AMN Drivetime: NTN's Charles Harris (video)

A native of “Honeymoon City” Niagara Falls, New York, Charles Harris began his aftermarket career after graduating with degrees in both Business and Marketing from Northwood University in Midland, Michigan. An experienced sales executive, Harris has spent more than 30 years in the automotive aftermarket, holding executive management roles at such well-known names as Tenneco, Monroe, TMD Friction and ASC Airtex before joining NTN.

Harris joined NTN in 2019 as the director of sales – Automotive Aftermarket and in October 2021 was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing. In his tenure with NTN, he has overseen the restructuring of the automotive aftermarket sales team and the growth of NTN’s market share in the traditional automotive aftermarket, heavy-duty, and fleet market channels.

Throughout his career, Charles has focused on the value of people and developing their ability to communicate and execute, which generates organizational growth. In the podcast, Harris shares that his work with his team is his proudest accomplishment: “I think my proudest achievement has to do with my people and the teams that I’ve built. When I look back now on some of the people and how they excelled under my leadership in the business – not only becoming just regional managers, being sales directors, being VPs within the industry – that that’s what makes me most proud.”

In this exclusive AMN Drivetime interview, Babcox Media CEO Bill Babcox sits down with Harris to learn more about what makes a great salesperson successful today, how to stay ahead of the curve, where Charles gets his motivation and more.

In this episode, Bill and Charles talk about:

1:52 What makes a great salesman in the aftermarket today?
2:48 Most memorable story from early days on the road
5:25: How to stay ahead of the curve in today’s fast-evolving industry
6:30: Proudest moments in Charles’ career
8:38 A closer look at the NTN sales & marketing team
10:04 What motivates Charles to stay focused (spoiler alert: It’s his grandkids)
11:05 Drivetime’s new Lightning Round.

AMN Drivetime is sponsored by Litens.

As MEMA commemorates its 120th anniversary, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s profound impact on the automotive aftermarket. Founded on March 2, 1904, MEMA has evolved from a modest gathering of parts manufacturers in Cleveland to a pivotal force in the global automotive landscape.

Over the decades, MEMA has been at the forefront of several key initiatives, including: the introduction of credit reporting services in 1914 to ensure financial stability within the industry; the co-sponsorship of the inaugural automotive service industry show in 1933, paving the way for what would become the AAPEX events; the establishment of divisions and market segments within MEMA to cater to the diverse needs of its members, from heavy-duty manufacturers to the aftermarket suppliers; and the advocacy for critical legislative measures, including the National Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, the USMCA in 2019 and today’s battle for the Right to Repair.