Parts supplier DENSO has stressed the importance of its involvement in the Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association (OESAA). DENSO is the second largest component supplier to original equipment manufacturers, so the opportunity to join an organisation advocating OE parts at aftermarket level was one the company ‘had to jump at’.

That is the view of DENSO Sales Manager (UK & Ireland), Kevin Peacocke, who said DENSO and the Original Equipment Suppliers Aftermarket Association strategy runs in parallel. “Initially our aftermarket efforts were aimed at working with distributors. Over a decade later, our strategy has changed, in that we now want to work with workshops and highlight the importance of quality parts and OESAA is the perfect platform to do that.”

Kevin highlighted the OESAA Garage Forum as an “immensely valuable asset”, so DENSO could listen and adapt its messages. He said, “Without the ‘pull factor’ from technicians, we’d struggle, so the introduction of the OESAA Garage Forum has been a breath of fresh air and allowed us to ask questions, absorb and respond, if necessary; for example, our marketing activities have changed, we’ve reshaped our recruitment strategy and brought a better focus at workshop level.”

DENSO is also eager to make the most of the opportunities presented Autoinform Live which is set to take place at the GTG Training Academy in Wolverhampton, on November 6th and 7th, with product specialist, Richard Groot offering a seminar on air conditioning systems. Kevin said, “Richard is a specialist in his field and will go back to basics of the AC system, such as how it works and what technicians need to know. It will then head into an in-depth chat about components, best practice and common faults.”

Four years into its partnership with OESAA, Kevin believes DENSO’s relationship with the organisation is as strong as ever, as both share “best practice ideas” to promote a “quality-first approach. Trust in a quality brand is rewarding in terms of time, confidence and reputation. A failure of a substandard component directly damages the reputation of the workshop and threatens future business OESAA members know this and do all they can to protect our customers, and long may that continue!”