b'Dear Partners, And, as we head into the holiday travel season, car trips reign supreme accounting for 97% of the favored mode of Earlierthisyearwheneconomiesaroundthecountrytransportation according to the AAA. Car trips will also see where shut down, our industry was o\x1fcially deemed to bethe smallest decrease in travel volume (due to the pan-essential.Throughout the following months of upheav- demic) of just 3% year-over-year. Air travel will be o\x1d by al,thisdesignationallowedSSFandourcustomerstoabout 74%, while rail, cruise ship and bus travel will slide continueoperatingwhile,sadly,otherentireindustriesby 86%all positive news for the Aftermarket industry as were forced to shut down. well be key to helping people connect with their families and return home safely.The Aftermarket has been essential in providing funda-mental services to the nation during this pandemic.Keep- Essential is not only a de\x1cnition of what we do but how ing Americans, (who incidentally drive more miles per yearwe do it. Delivering the highest quality of product and than any other country) mobile while other forms of trans- service has been the determination for all us to be worthy portation were either taken out of service or undesirableof that classi\x1ccation. For us at SSF, this means continuing becauseofhealthrisks.Awell-servicedvehiclebecameto improve the quality of our program, our catalog, our the ultimate guarantee that you can get where you needdelivery system, our IT solutions, our sales support and to go on your own terms - and this has translated into aour customer care. However large or small these improve-mini-boom for our industry.ments may be, we are committed to these initiatives in support of our vendors and customers. Despite our countrys ongoing predicament, the prospects for our industry have brightened over recent months. AAllowing us to be essential to your business is what drives forecasteddipof20%innewvehiclesalesthisyearisand motivates us every day. Being part of your success is mainly driven by a reduction in \x1eeet purchases while atwhat makes our day. thesametimeadditionalserviceandrepairdollarsgo towards keeping the existing car park on the road. Plus,Wishing you a successful \x1cnal quarter for this challenging predications for the market share of the European carparkand out of the ordinary year! over the next 5 years see a gain of 18%, while the same research sees the average vehicle age continuing to climb. Yours,(Source: IHS Markit) Thomas Beer, CEO'