b'Dear Partners,We hope you started the year well and we wish you a successful 2024. We hope youll enjoy For SSF this will be an exciting year with the completion of our ITthe view behind the curtains and transformation and reengineering of our core digital processesunderstand why we have built long-lasting partnerships with around the corner. This is all being built to allow improvementthese unique companies and their product o\x1eerings.and acceleration of the services we provide to our customers. It is remarkable how modern systems can improve sourcing, product2024 should be another solid year for the aftermarket with an \x1fow, delivery systems, returns, etc. through better design,expected growth of 3.5%. The framework is in our favor with 15.6 interfacing, and algorithms. Finally, we are now able to expandmillion vehicles sold last year, an increase of 12% over 2022. our footprint to get closer to our customers in key markets. Electric vehicles were 7.6% of new total new registrations which adds up to a total \x1feet of 2.4 million EVs on US roads. While this While the \x1fow of parts is of utmost importance, we also focus ournumber represents only 0.8% of the vehicles in operation in the e\x1eorts on how we can support you with critical information. ThisUS, it is important we continue to advance our product and ranges from daily performance data to better insights into theservices o\x1eering to be prepared to service whichever vehicle may rationale as to why we select certain suppliers for variouscome into your shop.categories. Our strategic sourcing process is deliberate, and we want to provide you with better insight into our decision-making.Supplying you most e\x1eectively with the top-quality parts for the 23 million European Internal Combustion Engine vehicles on the Ultimately, the vehicle owner feels most comfortable when theirroad will be our main focus during the next 12 months and we shop of choice can stand con\x1ddently behind the brands installedcommit to doing this better than ever.in their vehicle. Yours sincerely,This edition of AutoFocus will feature three important SSF partners, Corteco from Germany, CRP out of New Jersey, and Nissens headquartered in Denmark.Thomas Beer'