Source: US Census Bureau
ardin
g tion:Professional Distributor I December 2018 I VehicleServicePros.com 9
By Sara Scullin, Editor
Where in the world is this
professional distributor?
Bowling Green is the location of many
manufacturers, including General Motors. The
city also serves as an education hub for the southcentral
Kentucky region, with one major public
university and a technical college. In addition,
the city is the region’s leading medical and
commercial center.
Joe Hardin
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Population: 67,067
Hardin’s Top 5 Tools
1. Mac Tools Pro Stick+ 450-
Lumen Rechargeable COB
LED Articulating Slim Light,
No. ASL450M
2. Mac Tools Expert sockets,
E041643 ⅜ and ½” drive
master sets
3. General Cordless
Precision Engraver, No. 505
4. Mac Tools, 123-pc ratcheting
screwdriver bit set, No.
SBDR123SA
5. Dewalt cordless and Mac
Tools cordless tools. "The
Mac Tools ⅜” 1/2" combo is
one of my favorite sellers"
Driven to
SUCCEED
A healthy mix of consistency, confidence and
calculated risk keeps Kentucky-based Mac
Tools distributor Joe Hardin on track to meet
his goals in a competitive business.
When we were on the truck with Mac Tools Distributor Joe Hardin
in early autumn, the leaves were just beginning to turn. Toy
footballs dotted the truck’s shelves. Hardin tosses these to
technicians with kids as a little something extra. Likewise, at Christmas
time Hardin likes to do a giveaway, maybe a TV, for his customers. And
the full week before Christmas he’ll bring in a cooler full of drinks and
party trays full of cookies. Hardin’s customers appreciate the small gestures,
in addition to the everyday value this tool man brings to the table.
“I try to give my guys a little something
extra,” says the long-time distributor.
“It’s not much, but it’s a little way I
can give back to my customers.”
In fact, Hardin has a great relationship
with the shop owners and technicians
along his route, many of whom
he’s known a long time. His business is
based as much on mutual respect as it
is on sound business strategies.
Diamond-level distributor
Hardin has been in the business for
20 years. Over the course of those two
decades the Kentucky distributor has
learned, developed and refined his business
approach. He’s managed to establish
a loyal and diverse customer base
in Bowling Green, Kentucky and the
surrounding rural community. Hardin
works hard, but what’s more – he works
smart so he can achieve both his professional
and personal goals.
Hardin kicks off each week by hitting
area small towns on Mondays and
Tuesdays. On Thursdays and Fridays he
travels to Bowling Green. We caught up
with Hardin on a Wednesday, when he
was making stops in his hometown of
Glasgow, Kentucky.
The decision to become a Mac Tools
distributor 20 years ago was an easy
one for Hardin, who says his love was
always in sales.
“The tool truck guys … had all kinds
of toys and I thought, ‘I can do this.' I
just asked the right questions of the
right people, and the next thing you
know I’m running a truck,” he says.
Hardin gives credit to his original
Mac Tools district manager, Ron
Bland out of Nashville, with helping
to put him in business.
"Ron … helped to make my business
as strong as it is," Hardin says. "He
is one of the best in the business.
DISTRIBUTOR PROFILE
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