The spirit of unity filled a weekend of productive educational and networking sessions during the 2016 Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care National Convention. Held recently at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort, the convention was the year’s most anticipated event for the franchise system.
“There’s nothing better than bringing the Cottman family together,” said Randy Wright, president of Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care. “Our annual convention is an important time to collaborate and discuss innovative ideas for the future, and one we look forward to every year.”
Cottman Annual Convention
The convention celebrated several key accomplishments and inspired all attendees – franchisees, local market team members and corporate leadership – to think big, strive for excellence and garner close ties to the community. The event also included extensive sales and marketing training, educational seminars and breakout sessions.
“We have made tremendous strides as a franchise this year,” said Wright. “While upholding the honesty and integrity that defines every experience at Cottman, our team has collectively earned the trust and respect of the communities we serve. The convention is one way we like to recognize these achievements and also plan ways to push ourselves to the next level for our loyal customers.”
The most emotional portion of the gathering was the awards dinner. Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care bestowed honors on top-performing franchisees and their team members in attendance for best practices, leadership initiatives and excellent customer service over the past 12 months.
During the dinner, Wright presented the “President’s Award” to Rick White, owner of Cottman of Raleigh. He earned the brand’s highest honor with a series of strong marks in all criteria judged, including total revenue, revenue increase, operations and participation within the franchise system.
“To be awarded such a prestigious recognition is a tribute to my entire team, which works incredibly hard along with me,” said White who opened his Cottman center 19 years ago. “I look forward to sharing this honor with all who have been part of our successes.”
The “Cottman Man Award,” given to the franchisee with the highest gross sales for the previous year, went to Jim Dietvorst, owner of Cottman of Denver and Cottman of Wheat Ridge.
Santo Albanese from Cottman of Stroudsburg, was recognized as “Manager of the Year,” one of the chain’s highest honors. Albanese exemplifies the highest standards in professionalism, dedication and sales.
Cassey and Clay Beacham, owners of Cottman of Greenville, were honored with the “Person of the Year Award.” This award goes to franchisees who show a burning desire to be the best through their actions. Given that sales at Cottman of Greenville has grown substantially for three consecutive years, it is apparent that Casey and Clay developed a plan of action and saw it through.
Doug and Mary Scott, owners of Cottman of Gladstone and Cottman of Independence, received “The Transmission Physician Award” for their industry knowledge. The two are not only successfully managing in their own center, but they are also consistently supporting fellow Cottman owners and establishing long term market relationships with both outside accounts and retail customers alike.
Named after the Cottman founders, “The Founders Award,” presented to Beth Burns, owner of Cottman of Trenton. The award is given to an individual who has overcome adversity. As an owner, Burns has had her share of trials and tribulations but throughout her career has never shrank from any opportunity presented to her, making her a perfect fit for the honor.
Given to three outstanding franchisees, the recipients of the “Top National Account Development Award” included Ron Vinduska, owner of Cottman of Jacksonville, Greg Dittbrenner, owner of Cottman of New Castle, and Clay Beacham. This honor is awarded to proactive and dedicated owners who work hard to acquire and retain national accounts.
The “Top Business to Business Customer Development Award” was given to John Hilgar, owner of Cottman of Feasterville, and Michael Morrison, owner of Cottman of Spartanburg. Both franchisees have shown a strong commitment to developing and nurturing these types of accounts. In the past year, they have added new business while also maintaining existing accounts.
This year, two franchisees received the “Technical Proficiency Award” for demonstrating exceptional technical knowledge of the automotive industry. The honorees were Duke Caulk, technician at Cottman of Wilmington and Damon Broadway, technician at Cottman of Gladstone.
In addition, 14 Cottman centers were honored with a “Customer Service Award” for providing excellent service to its respective communities. The honorees included:
- Cottman of Lansdale
- Cottman of Spartanburg
- Cottman of Denver
- Cottman of Brandon
- Cottman of Wheat Ridge
- Cottman of Stroudsburg
- Cottman of Cincinnati
- Cottman of Lancaster
- Cottman of La Place
- Cottman of Louisville
- Cottman of The Woodlands
- Cottman of Waldorf
- Cottman of Fern Park
- Cottman of St. Peters
To learn more about Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care, please visit www.cottman.com.
Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care
With locations across the U.S., Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care is a transmission and auto repair brand that services almost any make or model vehicle, foreign or domestic. Cottman Transmission and Total Auto Care centers specialize in complete transmission service, brakes, suspension, air conditioning service and much more. Cottman’s headquarters is based in Horsham, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit www.Cottman.com and www.TheCottmanManBlog.com.
