Laura Sullivan

Automotive Aftermarket Business Expertise Consulting/ Contract services offering 30+ years of experience in the Automotive Aftermarket with responsibilities of developing strategies and increasing customer satisfaction, financial & sales analysis, marketing, product development & management, pricing analysis, and sales development which will assist organizations in achieving continual growth.

Hired to drive growth and step up strategic sales in key accounts nationally, leveraging extensive knowledge of market conditions, aftermarket product lines, and sales channels in North America - Established relationships with 11 key accounts and 9 program groups, driving $9.3 million in annual revenue, implementing regular account visits to ensure loyalty and build sales pipeline - Reviewed product pricing and made recommendations resulting in stabilization of pricing in line with premium industry brands and increasing product sales - Work closely with marketing, finance, operations, and customer service to improve data accuracy product specifications, the catalog database, and supply chain issues with warehouses & transportation

Hired to establish an aftermarket division to capture significant market share in the Western Hemisphere, moving sales and marketing operations from a parent affiliate - Developed comprehensive product line and brand strategy that aligned with market demand and company strengths, increasing sales by 41% and securing over 45 new key accounts - Directed new product development activities through collaboration between product managers, cataloging, engineering, manufacturing, outside vendors, and supply chain to increase sales and ROI - Managed customer service processes to assure accuracy of pricing, order entry, invoicing, return management, problem investigation, inventory management, distribution , and on-time delivery - Team lead for the establishment of EDI processes for Aftermarket orders - Established aftermarket processes that unified operations among international sales, customer service, accounting, product development, inventory management and distribution, increasing order frequency by 75%

Hired to direct product managers in the establishment of profitable private label brands, new product categories, and the development of an ultra-premium brand category - Established profitable platinum level brand, including marketing strategy, packaging, collateral materials, and integrated marketing campaigns - New product generated $2.5M in revenue during the first year; product is still generating revenue and is now sold in 6500 retail stores through major distributors

Hired to establish an unknown brand in a competitive ultra-premium category in a niche market - Developed, implemented, and managed a strategic marketing plan, integrating packaging, collateral, trade shows, print advertising, and website to create visibility and drive revenue - Directed the customer service team of 3 in order entry through distribution and customer billing - Managed third party distribution (3PL) warehouse processes and established distribution metrics - Managed implementation of EDI process automation for order processing, logistics and invoicing - Developed exceptional data management skills through design and creation of sales reports - Commended for establishing Akebono Brakes as a brand everyone in the industry knew and trusted, while helping to increase revenue from $25M to $40M