;FDE D@FE9 @7 E96 w2> x46 pC6?2 @? (6DE |2:? $EC66E :? r@?H2J ':==286j }p!p pFE@ !2CED #65DE@?6[ 2E d`a t2DE>2? #@25j 2?5 }p!p uCJ63FC8 pFE@ !2CED U2>Aj %CF4< $FAA=J[ 2E agd |2:? $E]k^Am
kAm%96 6G6?E 2E E96 #65 y24<6E QH2D 7@C =@42= 2FE@>@E:G6 C6A2:C D9@AD E@ =62C? 9@H E@ 364@>6 >@C6 677:4:6?E 2?5 E@ 36EE6C D6CG6 E96:C 4FDE@>6CD H:E9@FE C2:D:?8 AC:46D[” D2:5 !6CCJ]k^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE 52J 7@4FD65 @? 7:?2?4:2= >2?286>6?E 2?5 E96 D64@?5 H2D :?E6C24E:G6[ H:E9 8C@FAD 3C62<:?8 @FE E@ =62C? 9@H D9@A @H?6CD 42? 36 >@C6 677:4:6?E[ H96C6 6IA6?D6D 42? 36 4FE 2?5 9@H E@ 724:=:E2E6 E:>6 >2?286>6?E]k^Am
kAm“%96 3@EE@> =:?6 H2D 9@H 42? D9@AD :?4C62D6 E96:C 677:4:6?4J E@ >2<6 >@C6 >@?6J[” D2:5 !6CCJ] “%96 7665324< H6 C646:G65 7C@> 2EE6?566D H2D 6I46==6?E]Qk^Am
kAm(2E6C9@FD6 E@=5 E96 $F? 27E6C E96 6G6?E E92E 96 92D 366? 5@:?8 H@C<D9@AD 7@C }p!p D:?46 a___]k^Am
kAm(2E6C9@FD6 D2:5 96 F?56CDE2?5D :E 42? 36 492==6?8:?8 E@ 2?2=JK6 J@FC 3FD:?6DD’D AC@7:E23:=:EJ[ 3FE :E ?665D E@ 36 5@?6 2?5 96 D9@HD A2CE:4:A2?ED 9@H E@ 5@ E92E]k^Am
kAm“~?6 E9:?8 x 2=H2JD E6== E9@D6 H9@ 2EE6?5 >J 4=2DD6D :D E92E J@F 2C6 2=H2JD @G6CH96=>65 CF??:?8 2 D>2== 3FD:?6DD 2?5 J@F 2=H2JD H:== 36i E96 @?=J H2J E@ 86E 4@?EC@= @7 :E :D >2<6 2 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 2?2=JK:?8 E96 7:?2?4:2=D @7 J@FC 3FD:?6DD @?6 9@FC 2 52J[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQxE’D =:<6 4@>>:EE:?8 E@ 6I6C4:D:?8] p =:EE=6 2E 2 E:>6]”k^Am
kAm}p!p 82G6 6249 2EE6?566 Scc_ :? AC@5F4ED E92E 96=A65 E@ @77D6E E96 Sdhd 4@FCD6 766[ >2<:?8 :E 2? 2EEC24E:G6 H2J E@ 6IA2?5 E96:C <?@H=6586 H9:=6 8:G:?8 FA EH@ 52JD @7 H@C<]k^Am
kAm(2E6C9@FD6 D2:5 H:E9 E96 EC2?D:E:@? E@ 6=64EC@?:4 G69:4=6D 4@>:?8 FA 72DE[ E96C6 H:== 36 6G6C >@C6 492?86D :? E96 27E6C>2C<6E 3FD:?6DD]k^Am
kAm“%96 3@EE@> =:?6 :D :EVD 366? 92C56C E@ >2<6 2 AC@7:E :? E96 27E6C>2C<6E 2FE@ 3FD:?6DD ?@E ;FDE 5F6 E@ r~'xs 3FE 2 4@FA=6 @7 @E96C E9:?8D[” D2:5 (2E6C9@FD6] 6IA=2:?:?8 2D G69:4=6D 92G6 6G@=G65 E@ 6=64EC:4 G69:4=6D E96J ?665 76H6C A2CED[ :>A24E:?8 E96 27E6C>2C<6E]k^Am
kAmw6 A@:?E65 @FE E96 2G6C286 :?E6C?2= 4@>3FDE:@? 6?8:?6 G69:4=6 92D ag[___\ b_[___ A2CED] qFE E96 2G6C286 6=64EC:4 G69:4=6[ D2J 2 %6D=2[ 92D @?=J f[___\`_[___ A2CED[ (2E6C9@FD6 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQpD H6 >@CA9 E@H2C5 6=64EC:4 G69:4=6D[ D9@AD 2C6 8@:?8 E@ D6== 76H6C 2?5 76H6C A2CED A6C 5C:G6? >:=6 2?5 E96J’C6 8@:?8 E@ D6== 76H6C A2CED A6C G69:4=6 3642FD6 E96C6VD EH@ \9:C5D =6DD A2CED[Q 96 D2:5] Q*6E C6A2:C D9@A 6IA6?D6D 2C6 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ C:D6 ?@ >2EE6C H92E]Qk^Am
kAm%96 8@@5 ?6HD[ 96 D2:5[ :D Q2D H6 6G@=G6[ J@F >2<6 J@FC >@?6J :? =23@C ?@E :? A2CED[ ;FDE 2D 42CA6?E6CD[ A=F>36CD 2?5 =2HJ6CD 92G6 7:8FC65 @FE] x7 J@F 9:C6 2 42CA6?E6C[ E96J 5@?VE 42C6 H96E96C J@F 8@E E96 H@@5 @C E96J 8@E E96 H@@5 — E96J >2<6 :E @? E96 =23@C] %96J 7:8FC65 :E @FE 2 =@?8 E:>6 28@]Qk^Am
kAm!6CCJ D2:5 }p!p |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? '2==6J H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ DA@?D@C H@C<D9@AD 2?5 @776C AC@8C2>D 7@C 4FDE@>6CD]k^Am
kAm“(6 H:== H@C< E@ <66A @FC 4FDE@>6CD :?7@C>65 2?5 E@ 8:G6 E96> E96 E@@=D 2?5 EC2:?:?8 E@ DE2J 4@>A6E:E:G6[ D@ DE2J EF?65 7@C FA4@>:?8 6G6?ED[” D2:5 !6CCJ]k^Am
kAmu@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE }p!p |(' 2?5 :ED DE@C6D :? r@?H2J[ #65DE@?6 2?5 uCJ63FC8[ 8@ E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^?2A2>HG]4@>Qm?2A2>HG]4@>k^2m] u@C >@C6 23@FE (2E6C9@FD6[ 8@ E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^G:?H2E6C9@FD6]4@>QmG:?H2E6C9@FD6]4@>k^2m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.