Upon celebrating his 80th birthday and 64 years in the automotive aftermarket, Jim Franco is as energized as ever about the business opportunities he sees in the market today. As president and CEO of Autologue Computer Systems, Jim has been in the software industry since the mid-’80s and has seen a huge technological evolution—not only on the parts side but also the hardware and software side. While some may lament the changes that have been made, especially over a 64-year career, Jim approaches it with gusto and believes others should, too.
“If I had the technology I have today when I had my auto parts stores [in the ’60s and ’70s], wow,” he shares in this episode of AMN Drivetime. “The evolution of what has happened with this industry and the technology has been phenomenal.”
While Jim boasts that he is building a “rocket ship” with the great people at Autologue, he is quick to acknowledge that the root of this industry is in relationships: buying and selling parts from your local shop and getting them delivered in 30 minutes or less.
“Nobody can compete with that,” Franco says. “Amazon is trying to, but they don’t even come close.”
In this episode of AMN Drivetime Quick Hits, sponsored by AISIN, Franco delves into:
- Reflections on his 80th birthday and how his business has evolved (0:46)
- His thoughts on the market today including technology and EVs (4:02)
- His plans for Autologue, including how he and his team are taking PartsWatch to a whole new level and building a “rocket ship” (6:06)
- The “Win the Day” Dashboard and why every auto parts distribution manager should use a tool like it (8:13)
- How Jim creates a culture of taking pride in your work at Autologue (10:32)
- Rapid Fire questions (12:53)
AMN Drivetime is sponsored by AISIN. Find more episodes here.
