Niello Puts Spotlight on Tech Elite: Building Top-Tier Engineers
In the rapidly evolving automotive industry, dealerships like the Niello Co. and Vinart Dealerships are fostering the growth of skilled and dedicated auto technicians. Based in Sacramento, CA, the Niello Co. operates a BMW store, among others, and is renowned for its commitment to career development for its technicians.
The Niello Co. prioritizes its people and training, considering the minds of its technicians as the most important tool in their figurative toolbox. This approach is evident in their defined, clear path for technician career development, which aims for technicians to be ethical and go home rich and tired.
Robert Pane, service manager at a Niello Volvo store, credits the dealership for arranging prospective technician visits to their dealership, providing a first-hand look at the opportunities available. Mark Isakson, a technician at Niello's Audi store, has seen colleagues climb the career development ladder through ongoing training, with aspirations of becoming shop foremen or service managers.
Brad Hollingsworth, shop foreman at Niello's Volkswagen dealership, values the thinking skills required in today's auto technology. Hollingsworth emphasizes the importance of providing technicians with a clear career path, a strategy that is also central to the Niello Co.'s approach.
Meanwhile, at Vinart Dealerships, the mentoring program is the primary driver for filling technician positions. Andrew Wright, managing partner of Vinart Dealerships, runs this program for aspiring technicians, pairing apprentices with senior technicians for a comprehensive learning experience.
These dealerships address the challenges posed by the complexity of modern vehicles and the shift toward electric propulsion by promoting skill adaptability, continuous education, and operational efficiency. They collaborate across roles to identify necessary skills and craft clear, repeatable advancement pathways, offering technicians not just jobs but careers with growth potential.
Beyond manufacturer-offered structured training for technicians, dealerships design specialized programs for service advisors to align training with real-world dealership challenges. For instance, Niello Company’s Fixed Ops Director designed a Parts Scorecard that monitors parts inventory health, efficiency, aging, and operational KPIs. This tool helps optimize inventory management and forecasting, ensuring technicians have timely access to the right parts for both traditional and EV repairs.
Rick Niello, president of the Niello group, states that their mission is to treat customers and employees with unyielding integrity. This commitment is reflected in their consideration of facilities as less important compared to customers and employees, a testament to their focus on people and development.
With these strategies in place, dealerships like Niello Co. and Vinart Dealerships are well-positioned to navigate the challenges of the evolving automotive industry, fostering a new generation of skilled and dedicated auto technicians.
[1] Niello Co. (n.d.). [Company website]. Retrieved from https://www.niello.com/
[2] Vinart Dealerships (n.d.). [Company website]. Retrieved from https://www.vinartdealerships.com/
[3] Niello Co. (2021, May 11). Niello Co. Announces New Parts Scorecard [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/niello-co-announces-new-parts-scorecard-301287508.html
Electric vehicles and technology are integral parts of the future-focused approach at both the Niello Co. and Vinart Dealerships, as they invest in continuous education and self-development for their auto technicians, ensuring they are equipped to handle the intricacies of modern electric propulsion. In career-development terms, these dealerships offer more than just jobs; they provide clear, repeatable paths for growth, enabling technicians to thrive and achieve success in their respective careers.
