LKQ has expanded its product offerings to now include products for muscle cars and trucks. In our top story this week, LKQ has announced a new deal with Goodmark Industries, a leader in restoration sheet metal for classic cars and trucks, through which LKQ will serve as an official distributor for Goodmark. LKQ now has access to more than 9,600 parts and accessories for classic and late model vehicles and trucks, which can be purchased through any LKQ or Keystone location.

Also this week a new business-to-business marketing, promotional and consulting firm called American Aftermarket Group LLC (AAG) has unveiled a new strategy for simplifying the distribution channel. AAG was recently founded by 25-year automotive aftermarket industry veteran Todd Roberson, to help retailer and supplier members increase sales and improve margins through its innovative business model. Roberson, along with 15-year automotive veteran Mike Gatti and select industry partners, created AAG as a collection of selected automotive brick and mortar aftermarket retailers and manufacturers that work together to increase margins and sales by offering an alternate option to current distribution channels. With the AAG system, retailers order products directly from supplier members through a Web-based business-to-business portal built on the Amazon Web Services EC2 model.

In other news from the distribution world, Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance announced the results of its annual winter meeting, which took place Dec. 6-9 in Boca Raton, Fla. This year, the banquet was a tribute to retiring President and CEO Richard Morgan. Friends, family and colleagues were present to share stories, offer well wishes and give thanks for his years of dedication and commitment to the industry and to the Alliance. The annual meeting is one of two meetings held each year bringing together the 54 shareholders of Alliance from Canada, Mexico and the United States, where they review past and current business performance and upcoming opportunities. The Alliance also presented its coveted annual Vendor Awards at the meeting. A full list of winners can be seen by clicking here.

Another highly-viewed news item this week tells of a new patent for Federal-Mogul’s Wagner brand. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in November issued a patent covering Wagner EDGE technology, which custom shapes friction material on select applications. This leading-edge engineering approach involves laser-scan analysis of the caliper-pad-rotor interface on select applications, resulting in more focused and efficient caliper force. By integrating both of Federal-Mogul’s Wagner EDGE and IMI one-piece designs into a single brake pad, engineers have virtually eliminated braking vibration and noise while providing superior stopping power and longer pad life, according to the company. An extensive range of Wagner ThermoQuiet pads – covering many of today’s most popular foreign-nameplate and domestic applications – now feature both technologies. These pads are available in application-specific semi-metallic, non-asbestos organic and ceramic designs.

The final item in our round-up of the week’s top news comes from the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA). AASA has issued a new Special Report titled, “AASA Channel Partners Study: The Role of the Sales Force in Aftermarket Parts Distribution,” which explores the needs of aftermarket distributors and their relationships with aftermarket suppliers and independent rep agencies. According to Steve Handschuh, president and COO of AASA, the purpose of the report is to discover which full-service supplier programs and services are of value to channel partners and which are not. “One of the interesting data points from this report is that the survey participants identified product line coverage as the most effective driver of sales growth within a product category,” Handschuh said. “Also, more than half of the distributors in the study agree on four factors that drive their loyalty to one manufacturer over another. Leading this list of factors is the supplier who works with their customers as a partner, and who is accessible and responsive to their needs,” he added. The “AASA Channel Partners” Special Report is available to members for free at the AASA Members-Only Web site. Non-members can order the report for $750 through this link.