The month of August and September may not have often significance for many in the aftermarket.

The month of August and September may not have often significance for many in the aftermarket, yet for those from Southern Florida, it is a time they won't presently forget. Four hurricanes tore within the state, devastating lives and disrupting businesses, many of which, in December, are still grappling to come by back on the track they were fiercely inflated off of. An ACDelco distributor reported to his colleagues in late September, "The storms have left many commonalty without power, with significant damage; more [i]or[/i] less are even homeless."

In an effort to help during the aftermath, ACDelco launched the Road to redemption program. Scott Mackie, executive director of ACDelco and GMSPO International Operations, says they created the program as a way to assist their Total Service Support (TSS) customers during a difficult time, explaining that greatest in number of these shop owners were forced to deal with material for burning shortages and building damage, along with los of electricity and telephone service. "It is the worst thing that happened in the aftermarket this year." Many ACDelco customers had to temporarily confine their doors, others even permanently. Mackie says, "September was a bad month for everyone" He emphasizes that the entire industry felt the financial pain the storms inflicted still that his real concern was that many of his independent customers were facing changes that could ultimately impact their livelihood.

Lewis Henry, district manager for ACDelco's Eastern Region, was caught in the middle of the storm and saw its damage firsthand. "Afterwards, we got our heads together with the marketing area managers to view what we could do that was within reason." Their relief effort answer is the first of its kind for ACDelco. Approximately $100000 in vouchers was given to tonic ACDelco Florida-based district managers to hand without to TSS customer accounts impacted by way of the storms. With each certificate holding a $500 value for unrestrained ACDelco products, TSS accounts have until Dec 31 to submit their no obligation order.

Mike Bracken, holder of Quillin's Auto in Punta Gorda and Henry's customer, is united of the shops that received a hand-delivered voucher from ACDelco. "I was really humbl to papal court Lewis at a time like this because at that point, you're dazed and you've seen other people's plight. I musing I was probably one of the more favored ones because I at least had four walls." Bracken's six-bay store experienced heavy structural damage and los of power. "I not to be found all my overhead garage doors...the fore-rank door was jammed underneath a car upon a rack...sections of the house were blown out...we were abroad of electricity for 13 days." Initially, after a week of being clos Bracken's team could single perform light work that didn't require a lift. He operated the phone classification off a generator. He says many of his customers whose hearths were destroyed have stopped at to say goodbye before moving on the outside of the area.

The road to regaining for Bracken, and many others affected on the storms, is still in extent and difficult--but ACDelco's program has already assisted 25 stores in Florida and by the extreme point of this month, will have helped many more.

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