AKRON, OHIO — Engine and Performance Warehouse, Inc. (EPWI) has named Joe Polich, former executive vice president of the Production Engine Remanufacturers Association (PERA), as its logistics/inventory process manager. In this newly created position, Polich will be reviewing current systems, sources, and costs as well as exploring and identifying opportunities beneficial to EPWI and its customers and vendors.
“Joe’s organizational skills will be useful in continuing our efforts to fine-tune our operations and help EPWI prepare for the future”, said Paul Van Woensel, president of EPWI.
With more than 30 years experience in the automotive aftermarket and engine remanufacturing in particular, Polich brings a wealth of hands-on and industry experience to this new position.
Polich began his automotive career while still in high school in Denver, CO, with Ford Grinding Service, a full-service machine shop. It became a full-time occupation when he joined his brother’s auto parts store in Craig, CO, in 1979 to start up a machine shop operation. The shop first began as a cylinder head shop, but developed into a full-line automotive machine shop in 1981. A complete driveline shop was added in 1983.
Leaving the family business in 1985, he joined the Automotive Engine Rebuilders Association where he was responsible for the creation of the Technical Services Department, the Technical Hot Line and the video tape training program. In 1988, he became vice president of operations.
Polich was recruited by the Production Engine Remanufacturers Association as its executive vice president in 1991, where he created and introduced the PERA Core Identification Program, the industry’s first computer-based engine and engine component identification database that included pictures. This program was reintroduced in 2002 under the SourcePERA identity in a totally revised format mapped to the AAIA standard lookup tables and included electronic cataloging capabilities.
Polich left PERA in 2003 due to industry downturns and has recently been the River Valley editor of Parts and People, a five-region automotive publication. He will remain in Grapevine, TX, with an office in the EPWI Dallas facility.
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