In just 13 years, 1-800-Radiator has grown from a small $3 million company to one with over $70 million in revenue today. The company has outperformed rivals by designing state-of-the-art computer systems to handle marketing, warehousing and purchasing. These systems have allowed 1-800-Radiator to efficiently outmaneuver local mom-and-pop competitors who are still stuck using paper catalogs.
1-800-Radiator has also stood up to the larger, multi-unit competitors by using its systems to fine tune direct mailings, phone blitzes and sales promotions to gain market share and, in one case, it helped drive a $1 billion public company (Modine Manufacturing) out of the aftermarket radiator business altogether. By being the radiator leader in Internet marketing, 1-800-Radiator has taken market share from parts store chains such as Autozone, Pep Boys and Carquest.
The Right Concept for Today's Market
The 1-800-Radiator franchisee has approximately 1,000 automotive type businesses as its primary customers, including parts stores, gas stations, repair shops, body shops, new and used car dealers, junk yards, and radiator repair shops. The franchisee uses 1-800-Radiator's systems and promotional materials to mass market to these customers. One of the advantages 1-800-Radiator has over its competition is the breadth and quality of its inventory. Because 1-800-radiator sources from all the major manufacturers, it almost always has exactly the right part in stock. The 1-800-Radiator computer system has a proprietary "stocking mechanism" in its software which helps fine tune each and every market to have a unique inventory mix.
1-800-Radiator has also designed a "Customer Relationship Management" (CRM) feature into its computer system to make marketing easy for its franchisee. The CRM automatically tracks every phone call, every mailing, every visit, every comment, and every sale made by each of the 1,000 customers in the territory. This data is constantly being manipulated in order to give the franchisee direction on where to go next with marketing efforts.
