Revolution in aftermarket after GM

Last week there was news of GM closing Midwest plants that build light trucks and SUVs. This forecast of decreased production, along with the higher cost of fuel, has triggered a reflection on similar circumstances we have experienced in the past. Higher fuel costs have plagued us for some time now. In the midst of this adversity the automotive and aftermarket industries have adapted and brought about change in the light truck and SUV industry, both from the OEMs and the accessory suppliers. There is very little doubt that we will need to build our vehicles and accessories lighter, stronger and much more fuel adaptive and efficient.

We experienced a revolution in products and vehicles in the late 1980s and 1990s when GM redesigned their pickups. The other manufacturers followed suit and the result to date has been more advanced, safer, lighter, user-friendly and significantly more economical vehicles. Now it is projected that the 2009 models are following this formula.

The only way we are going to transcend the difficulty and “challenges” we face is to match these changes with innovation, modernization and the desire to create a new climate to supply new and improved products and to find advanced ways to communicate these changes to the public. I recently had a discussion with a supplier who was prototyping a new product specifically geared to addressing the problem of better fuel economy for the outdoor market; it will also have impact in the light truck market. It is this enterprising innovation that we will again need to call upon from our industry. One of the challenges he stated was, “How do I get the word out?”

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