May 2014 - Hedahls.com

May 2014
Volume 22
Number 8
EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER
Anniversaries & New Employees
Peggy Lee started with Hedahls on April 14. We had been without a
payroll manager since February, so there were a few things to catch up
on. One is anniversaries, and we have five multiple-of-five anniversaries.
In March we should have reported that Nathan Engebretson of
Webster celebrated 10 years with Hedahls. We also want to report that
Wayne Benedict of Bismarck celebrated 35 years in April. Finally, in May
John Jochim has been with Hedahls for five years in the Bismarck store,
and Jerry Ryan marks 15 years in Aberdeen.
But the BIG ONE! Dick Ulrich hit 50 years
on April 16. Dick retired as manager of the
Glendive and Sidney stores in 2008, but he
stayed on as an available worker when we
needed him. And we needed him a lot over
the years. We still do on some occasions.
When Dick started at the Glendive store
in 1964 he was assigned to the shipping and
receiving department. After only three
weeks, someone left from the counter. Dick
was moved to the counter, and he found a
career. He also finds time for fishing and
grand kids. But it sure is nice to have him
available when we need a hand. Thank you, Dick Ulrich, for 50 years of
service to Hedahls and to all of the Hedahls customers in the eastern
Montana market.
Good work, men, and congratulations to all of you.
We also have seven new employees. Please welcome them.
PEGGY LEE – Peggy, or Pegleg as she is affectionately known, is the new
payroll manager at Headquarters. From Grand Forks, she is married and
between her and her husband, they have five children. Peggy enjoys
camping, fishing, and sewing.
JANICE ENTZMINGER – Janice is new at the counter in our Carrington
store. From St. John, North Dakota, she has one daughter. Janice is a
dog lover with two chocolate labs, and she enjoys hunting and fishing.
KAYLIENA BUDEAU – Kayliena is a new service tech for Bismarck BENCO.
From Bismarck, Kayliena enjoys hunting and fishing and watching her
favorite hockey team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
KASEY MONSON – Kasey is a new service tech for Bismarck BENCO. Originally from Bottineau, North Dakota, Kasey is an outdoor enthusiast, and
he says he enjoys hockey, golf, and
snowmobiling, among lots of other
sports.
KEVIN THINGELSTAD – Kevin is a new
service tech at our Minot store. From
Minot, he is married with two children.
Kevin enjoys hunting and fishing.
MIKE MANZ – Mike is a new service
tech at Fargo BENCO. Originally from
Grand Forks, Mike enjoys cars and
working with electronics, especially
computers.
TIM SCHMIDT – “Big Bird” is a new service tech for Bismarck BENCO. From
Mandan, Big Bird enjoys traveling, fishing, and cars.
Hedahls Stock Evaluation & Dividend
By Dick Hedahl
With the financial audit completed
and our performance established for
2013, the Hedahls Board of Directors
has declared a dividend of $0.55 per
share for stockholders of record as of
April 12, 2014. As we have done in the
past, every employee who is an investor
in our ESOP will receive a check for the
dividend their ESOP shares earned in
this dividend. We expect your checks
to be sent to you sometime in May or
early June.
Normally, we would also report the
stock evaluation by now, but we have
a new evaluator this year, a change
made a little late in the process for reasons explained in the story below. Bob
Lentz is evaluating our performance for
2013. Bob was recommended by our
previous evaluator, and he expects to
have the report ready this month. The
one thing Bob was able to tell us is that
we should assure our stockholders that
the value of the Hedahls stock for 2013
will go up. More on that when Bob reports back.
Congratulation on your profitable
investment.
Farewell to a Friend
By Dick Hedahl
In 1986, Hedahls converted our old retirement
our audit of the fiscal year 2013, Don sent us a letplan to the current ESOP with a 401(k). An Employter telling us he would not be able to evaluate our
ee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is a retirement
company this year. I was sad to hear he was retirplan that uses Hedahls corporate stock as part of
ing. Harold and I called him to wish him well and
the investments assigned to participating employees. The rule of an ESOP required us to have an independent evaluator determine what the value is for
our shares of Hedahls stock. Using our
financial advisors to help us set up the
ESOP, we chose Donald Tubb as our
evaluator. We were happy with his work
at the time and kept using him over the
years. Don got to know our company
very well as time passed. He came to
Bismarck often over the years for an onsite visit to establish a solid basis for his
opinions about the value of our company. Don planned his trips to North Dakota in the summer so we could fit in a
Don Tubb and Dick Hedahl at the Mandan Golf Course in 2012
round of golf.
As time went on we became friends as well as
to discuss a transition to a new evaluator. At the
clients of Don and his company, Pilot Financial.
time Don and his wife Joyce told us he needed to
Don started his company after a 20 year career in
retire because of health issues. They didn’t say any
the US Air Force where he served as a pilot in Vimore about it. We had a nice talk about our many
etnam flying the F100 Super Saber jet fighters. After
years together working on Hedahls and of our indihis military retirement, he spent the next 38 years
vidual golf expertise. Less than a month later we
serving companies like Hedahls and all of our emheard that Don had died of cancer. It was a proployees who own stock in Hedahls through our
found loss for me personally and a loss for Hedahls,
ESOP.
both the company and the Hedahls employIn February this year, as we were wrapping up
ees. We will miss Don. God-speed, Don Tubb.
2
Benefits Plan Sign Up
Beginning next week, Jim Kasper will be traveling to our locations to help each of us with the sign-up for the 2014-2015 Benefits
Plan Year. You should have your sign-up packets by now, but if
you don’t have yours, ask your manager. Look at the schedule
and be ready for your meeting on the day Jim gets to your store.
Spouses are important to the sign-up process. We encourage
your spouse to attend the meeting with you. The decisions affect
them too.
Please be ready for Jim when it is your time with him. He has
over 200 of us to talk to and the schedule is tight.
Health Screening Tests
As we look toward ending our flex plan year, you should be
thinking of early prevention screening tests for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and cancer.
Not only can screening tests help detect many health problems before they become serious, these tests can also earn you
$25 for each test annually, for you and/or your spouse. If you’ve
had any or all of these tests since July 1, 2013, submit proof to Peggy Lee at Headquarters. A form for your doctor to fill out is on our
website: www.Hedahls.com under Employees.
If you participated in one of our health fairs last fall, you may
have completed health screening tests for blood pressure, blood
sugar, or cholesterol. Peggy has that list of participants, so you are
good to go. Just get a cancer screening to complete your set.
Remember, we don’t need to see your results—that’s between
you and your health care professional—we just need to know that
you’ve had the screening tests. If you haven’t had any health
screening tests, maybe you need to set something up. When you
have any tests, just ask the doctor or nurse to fill out the form.
Please submit your proof of health screening tests by July 7
(your incentive bonus will be included on the July 18 paycheck).
Sign-Up Schedule
(All times are local)
Managers will receive the packets. Be sure
you have yours by now Then prepare for
your appointment:
• Review your options
• Review your last year choices (green
sheet in the packet)
• Talk it over with your spouse
• Consider if you expect any changes
during this plan year
Aberdeen
Wednesday, May 28, 8:00 am
Beulah
Enroll by phone
Bismarck
Thursday, May 15, 7:40-5:20
Friday, May 16, 7:40-noon
Thursday, May 22, 1:40-5:00
Friday, May 23, 8:00-noon
Carrington
Wednesday, June 4, 10:00 am
Crosby
Enroll by phone
Detroit Lakes
Friday, May 30, 8:00 am
Dickinson
Tuesday, May 13, 7:30 am
Fargo
Monday, June 2, 8:00 am
Fergus Falls
Tuesday, June 3, 8:00 am
Glendive
Monday, May 12, 4:30 pm
Hettinger
Tuesday, May 13, 11:00 am
Linton
Tuesday, May 20, 4:00 pm
Mandan
Tuesday, May 13, 3:00 pm
Milbank
Thursday, May 29, 10:00 am
Minot
Monday, May 12, 7:30 am
Rapid City
Enroll by phone
Redfield
Tuesday, May 20, 11:30 am
Shakopee
Monday, May 19, 8:00 am
Sidney
Monday, May 12, 2:00 pm
Sisseton
Thursday, May 29, 2:30 pm
Watertown
Tuesday, May 20, 8:00 am
Webster
Wednesday, May 28, 4:00 pm
Williston
Monday, May 12, noon
Yankton
Monday, May 19, 2:00 pm
3
This Month’s Feature
Jerry Ryan is a machinist in our
Aberdeen shop, with a stable of
cool cars and lots of stories to tell.
One of the cars he and his son Rick
have restored is featured here,
along with his story on p. 5.
You will see more of his work in
future newsletters. They have two
'88 Oldsmobiles that have both won
national events. Rick's purple Olds is
the current NHRA SS/NA National
Record Holder. Jerry set the V/Stock
National Record back in 1970 with a
1950 Olds, and the SS/MA record
several times with his '65 Chevelle 4door. And much more....
Pictured above is Jerry and his son Rick with his Nova.
4
“Hugger” Orange a Winner
By Jerry Ryan
The 1970 Nova: My son Rick and I were crusin' one evening
when he was twelve, and he saw the orange '70 Nova. He said,
"Dad, I want that car." It belonged to a friend of mine so I told the
owner Chris that if he ever wanted to sell the car, I would like first
chance at it. In August of the next year (1995) Steve Tschetter convinced me I should drive his car at the National Event in Brainerd,
because he wasn't eligible. As we were getting into the tow vehicle
to leave for Brainerd on Wednesday night, my wife yelled out the
door that a Chris was on the phone about a Nova. Chris said he
was calling me first since I had shown first interest in the car, and he
gave me a price. I said, "Chris, we're leaving for Brainerd for the
Nationals right now, but after I win this weekend, I'll come back and
buy the car."
Well, I did win, and Monday I called Chris and asked him when
he wanted to meet to do the deal on the car. He said, "Did you
win?" My answer, "Yup." So at thirteen Rick had his Nova.
The car looked pretty good from 30 feet, but it was no jewel. It
became Rick's labor of love for a few years and was driven on the
street with several different engine combinations. Because we
were into racing, he decided to convert it to an NHRA legal Stocker – and he wanted it to be NICE! Well now it's nice, and EXPENSIVE!
The car is an original 1970 Nova SS 350 4-speed car. We are currently running it as a 1972 Nova in G/Stock Automatic in NHRA. The
engine is a 350 and other than blueprinting and a rate-of-lift camshaft (maintains original valve lift but just gets there quicker), it's of
stock configuration (i.e., no porting, still has dished pistons, stock
compression, stock valve sizes, stock intake manifold, and a Quadrajet carb). It has run a best of 11.45 at 115 mph and should go faster this year with changes we've made. The Nova is "Hugger Orange," and Rick and I did all the body work and detailing. And of
course almost 20 years since the purchase, it's still not finished; nor
will it ever be.
May 9th Resolutions
Remember those New
Year’s resolutions. Maybe
there’s a good reason why so
many New Year’s plans fall
flat. After all, in the weeks following January 1, we are
probably at a low point in
strength and focus. Aren’t
we pretty much just trying to
make it from one frozen day
to the next without slipping on
the ice? Why should we expect—in the dead of winter—
to take our lives in a new direction?
Isn’t spring a better time to
take on projects? New life
bursting all around us, more
and more daylight every day,
increased movement now
that we’re free of our parkas
and mufflers—it’s all the ingredients for a new beginning.
So whether your goal is restoration of an old car or your
health and fitness, it’s a perfect time for some May resolutions. Who’s with me!
5
Flex Reimbursement Accounts
Make sure you use all of the money in your reimbursement accounts by June 30. You have until August 22 to submit claims for the 2013-2014 plan year, but to qualify for the
current plan year, you have to have had the service or procedure performed, or have received the medication or
product by June 30. You may not prepay an expense to
beat the deadline.
All claims must be submitted after the date of the service
or procedure or the date the medication or product is received. Also, you go by the date of the service, procedure,
medication, or product, not the date you are billed or the
date you pay. In other words, if you incur an expense before
July 1, but are not billed until after July 1, that expense is still
reimbursable with funds from this year’s plan. And we all
know—every penny counts.
8th Annual Hedahls Fun Run
Bikes · Custom Cars · Trucks · Exotics · Rag Tops · Daily Drivers
Registration begins at 10:45 am
West parking lot of Hedahls Auto Plus Bismarck
Lots of door prizes and cash prizes
(High-Low split & more – 100% payback)
All traffic laws apply. Hedahls is not
responsible for accidents or injury.
A chase vehicle and trailer will
be provided.
This Year’s Route
• Leave Hedahls Bismarck
store at 11:30
• Up River Road to Captain’s Cabin in Washburn
for lunch
• West to Jimmy’s Lounge
and Pizzeria in Hazen
• On to the Saddle Sore Saloon in Golden Valley and
the John Lindemann Auto
& Motorcycle Museum
• Southeast to the Lone
Wolf Saloon in Center
• Back to Bismarck
Approximately
180-mile
round trip
6
IDEAS FOR BETTER SELLING:
Customer Meeting
Best Practices
One of the best ways to interact with your customers is a meeting
at your store. Think about it: you talk to many of your best customers
several times a day, either on the phone or in their shops, but they
rarely come into the store.
So the first suggestion is, if at all possible, have the meeting at your
store and bring in food if necessary. Now having said that, I realize
that it’s not possible to have some meetings at the store, and they
need to be held elsewhere.
Here’s a couple of things to remember for any meeting, regardless
where it is:
♦ Come early! I like to be there an hour early to make sure all
the preparation is done and everything that needs to work
does. It’s also a must to get there before your customers so
you can greet them at the door with a smile and a “Thanks for
Coming.”
♦ Bring an ample supply of small note pads and Hedahls Pens.
♦ Always have a sign-in sheet at the door and one or two door
prizes is always a good idea. Giving Hedahls gift certificates is
a good idea. Customers can use them to get what they want,
it might bring them into the store, and Hedahls gift certificates
actually cost you approximately 30% less.
♦ If the meeting is going to be longer than an hour take a short
10 minute break, especially if it’s a technical meeting. You and
your customers have been working all day.
♦ Even if you don’t have food, have refreshments of soda and
water (no beer or alcohol).
♦ Pay attention and take notes even at the real technical meetings. Oftentimes the presenter will mention a tool or product
that will make your customers’ life easier. Write it down, check
it out, and the next day sell, sell, sell.
♦ Stay until the end. Remember, it’s your party. You need to be
the first one there and the last one to leave. Just like when
they got there, when your customers leave, thank them for
coming and for the business. Remember, customers are the
reason we exist, and without them, we all go home with empty
pockets.
Thanks, Dale
Hedahls
Makes List
of Top
Auto Parts
Chains
Aftermarket Business World
annually compiles a list of the
top auto parts chains. Years
ago, it was the Top 100, and
Hedahls made the list. Another
year it was the Top 40, and
Hedahls made the list. According to the April issue, this year
it’s the Top 25 and Hedahls
makes the list. It’s almost like
they say, “How far do we have
to count to include Hedahls?”
This year we’re tied for 24th
place and Uni-Select USA
comes in at 6th place.
So it’s kind of a cool thing,
although the rankings are
based on number of stores and
previous year’s sales, data that
are arguably a little oversimplified. And while Hedahls
has certainly grown—in number
of stores and sales volume—
part of the explanation for our
meteoric rise up the rankings is
consolidation of companies.
This is an industry phenomenon
best summed up by the article’s
headline: “The Big Get Bigger.”
7
Season’s Greetings
out of the Past
By Dick Hedahl
Hedahls has been around for over
100 years serving customers all over the
region. In all of those years there have
been many times when a customer has
brought in a piece of memorabilia from
a past Hedahls promotion or event.
Our Glendive store was opened in
1935 as part of the QB&R company. Hedahls bought
the QB&R stores in 1967, so the Glendive store has
been a big part of our history. When I was in Glendive recently Curt, our store manager, gave me a
Christmas card sent out to a customer in 1937. The
grandson of one of the owners brought it in. He said
it was found behind a desk that was moved recently
after many, many years.
It is a very fun card in remarkably nice condition.
Have a look. It’s a folded card with several panels
8
with drawings of a monkey in various activities. The
scans included here are the first and last panels, plus
the original envelope.
There are a few interesting things to notice about
the envelope. First, look what a minimal address was
needed. The postmark is from Bismarck, December
21, 1937, and it even has an hour on it—9 pm. Also,
who knew we had postage rates in half cents. Finally, this was only one of two penny-and-a-half stamps
honoring Warren G. Harding, our 29th President.