Professional Distributor - 8

COVER STORY
Pessagno says the unique thing
about this region is that it's largely
driven by the U.S. government, which
has a large presence in Prince George's
County. This applies to his business,
too. Pessagno makes runs to Andrews
Airforce base, sometimes taking part in
both public and private sectors and even
navigating the occasional shutdown.
"A lot of people live on base and do
business off-base, which helps out," he
says. "If there's a shutdown, everyone
kind of holds their money in this area."
The East Coast distributor enjoys
his customer base.
"I have some real neat shops ...
[including] some guys who are independent and will work on one highend, specific makes, like BMW or
Mercedes," he says. "They do really
well in this area. Then you've got your
dealerships in this area which I deal
with, which are all top-of-the-line and
state-of-the-art, with built-in toolboxes in the wall and ... shared computers. It's unbelievable how some of
these shops are set up now. Everything
comes out of the ceiling for water and

When running a buy-one, get-one deal,
TNT Tools owner Marty Pessagno makes
sure to have a lot of visual signs on the
truck. He also puts the candy in the
back, so customers walk all the way
through the truck.
"Guys love [buy-one-get-one deals]
with the wrenches, socket sets, stuff that
GEARWRENCH has to offer," he says.
He always works with his customers
to get a good deal. "If guys are saving
money, I'm going to be happy doing
what I'm doing."

oil; lifts come straight up from out of
the ground. Technicians will go into a
special room to pick up high-end tools
and check them out."
In addition to dealerships and small
shops, Pessagno visits body shops, too,
many of which have been [purchased]
by the Maryland-based company Caliper. He also stops at small independent
shops and even specialty shops that
handle stereo systems, window tinting, and car wraps.

Making the sale

Pessagno has been in sales for a long
time. He knows how to position his
product and himself for optimal results.
"What I do now as an independent
is educate these technicians; that's
the biggest thing ... and these days
everyone is looking to save a dollar,"
he says.
Finally, Pessagno is a self-proclaimed "clean freak" and says it has
made a difference in his business.
"The first thing my customers see
is either me or my truck," he says. "The
next thing they see is the inside of my
truck. There's a place and order for
everything. When customers see the
truck, I hear, 'It's unbelievable, your
truck's so clean.'"
Living and working on the East
Coast is not without its challenges. The
gridlock of traffic can set Pessagno back
in his schedule. He says he can count

8 Professional Distributor I September 2019 I VehicleServicePros.com

Pessagno is a self-proclaimed "clean freak" and
says it has made a difference in his business.

on this happening a couple of times
per month.
"The majority of time there are no
back roads, and you're stuck where
you're at," he says. "I'll text the guys and
[let them] know what's going on, even if
I'm not selling. Communication is key
to success in this industry."
Despite this, Pessagno runs a tight
ship, or truck, and is looking at putting
a second truck on his route down the
road. Customers know they can depend
on him to provide tools, education, and
service at a fair price.

NAVIGATING THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Abe Douglas
Abe's Toolbox
Olympia, Wash.

Abe Douglas, owner of Abe's Toolbox, is
based in Rochester, Washington, about
70 miles from the Pacific Ocean. He
was with a flag for ten years before
going independent and has been in the
tool selling business a total of 12 years.
Douglas has lived in the state of Washington since 1990, moving there as a
technician employed in the military.
After that, he worked with law enforcement as a corrections officer for several
years. Eventually, Douglas decided he
wanted to try something new and go
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Professional Distributor

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