aftermarketNews Staff
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Executive Interview with Chris Gardner, Director of MEMA’s MIS Council

Our latest Executive Interview features Chris Gardner, director of the MEMA (Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association) Information Services (MIS) Council. The MIS Council is a peer group of individuals from MEMA member companies who are responsible for their companies’ IS operations and serves as a forum for industry interaction, education and idea exchange. Gardner has his finger on the pulse on the latest advancements in technology and how they can best be implemented in the aftermarket. Here, Gardner talks about MEMA’s efforts in the technology sector through the MIS Council and group initiatives.

Remy Settles Patent Infringement Suit with Taiwan’s Unipoint

Remy International has settled the patent infringement lawsuit it filed last November against Unipoint Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Remy International has settled the patent infringement lawsuit it filed last November against Unipoint Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

Cummins Enters Into Joint Venture Agreement for China Technical Center

Global engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. has signed a joint venture contract agreement with Dongfeng Cummins Engine Co. Ltd. (DCEC) to establish its first technical center in China. The facility is expected to open in the first quarter of 2006 in the central China city of Wuhan. The Cummins East Asia Tech Center will provide engineering and technical services for the full range of Cummins products built in China, including diesel and natural gas engines, power generators, turbochargers and filtration products.

Visteon Announces Auto Glass Partnership With the NFL

Football fans can now show their colors in a bold new way, thanks to a new agreement between Visteon Corp. and the National Football League (NFL), making Visteon the officially licensed provider of NFL Team Custom Windshields. Similar to Visteon’s NASCAR Performance windshields, which feature the NASCAR logo in black and white or color, the NFL Team Custom windshields feature a sports fan’s favorite NFL team logo with complementary graphics in the shade band across the top of the windshield. The design is fused between the vinyl interlayers of the glass, making the logo a permanent, fade-resistant part of the windshield.

Be Car Care Aware Kits Offered at a Special Price for a Limited Time

The Car Care Council is offering “Be Car Care Aware” point-of-sale kits for the special price of $95 until March 15, 2005. Designed to help aftermarket companies and organizations get involved in the on-going “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign, the kits can be easily ordered through the Car Care Aware web site — www.carcare.org.

CR/SKF Makes Scholarship Donation to GAAS Fund; Also Donates Kornafel Books to Northwood

Chicago Rawhide (CR)/SKF has made a $3,000 donation to the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) scholarship fund. The money is specifically earmarked for special circumstance applicants and will be part of the scholarship fund pool distributed next year to applicants for the annual aftermarket educational support effort by the GAAS Committee. In a separate effort, Diggory announced that the company has donated 50 copies of Pete Kornafel’s new book “Inventory Management and Purchasing – Tales from the Automotive Aftermarket” to the undergraduate Aftermarket Management studies program at Northwood University in Midland, Mich.

SB International Installs New Database Management System

SB International of Nashville, Tenn., recently selected 21st Century Graphic Technologies and Omnitek Information Systems Inc. to install a new database management system. S. B. International (SBI) is a full line supplier of cylinder head components to the engine parts distributor, production head rebuilder and private label market. Leone, director of Information Systems for SBI, said the company did extensive research before choosing a solution provider.

CSK Auto Reports Fiscal 2004 Third Quarter Financial Results

CSK Auto Corp. has reported its financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2004. Net sales for the 13 weeks, which ended Oct. 31, were $401.5 million, compared to $409.8 million for the 13 weeks ended Nov. 2, 2003 — the third quarter of fiscal 2003. Same store sales decreased 3.2 percent in the third quarter of fiscal 2004 as compared to the third quarter of fiscal 2003.

Sloan Names Northwood University Heavy-Duty Scholarship Recipients

Sloan Transportation Products, a supplier of heavy truck and trailer products, has announced the recipients of the first Northwood University Heavy-Duty Scholarships. In August, Sloan established two $1,000 annual scholarships for qualified Northwood University students. Matthew Dorr, junior from Hemlock, Mich., and Richard Ender, a senior from Portage, Mich., will each receive a $1,000 scholarship for the 2004-2005 academic year.

Beck/Arnley Receives KOI’s 2003 Outstanding Performance Award

Beck/Arnley was recently presented with the 2003 Outstanding Performance Award from warehouse distributor KOI for achieving a double digit sales increase through exemplary support in the area of on time delivery, customer service and pull through sales promotions. KOI is an employee-owned warehouse distributor based in Cincinnati, Ohio, serving more than 70 company owned stores throughout Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.

The Year in Review – A Look at the Top 10 News Stories of 2004

Whether you believe 2004 was a good or bad year for the aftermarket, no one can argue this was a big news year for our industry. The year included noteworthy shifts in leadership, mergers, acquisitions and more, most of which will significantly impact the industry for many years to come. Here’s a month-by-month look at what aftermarketNews.com considers to be biggest news events that happened in our industry in 2004.

Tighter Vehicle Emission Standards Proposed for Washington State

Washington state would follow California’s lead in establishing tough new automotive standards to slash emissions of greenhouse gases under a proposed new bill. The bill, being drafted by Rep. Ed Murray, a Seattle Democrat who chairs the House Transportation Committee, would thrust Washington into the forefront of efforts by states to combat global warming. It would also put Washington in the thick of a battle with automotive companies over the legality of such actions.