Overland Park, Kan. — NCM Associates, a dealership consulting firm that also provides 20 Groups, hired two new associates to serve its retail automotive clientele. Mark Shackelford, formerly of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), joined the company as executive conference moderator for the 20 Groups division. And Kevin Herndon joined NCM’s Retail Operations Consulting division.

Shackelford will leverage is more than 20 years of retail experience and group facilitation skills as NCM’s newest executive conference moderator. He most recently served as an NADA 20 Group consultant and trainer for the NADA University. He also is a former dealer and dealership general manager.

Herndon joins NCM with a background in automotive service and parts operations management and consulting. He started his automotive career in 1989 as a service advisor for Fairway Lincoln Mercury Mazda in Savannah, Ga. By 1994, he became the dealership’s parts and service director. His success in and focus on fixed operations management throughout his career prepared him for his private consulting firm, Herndon Consulting, where he has been assisting dealers in improving the profitability of their fixed operations departments since 2006.

“I’m pleased to say NCM is in a position to expand our capacity to serve our current and future clients because of the increasing interest in our services,” said Paul A. Faletti, NCM’s president and CEO. He went on to say that NCM is adding successful retail experts like Shackelford and Herndon because its automotive dealer clients are very bullish on improving the profitability of their existing operations and many are also seeking opportunities to expand.

“Mark and Kevin are two remarkably strong retail experts and come to us with the experience to make an immediate contribution in our 20 Groups and Retail Operations Consulting divisions,” Faletti said. “I have no doubt we and our clients will be benefiting from their expertise for years to come.”