VIP Tires & Service celebrates employee achievements at annual Managers Conference

Held at Samoset Resort On The Ocean, VIP’s Managers Conference also kicked off annual Make-A-Wish campaign.

AUBURN — VIP Tires & Service is proud to announce a successful 2024 VIP Managers Conference, which was held at the Samoset Resort in Rockport from Aug. 26-29. The conference celebrates and recognizes the achievements of the store managers and other VIP employees in addition to offering industry leading training and networking opportunities. VIP attendees also participated in team building exercises and had some down time to enjoy the beautiful coastal location of the resort.

At this year’s conference, a total of 111 awards were distributed across the categories of safety, compliance, employee retention, sales growth and for profitability. Two special awards were given to Fitzroy Letts, manager of VIP’s Laconia, New Hampshire store, and Pat Williams, VIP’s assistant controller. Letts won the first David Bourque Memorial Award, given to the person who most represents the VIP culture and values. The award was named in honor of a VIP employee who passed away in 2024 and exemplified those traits. Williams won the Presidential Award, given to the person who lives the VIP culture, loves serving others and is a high performer behind the scenes.

In addition to employee awards, US Auto Force was selected as the 2024 VIP Supplier Partner of the Year Award. 25 of VIP’s top vendor partners were present at this year’s conference, sharing new product information and training VIP’s front line store managers from all 71 of their retail store locations.

VIP also made time to highlight the company’s long-standing partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. VIP has partnered with Make-A-Wish since 2008, donating more than $1.2 million and helping grant over 140 wishes to children throughout New England.

“Every year, it is amazing to see such an unwavering commitment to community, education and training, and working together as a team. From learning about new tires on the market to the latest industry techniques, seeing our employees’ commitment to serving our customers to the best of their abilities is inspiring. Their generosity toward the communities they serve and bringing joy to children through Make-A-Wish is commendable. I couldn’t be prouder to lead this company and serve all our amazing employees,” said VIP President and CEO Tim Winkeler.