Total Truck Parts Named 2007 Distributor of the Year

(West Palm Beach – January 29, 2008) – Total Truck Parts Inc., a Florida corporation headquartered in West Palm Beach, was named the 2007 Distributor of the Year at the Industry Awards Luncheon during the recent Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week in Las Vegas. The sixth annual Truck Parts & Service 2007 Distributor of the Year was selected from among more than 3500 distributors in North America. The title is awarded to the distributor who leads the industry with innovative business practices and exceptional customer service.

After winning the award, Marc Karon, President of Total Truck Parts said, “Winning the Truck Parts & Service 2007 Distributor of the Year was a great honor for me, my partners and all of our people. We have three main principals that guide us. We try every day to give our customers more value for their patronage than the day before by giving them the best quality parts and service. Our second guiding principal is to give back to our industry by getting involved. Our third goal is to enjoy the blessings of participating in this wonderful industry.” He added, “In our twenty plus years as members of CFS, CVSN and HDA, along with many distributor advisory councils, we have and will continue to fulfill these guiding principals.” Karon went on to say, “We extend our thanks to the editors and publishers of TPS, to our vendor partners who help us every day to achieve our goals and to our people who work hard and have fun succeeding. We especially thank our distributor peers and friends in the industry who have helped us along the way and made this award something of indescribable value to us.”

When profiled in the June issue of Truck Parts & Service, Karon described Total Truck Parts’ business approach. “Our fundamental business philosophy is to win, but have fun doing it. We try to make sure we involve all of our people in our success. Virtually every aspect of our operations and results is communicated to each employee and we use incentives and rewards to create an attitude of a true partnership with all of our people.” Total Truck Parts, a former Distributor of the Year finalist, was selected through votes cast by aftermarket representatives from suppliers, distributors, organizations and the editorial staff of Truck Parts & Service.

Total Truck Parts was founded in 2002 and has five locations throughout Florida. Its 2007 revenues were in excess of $21 million and the company has nearly 100 employees. Besides West Palm Beach, Total Truck Parts has branches in Ft. Pierce, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Ft. Myers. A new branch in Orlando will open next month. Although Total Truck Parts came into existence in 2002, it is the successor of several previous distributorships. Its partners, Jack Wilcosky, Tom Fitzpatrick, Tom Gibson and Marc Karon have been in the industry since the 1970’s. The company sells parts and services heavy trucks, buses and trailers used in the agriculture, transportation, refuse and construction industries. Total Truck Parts, Inc. is the largest company of its type in Florida. Its customer base includes some of the largest trucking fleets, agricultural fleets and municipal fleets in South Florida.

Total Truck Parts is a member of the Commercial Vehicle Solutions Network where Marc Karon serves as a Director and on the Executive Board. CVSN, with close to 90 members and over 500 warehouse locations across North America, is the voice of the independent aftermarket distributor. The purpose of CVSN is to strengthen not only their members’ businesses but also the relationships between their members and their supply partners. Karon also serves on the Joint Operating Committee of Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, the annual meeting of all associations involved in the heavy duty aftermarket. In addition, Karon serves on the Commercial Vehicle Task Force whose purpose is to bring vehicle manufactures together with independent distributors to guarantee that repairs of trucks can be made safely and in accordance with quality standards.