1986 had a lot of significant events. The New York Mets won their second World Series title, Whitney Houston won her first Grammy, and Harry and Kathy Bauer purchased the brick and mortar store Foreign Car Parts of Groton from Harry's uncle. FCP Euro's founder, Nick Bauer, learned first-hand from his parents how to operate an auto parts business that took pride in quality parts and quality customer service. Years later, Nick took on a major role in the company and began selling parts on eBay. FCP Euro as we know it today began to take shape.
Online sales soon became the driving force behind the business, and through the help of an old friend and some fresh faces, FCP Euro began its rise through the European auto parts supplier ranks. As it grew, Nick Bauer and CEO, Scott Drozd, wanted to ensure the company never lost the values that led to its success. In 2010, FCP Euro's core values were written out and enshrined within the building's walls. They weren't anything new; they were championing personal and dedicated service, constant inflection aimed at further improvement, building lasting relationships with our customers, and slowing down to appreciate our success. The values are an integral part of the company and always will be.
We are more than just an auto parts supplier and always try to make that evident in all we do. Among our seven core values is "Achieve Results, Appreciate, Celebrate," a value that takes time and effort to actually practice. Our incredible growth since the first sale on eBay was driven by our amazing customers and partners, but has always been supported by our team that keeps the business running every day. We wouldn't be here today without them, and there's no better way to "Appreciate and Celebrate" than by highlighting them as the best examples of what an FCP Euro team member can be.
2021 Core Value Award Winners
PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS: Nicole Batista
The most central value to our business is “People Before Profits.” While we are in the business of selling parts, we’re also building relationships and developing careers in an effort to further ourselves. Our team members are the reason we are constantly achieving new milestones and succeeding as a business. People are truly the key to it all, and no one has shown their dedication to that value more than our 2021 “People Before Profits” Award winner, Nicole Batista.
As the Wellness Manager, Nicole is responsible for employees’ overall health and wellness here at FCP Euro. With over 200 employees of all different creeds and kinds, she keeps a pulse on employee wants and needs. Through that, Nicole has gone above and beyond in her pursuit of improving day-to-day team member support. It’s a unique job, and she has shown that there wasn’t anyone better for the task. As one of her nominators put it, “She tirelessly pushes the organization forward by challenging individuals to make a change and ensuring the business remains accountable to those changes.”
In this past year alone, her accomplishments have allowed us as employees to better support ourselves and each other through a partnership with Mental Health CT, and through internal support for our hard-working distribution team during Cyber Week. As if that weren’t enough, she also worked to build a bespoke Wellness Program to improve our day to day life at FCP Euro HQ. 2021 was as challenging as the year prior, and Nicole never backed down, going out of her way to come up with plans and solutions in an effort to make our lives easier.
SERVE BEFORE YOU SELL: Andrea Penta
While “People Before Profit” largely focuses on how we can give back internally, “Serve Before You Sell” is all about the customer. We are auto parts suppliers first and foremost, but we’re enthusiasts who go through the same parts ordering process in our spare time. From that shared experience, we’ve worked to tailor our approach to the customer in a personal and welcoming manner through our products and our customer service. The latter is a point of pride for us, and no one has helped improve our support more than our Customer Service Quality Lead and 2021 “Serve Before You Sell” Award winner, Andrea Penta.
Ask anyone who’s ever worked in a customer service role, and they’ll tell you how tough it can be. Andrea never let the toughness get to her and has worked through all of the potential issues that have come her way to deliver a unified and quality-driven customer service experience. When asked about her performance, VP of Customer Experience, Alan Brashears, was candid. “Her attention to detail, commitment to quality, and relentless customer focus is not just valuable to customer service, as those are all traits and cornerstones that every department and every organization should have.” If you had to contact FCP Euro customer service in the past year, you should thank Andrea for their unwavering support.
TEACHERS BEFORE TITLES: Michael Suhr
FCP Euro is full of great minds geared towards moving the company forward. The best of those minds know that the most efficient way to improve altogether is to teach as much as you can. Teaching fosters growth and improvement in all areas, spurring new ideas and challenging others. It has helped us immensely since the beginning and continues to be a strength today. Inbound Logistics Assistant Manager Michael Suhr has been a constant force in the distribution center, going out of his way to help in any situation, and we’re excited to announce that he is the winner of the 2021 “Teachers Before Titles” Award.
Suhr started with the company around three years ago, absorbing more than asked for in that period. Now, as Assistant Manager, he’s using what he’s learned to uniform and support everyone around him. He understands the importance of teaching, never hesitating to stop and inform or assist while already busy. It’s an incredibly invaluable trait and one that’s been a key factor in the distribution center’s continued growth and success. FCP Euro is guaranteed success with team members like Suhr supporting the business every day.
EXPOSE ISSUES & DEBATE SOLUTIONS: Liam Kuck
Every new process, system, procedure, and department changes the areas and teams around them. Those new business areas are often introduced for improved performance in some way, though they aren’t always perfect. Changing conditions can disturb previously trouble-free areas and introduce problems of their own. But issues don’t define you; it’s all about how you respond. In the eyes of many here at FCP Euro, Third-Party Logistics & Operations Manager, Liam Kuck, has led the charge in providing solutions to complex issues and, because of that, is our 2021 “Expose Issues and Debate Solutions” Award winner.
Liam joined FCP Euro two and a half years ago in an entry-level position on the Purchasing team. Earning himself two promotions since then, he currently operates a dedicated 3PL role. What got him there? Company President Nick Bauer said it best, “At every stage, Liam was there to help identify many of the problems and ALWAYS offered his input for a solution or change to put a fix in place.” Our 3PL division is an ever-evolving department designed to support FCP Euro as it expands to meet customer demand. It’s a wonderful hurdle to jump over but one that brings new challenges every day. His eagerness to listen, learn, and provide possible solutions has netted him the award.
His abilities stood out regularly, but his invaluable service truly shone during the transition from a New Jersey 3PL location to a Salt Lake City location. Liam’s management of the moving process and the complete inventory audit were vital to the success of that move. The 3PL role will continue to change as FCP Euro continues to grow beyond its current size, and we can all take solace knowing that, as part of a great team, Liam will be at the front exposing issues and debating solutions.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Terry Blakeslee
Showing continuous improvement is essential to surviving in life and business. We must learn from our mistakes and identify areas of improvement before an issue can arise. Learning and problem solving are essential and only made better by someone who shares their gain with those around them so that everyone benefits. Engineering Technician Terry Blakeslee has been an FCP Euro team member for about a year, showing just how committed he is to bettering himself and his team daily. Terry is a shining example of FCP Euro’s bright future and our 2021 “Continuous Improvement” Award winner.
Terry’s work is mostly behind the scenes during day-to-day operations, but the passion he brings to it is evident to everyone he works near. His weeks always start with a presentation featuring the work completed, work in progress, challenges, wins, and opportunities his team has, and positions that into successful problem-solving. “While he is investigative, he doesn’t waste time fixated on one solution. He’ll dive in, make sense of it, implement it in the simplest yet effective way possible, and move on. He doesn’t dwell and never loses sight of the high priority missions,” said Alex Fiorelli, FCP Euro Vice President of Operations. It’s easy to get distracted in a fast-moving and constantly growing environment, but he never let’s that affect him.
On top of that, he wears his passion for the job on his sleeve. No matter the task, Terry gives his all to it, ensuring that everything he is a part of is up to the best possible standards. While doing so, he has served as a role model within his team. Asking anyone he’s worked with will result in positive comments, but Fiorelli said it best: “He’s part of the reason I sleep soundly at night, why we’ve been able to operate with little to no disruption regarding processing equipment, and why we operationally have a bright future.”
SIMPLICITY OVER COMPLEXITY: Andrew LeMere
Expansion and growth are exhilarating for a business. Plans for more inventory, more profit, and better service are necessary to advance, but there need to be people keeping it all in check. Plans and procedures can stack on each other in the pursuit of better opportunities, eventually becoming a series of hoops to contort through just for what was once a simple task. Taking that step back to look at processes critically and simplify them for the better is essential to surviving growth, and FCP Euro is both lucky and proud to have Andrew LeMere, for that reason. His ability to cut out the extras for the core essentials is why he has won FCP Euro’s 2021 “Simplicity Over Complexity” Award.
As a member of the Distribution Center Team, Andrew is a key member in the most important part of the business. Without the distribution center, there wouldn’t be any parts picking or shipping. Among the many systems within distribution is Parsec, a tool designed to assist with operations. Andrew was critical to Parsec’s implementation as he was a main contributor during its prototyping. LeMere’s clear guidance allowed engineers to simplify the program and streamline its use in everyday situations. His passion for continuing the company’s growth through new and effective systems is recognized by all who work with him. The business will continue to thrive thanks to his constant drive towards simplified success.
ACHIEVE RESULTS, APPRECIATE, CELEBRATE: Melanie Mucciaccaro
We are all about moving forward in the name of progress at FCP Euro. We know we offer the best parts and unbeatable service, so we’re constantly driving towards more. It’s a blessing, and a curse as the unrelenting focus on success can hamper progress. That’s why it’s so important for us to be able to take a step back, appreciate, and celebrate what we’ve accomplished. Through that celebration and observation of progress comes revitalized drives, new paths, new ideas, and many good memories. Achieve Results, Appreciate, and Celebrate is incredibly important to FCP Euro, and we’re proud to announce that Senior Accountant Melanie Mucciacciaro is the recipient of the 2021 “Achieve Results, Appreciate, Celebrate” Award.
With every achievement comes an increase in business. Such is the nature of the game, and Melanie’s work has ensured those achievements are properly paid for. She created monthly breakdowns of all financials that allowed ambitious yet successful goals, formed quarterly financial reports for transparency with investors and ensured that FCP Euro shared its success with the surrounding community. Melanie’s commitment and dedication to the job is one we can all be thankful for and we’re excited to be a part of that for years to come.
Since 2021 has ended, FCP Euro has continued to expand with better service and more employees than ever. Everyone in the HQ displays at least a few of those core values every day and the company is all the better for it. With six months to go until the end of 2022, there's still plenty of time to determine just who next year's winners will be.
