Meet Jay Brown of Nissens North America
Meet MACS member, Jay Brown, general manager of Nissens North America, Inc., located in Grapevine, TX. Nissens, headquartered in Denmark, has been a member of MACS since 2004.
Nissens manufactures radiators, condensers, evaporators, compressors, oil coolers (engine, transmission, power steering), receiver driers, engine/condenser fans, heaters and intercoolers. The company’s business is equally divided between engine cooling systems and HVAC.
Nissens is one of the largest suppliers to the heavy-duty, bus and specialty markets in Europe.
MACS’ emphasis in 2017 is on exploring new vehicle technology, so we asked Jay, as a MACS member and component manufacturer, what concerns he has about electric vehicles, hybrids and other alternative fuel vehicles. Jay responded that he does have concerns about “how this new technology will affect replacement rates. New technologies will still require heat exchangers and some type of HVAC system for the passengers. The change will be the value of the heat exchangers and the replacement rates.”
Every business has its challenges, and we asked Jay what he sees as the challenges for Nissens. “Honestly, there are three. One is the value versus the cost of products. Some businesses purchase strictly on price without recognizing the true value they are receiving, which means they do not understand their true costs. The second is training. Even today some businesses refuse to see the value in continuous education. They are stuck with the mindset, I have always done it this way. But that kind of thinking no longer has value. What they did yesterday will not work on tomorrow’s vehicles. And my third concern is a shrinking distribution market. We are seeing more and more consolidation.”
What is Nissens’ most successful strategy? Jay explains: “Nissens’ growth plan remains on track. The ever-expanding product range has allowed us to maintain our leadership in the European range of vehicles while letting us become specialists in Korean and other makes.”
Nissens has devoted company resources for many years to be involved as a MACS member, exhibitor and sponsor. We asked Jay what he sees as the payoff for Nissens? “MACS has always been an organization that is at the forefront of training and sharing global regulatory information as our industry changes. We need that advocacy voice in order to be heard and the training to keep our members up to date. The monthly MACS Service Report information we receive allows me to verify what I am learning internally from my product team along with what I am seeing in the field.”
Nissens was an exhibitor at MACS 2017 Training Event and Trade Show in Anaheim, CA this past February, and we asked about its experience. “Nissens has participated both as an exhibitor and as an attendee over the past 14 years. As an exhibitor, we attend to find new customers, inform existing customers of changes, and the training. As an attendee, we are there predominantly for the training and social aspect.”
Jay has been in the aftermarket for many years. His advice to his fellow MACS members is to “Recognize your business weaknesses and concentrate on your strengths.”
This article appeared in the March 2017 issue of ACTION Magazine.
Read the whole issue at this link http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/macs/action_201703
