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Background

In 2014, a theme emerged during Dealer Tire’s annual talent management meetings regarding the importance and need to continue to advance its employees’ financial acumen. Dealer Tire leaders determined a deeper-dive into the topic would enable employees to fully understand the concepts and speak the same financial language as suppliers and customers.

THE Challenge

Dealer Tire associates needed to be financially fluent when communicating with automobile and tire manufacturers. After attending Kent State’s Center for Corporate and Professional Development’s Breakfast Briefing, Dealer Tire discovered that the Center offered "Celemi Apples & Oranges™ – Business Finance for Everyone program,"a hands-on, interactive business simulation that brings financial statements to life.

THE Solution

In 2015, Dealer Tire piloted the on-site, one-day program of Apples & Oranges™. Working with Kent State professionals, Dealer Tire metrics and financial approaches were incorporated to make this a holistic learning experience. Employees from various functions including human resources, program management, finance and marketing were part of this initial discovery. After reviewing the four versions of Apples & Oranges™ (manufacturing, service, sales and retail), Dealer Tire leaders decided to roll out the manufacturing version and make it available to associates across the organization.

the results

The training provides employees the opportunity to increase their business and financial acumen. Participants develop a keen understanding of how their individual work impacts the bottom line. To date, Dealer Tire has trained over 100 employees and continues to plan additional sessions each year. Per Ed Stockton, senior learning program manager, “Many of the associates who’ve been trained with Apples & Oranges™ tell us--and their managers--it is one of the most enlightening workshops they’ve attended. Today, we work with our Human Resource Business Partners to continually identify individuals who are new or still need this training.“

“The experiential learning that Apples & Oranges™ has brought to our company has really taken us to the next level in learning and development. Feedback from our associates has been wonderful. They have thoroughly enjoyed this type of learning and it has made us reevaluate our other training programs to meet the creative demand our employees are expecting,” said Stockton.

ABOUT Dealer Tire

Dealer Tire LLC is a family business that was founded in 1999 by the owners of the former Mueller Tire & Brake, a Cleveland-based retail chain founded in 1918. Dealer Tire manages replacement tire and parts programs for more than 20 automotive OEMs in the U.S. and China. It serves more than 10,000 automotive dealerships from nearly 40 distribution centers across the U.S.

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ABOUT CELEMI’S APPLES & ORANGES^TM PROGRAM

Apples & Oranges™ shows teams where costs are incurred and revenue is created, through its simple, yet profound model of a company. It is business finance awareness for everyone.

Learn more: www.kent.edu/yourtrainingpartner/celemi-ao