Brake Parts Inc. Names Andersen Director of CRM
Brake Parts Inc. has promoted Nancy Andersen to the newly created position of director of customer relationship management for the under vehicle group. A 25 year veteran of the aftermarket, Andersen has experience in export, customer service, accounting, direct sales and administration in all market segments.
Akebono Expands Aftermarket Friction Lineup
Akebono will launch the Akebono Premium Disc Brake Pads friction line next month. The line will feature 116 part numbers, covering a wide range of both late-model import and popular domestic vehicles.
Mitchell 1 Names Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast
Mitchell 1 has named Jim Silverman regional sales manager (RSM) for the company’s southeast region, which covers Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and South Carolina. Previously, Silverman served as an independent sales representative for Mitchell 1 in Nebraska and South Dakota for more than five years, during which time he earned the company’s top performer award in 1999, 2001 and 2003.
Hella Receives Award for Technical Innovation
Global automotive lighting and electronics supplier Hella KG Hueck and Co. has received a “Trophy of Excellence” for its technical innovations in the field of electronically-controlled bend lighting.
MEMA Names Inaugural Winners of Joseph A. Magliochetti Industry Champion Award
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-Mich.) are the winners of the first-ever Joseph A. Magliochetti Industry Champion Award, which has been established by MEMA to recognize public officials for outstanding leadership on behalf of the automotive supplier industry. The first ever presentation of the award, named in honor of the late president and CEO of Dana Corp., will be held at a gala dinner on Wednesday, May 5, during the MEMA Legislative and Public Policy Summit in Washington, D.C.
LKQ Enters Aftermarket Through GTA Acquisition
LKQ Corp., a nationwide provider of recycled OEM automotive replacement parts, has acquired Global Trade Alliance (GTA), one of the largest suppliers of aftermarket collision automotive replacement parts in the Midwest. GTA operates primarily as Action Crash Parts and Midwest Fender. LKQ paid $30 million for the acquisition, $1.5 million of which was in LKQ common stock and the balance of which was in cash and assumed debt.
Shell Racing Solutions Announces Distribution Agreement
Shell Racing Solutions has signed an agreement with Performance Products LLC to distribute Shell Racing Fuels to the U.S. motorsports industry. Performance Products has 15 years of experience in the U.S. race fuels business. Performance Products has serviced professional race series such as Indy Racing League (IRL) and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) and will distribute Shell Racing Solutions race fuels to top tier, as well as grassroots and club racing circuits.
AAIA Executives Make Presentation to Wall Street Investors
Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA president and CEO, and Al Gaspar, president emeritus, addressed a group of 30 Wall Street investors at a luncheon meeting at the Yale Club in New York City last week. The latest statistics and trends on the size, shape and structure of the aftermarket were addressed, as well as profiles of AAIA’s market-growing initiatives: Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES), category management, Right to Repair Act and the “Be Car Care Aware” campaign.
Alcoa Returns Unit to Former CEO
Alcoa Inc. has finally found a buyer for its automotive fasteners business, agreeing to sell the unit more than a year after putting it on the block. The Pittsburgh-based company said it would sell the business to a group led by Robert Kaminski for an undisclosed price. Kaminski is the former CEO and owner of Continental/Midland, one of the fastener maker’s predecessor companies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Snap-on Extends Long-Time Partnership With Pedregon Racing
Snap-on Tools has expanded its partnership with Pedregon Racing, serving as associate sponsor of the Funny Cars of Cruz Pedregon and Tony Pedregon of Pedregon Racing, Troy, Mich. Snap-on began its relationship with Pedregon Racing during Cruz Pedregon’s 1992 championship season. The agreement continues Snap-on’s sponsorship of Cruz Pedregon, while celebrating defending Funny Car champion Tony Pedregon’s move to Pedregon Racing with a second Snap-on Tools associate sponsorship.
Goodyear Completes $650 Million Loan
Goodyear Tire & Rubber has completed a new $650 million secured term loan that was arranged by JPMorgan and Citigroup. The company said it intends to use approximately $335 million of the proceeds of the loan to partially repay its existing $583 million U.S. term loan. Proceeds will also be used to repay other indebtedness and for general corporate purposes.
Speedway Motorsports Announces Executive Appointments
Speedway Motorsports (SMI) has appointed James Holden, former CEO and president of DaimlerChrysler, to the company’s board of directors. Holden recently completed 27 years in the automotive industry including 19 with DaimlerChrysler, and its predecessor, Chrysler Corp. Highlights of his career include being named president of DaimlerChrysler in 1999 and CEO in June 2000.