Robert P. Minnick Email & Phone Number

Stamford, Ct

For the last 45 years, I have created several successful companies from nothing more than a concept. Now, I’m leveraging an ability to reinvent retail experiences in the insurance, credit card, consumer electronics, and automotive segments with new ideas and approaches to create a national non-profit organization that will fund skilled trade education. By supporting the collector car craftspeople of tomorrow, we are addressing the underfunding of vocational education over the last two generations and destigmatizing skilled trades such as car restoration.The biggest threat to classic cars is not climate change, electric motors, or autonomous vehicles. It's Ron, a 65-year-old panel beater and restoration mechanic who is about to retire.Our solution is to help talented young men and women become qualified to fill Ron’s shoes as tomorrow’s professional restoration specialists. Let’s connect! Email me at rpm@pistonfoundation.org and we’ll chat about how we can ensure the survival of our automotive heritage and a passion enjoyed by millions of Americans.

Greater New York City Area

I founded RPM Group in 2009 to offer highly specialized consulting services to auto enthusiast related businesses. I often can see business opportunities that don't exist. Or, as the head of Chrysler Overseas sales said of me, “Robert gets it done because it hasn’t occurred to him that he can’t.” Providing strategic business advisory and management consultancy services to companies within and on the periphery of, the automotive and auto enthusiast marketplace has been an amazing experience that has provided me with a great sense of pride and an itch to do more on the edge of what’s possible.

White Plains, New York 10603

I hear what fellow car enthusiasts need and want, including a comparison shopping engine for the automotive aftermarket. They want to save time and need to save money to balance time spent getting ready for car events with actually enjoying them. Our proprietary software platform catalogs millions of parts from hundreds of brands to quickly match customers with retailers.

Greater New York City Area

Enthusiast Nation and Speedlab Corp (dba PartsHub ) merged in December 2013

Greater New York City Area

I created WPI Dealer Services as a subsidiary of H&M Management where I drove the initiative to give a new experience/benefit to customers. We partnered with MBNA to create a series of affinity card programs, most notably one of the earliest "enthusiast- based" affinity credit card programs: the Rider Card for motorcycles, watercraft, and snowmobile owners.

Greater New York City Area

I joined forces with J. William Holt of Duncanison Holt, a large insurance group, to form H&M Management, Inc. and develop successful and innovative credit card and other financial programs for banks.

Greater New York City Area

As founder of ComponentGuard, Inc., a third-party administrator for consumer electronic warranties, I championed the concept of a credit card-like product prominently displayed in a clear plastic blister pack that replaced multi-page contracts, increased service sales, and modeled today’s robust gift card industry. Our Double Warranty Program with American Express was a credit card industry first. ComponentGuard went public in 1987.

Germany

As the first head of the company’s finance and insurance department for military sales, I led development and launch of the Army Air Force Exchange Services (AAFES) auto service contract network in Frankfurt, Germany.

Buffalo/Niagara, New York Area

My first business was also one of the first high-end stereo “salons” featuring a living room environment instead of the vinyl and steel racks of the era, a store design environment still used by specialty consumer electronic stores today. Innovation then led me to earn the Yamaha Master Marketer Award two years in a row and open two additional stores before selling the business.