RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – The Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association and MacKay & Co. have announced the participants for the Heavy Duty Supplier panel, one of the three Industry Expert Discussion Panels to take place as part of the Heavy Duty Aftermarket Dialogue (HDAD) conference on Jan. 21 in Las Vegas. The event, which takes place at The Mirage, immediately precedes Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week 2013.
Industry experts presenting in the Supplier Panel discussion will provide insight into the topics of consolidation in the marketplace, utility and complexity of components, balance of power in the marketplace, globalization of supply base and the uncertain value chain. Participants in the heavy-duty supplier panel will include four executives from industry-leading suppliers to the channel.
Kelly Dier, president of Marmon Highway Technologies, based in Cullman, Ala., joined the company in 1984 with the acquisition of Fontaine Truck Equipment. Marmon Highway Technologies, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a leading supplier in the commercial vehicle OEM and aftermarket space, manufacturing trailers and parts, suspension, drive train and braking system products. A major player in the industry, the Marmon group consists of Webb Wheel companies, Fontaine companies, Perfection Clutch, Triangle Spring, Marmon Herrington, Fleetline and TSE.
Pedro Ferro, president of Meritor’s Aftermarket and Trailer business units, headquartered in Troy, Mich., was previously president of Meritor’s Industrial and Asia Pacific, based in Shanghai, China. Ferro joined ArvinMeritor in 2001, then joined the Marmon Highway Technologies Group, first as president of Webb Wheel and later as president of MHT Undercarriage group. In 2011, Ferro returned to Meritor, a leading OEM and aftermarket supplier of brake, drivetrain, axle and remanufactured products, under the Meritor, Euclid and Mascot brand names.
Mike McGrath, president of Vehicle Service Aftermarket NA for SKF, headquartered in Elgin, Ill., is responsible for SKF’s North American light duty and commercial vehicle aftermarket, and the OE service segment. McGrath joined Chicago Rawhide in 1993, then a division of SKF, as field sales manager for the HD aftermarket group. He held various sales director positions in the automotive, commercial vehicle and industrial sales groups inside SKF until 2000 when he was named vice president of sales for SKF VSM North America.
Joseph Saoud is president of Cummins Filtration, headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cummins Inc. Saoud joined Cummins in 1995 and has served as president since April 2008. He has provided key leadership for the company, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of filtration and chemical technology products for all diesel engine powered equipment. Saoud has had a variety of operational and general management roles across several of Cummins’ business units globally – in San Luis Potosi, Mexico; the Middle East, residing in Dubai, U.A.E; for the China Filtration JV with Dongfeng, Shanghai, and the India Filtration JV, Fleetguard Filters Private Limited.
The day-long conference also will feature a heavy-duty distribution discussion panel as well as a panel from the perspective of fleet owners, scheduled between two expert presentations; the North American Economic Outlook to be presented by Dr. Bob Dieli of RDLB Inc., followed by the Heavy Duty Industry Forecast presented by Stu MacKay of MacKay & Co. The conference will include breakfast, two breaks and a luncheon, each intended to facilitate networking with industry peers, as well as conference books containing presentation materials.
Registration for HDAD’13 is open and can be completed on the HDMA website, www.hdma.org.
