Polk Enters Sales Arrangement With Chris Brady To Expand Customer Base For Aftermarket Demand Solutions

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Aug. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Polk announced today it has entered into an agreement with Chris Brady, president of Commercial Motor Vehicle Consulting (CMVC), to serve as an authorized sales agent for the Polk commercial aftermarket replacement demand product portfolio due to increased demand in the marketplace.  Brady will focus on new business opportunities for the portfolio, allowing Polk's aftermarket replacement demand product to be available to more aftermarket retailers, distributors and parts manufacturers.

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CMVC, a market research firm focused on the commercial industry, developed the CV Parts Aftermarket Leading Indicator (PLI), a short-term forecasting indicator of U.S. commercial vehicle parts aftermarket sales.  Both the PLI and Polk's offerings are designed to better prepare aftermarket businesses for future commercial vehicle aftermarket parts demand. The Polk commercial aftermarket replacement demand portfolio incorporates Polk's Vehicles in Operation (VIO) data with replacement factors developed by CMVC. 

"This sales arrangement will allow a broader array of retailers, distributors and parts manufacturers to plan more effectively," said Gary Meteer, account director for commercial vehicle sales at Polk.  "The solution allows customers in the commercial aftermarket to understand the demand for aftermarket parts before the need arises, enabling them to prepare inventories accordingly."

Current Polk customers are improving business by using the solution to help with decisions surrounding specific commercial replacement products in specific geographies.  Customers are also using it for lead generation activities.

Polk's aftermarket replacement demand product can produce forecasts for specific commercial vehicle needs by geographic location, vehicle or engine manufacturer, vehicle age and vehicle part as well as other criteria most relevant to the various aftermarket businesses. The product is updated quarterly and available to customers in a wide variety of formats including single reports and in an online system. This ease of access gives aftermarket businesses of virtually any size the ability to utilize the information to better understand replacement demand and to grow their market share within the profitable commercial aftermarket parts business.

Currently, the Polk commercial aftermarket replacement portfolio contains demand forecast for more than 70 specific commercial vehicle parts across many categories, including electrical, cooling, steering, suspension/wheel end/exhaust, tires, motor oil, filters, diesel engine parts, hydraulic and air brake parts. 

The new sales agreement with Brady allows the availability of Polk's aftermarket replacement demand portfolio to expand beyond its current accounts and extend to business prospects as well as current and future CMVC customers.

About Polk

Polk is the premier provider of automotive information and marketing solutions.  The organization collects and interprets global data, and provides extensive automotive business expertise to help customers understand their market position, identify trends, build brand loyalty, conquest new business and gain a competitive advantage. Polk helps automotive manufacturers and dealers, automotive aftermarket companies, finance and insurance companies, advertising agencies, media companies, consulting organizations, government agencies and market research firms make good business decisions. A privately held global firm, Polk is based in Southfield, Michigan with operations in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. For more information, please visit www.polk.com.

SOURCE Polk