Automotive Parts Associates (APA) will hold its 38^th Annual Shareholder and Supplier Conference, March 20-22 at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel.

This year, the conference will feature a new format for the supplier one-on-one meetings allowing APA shareholders the opportunity to meet with more suppliers as well as more time learning about new products and services.

The new arrangement will break the meetings into two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon to accommodate more interaction time between shareholders and suppliers.

“While there are other activities for shareholders and suppliers to connect and network, the one-on-one meetings are a fundamental element of the annual conference for both parties to get down to business and collaborate on supporting each other.

“As the event has continued to grow there’s been less time for that, so we made a few adjustments to give valuable time back to the task at hand and look forward to its success,” noted Douglas Squires, APA Chairman.

Canadian APA shareholder Bestbuy Distributors Limited, of which Squires is chair, has used the one-on-one format to great success over the years.

In addition, the conference will provide educational opportunities with roundtable discussions, informational sessions for new resources and supplier presentations.

The social activities will include a reception to welcome attendees, a shareholder cocktail party, as well as an awards dinner highlighting top suppliers which will include a light-hearted evening of fun outdoor activities with line dancers at The Backyard.

Automotive Parts Associates, Inc. is a member-owned cooperative made up of over 70 shareholders of independent auto parts distributors with 400+ warehouse and company store locations throughout North America. For more information about APA or about membership opportunities, visit www.APA.parts.