David Dobson Joins Alcoa as President of Its Engineered Products Business
David Dobson has been named president of Alcoa Engineered Products, the Alcoa business which supplies extruded aluminum products to customers worldwide in a variety of industries, including automotive and commercial transportation.
MANN+HUMMEL USA Names Thomas to Communications Post
MANN+HUMMEL USA has named Julie Thomas to the position of executive assistant to the president, with responsibility for the automotive supplier’s public relations programs.
Montana Products Names Regional Sales Manager
Automotive coatings manufacturer Montana Products has named Rick Paul regional sales manager, representing Virginia, Maryland and the Carolinas.
Keystone Restyling Products Updates Web Site
Keystone Restyling Products has updated its Web site, www.keystonerestyling.com. The redesigned site is easy to navigate, with a minimal number of clicks, enabling users to find product information as quickly as possible, according to the company.
ContiTech Signs Cloyes to Distribute Automotive Timing Belts
ContiTech Power Transmission Systems, a business unit of the ContiTech Division of Continental AG, has signed an agreement to supply timing belts to Cloyes Gear & Products, Paris, Ark.
ArvinMeritor President and COO Terry O’Rourke Resigns
ArvinMeritor announced late yesterday that Terry O’Rourke is resigning from his position as president and COO, to pursue opportunities outside of the company. O’Rourke is resigning from the board of directors as well. The COO position will be eliminated. O’Rourke joined ArvinMeritor as president of the company’s Light Vehicle Systems (LVS) business group in March 1999, after serving as group vice president and president of Lear Corp.’s Ford Division.
Siemens VDO Automotive Expands Detroit-Area Testing Facility
Siemens VDO Automotive is investing $2 million to transform its former machining and tooling shop in Auburn Hills, Mich., into a 5,000-square-foot fuel validation test center for its Powertrain Fuel Supply Systems (FS) division. The project is expected to be complete in May 2004. The new fuel validation laboratory will bring product testing and validation closer to local development engineers and Detroit-based customers, said the company.
UAW Organizes at Dana to Shore Up Membership
The UAW has organized about 2,000 workers at five Dana Corp. plants from Michigan to Tennessee as the union seeks to rebuild its active ranks and regain power in the auto industry. Along the way, the union faces opposition not only from workers who don’t want a union but also from those who want a tougher union that would fight and win better wages, benefits and working conditions. To them, the UAW has become too conciliatory as it strives to gain members.
Delphi Increases Product Coverage in North America, Launches Three New Catalogs
Delphi is introducing three new 2004 product catalogs for engine management and HVAC systems, including Delphi Freedom batteries, EGR valves and thermal components. The new catalogs cover 950 part numbers, 300 of which are all new for 2004, providing expanded coverage in North America.
BorgWarner Names Vice President, Engine Research and Development
BorgWarner has appointed Olaf Weber to the newly created position of vice president, engine research and development. In this new role, Weber will be responsible for identifying technological and market trends in engines, and developing new systems that will enable BorgWarner to leverage the company’s capabilities and expand into new areas of the engine business.
Bendix Brakes Awards “Drive it Home” Promotion Grand Prize
Bendix Brakes has awarded Vinemont, Al-based technician Rick Holland a new 2004 Ford F150 truck. Holland, a customer of warehouse distributor Walter White and a technician for National Tire & Battery, was the grand prize winner of the brand’s “Drive It Home” scratch and win promotion.
Axles, Wheels on Crown Vics Investigated
Ford Motor Co.’s Crown Victoria sedans, the subject of lawsuits over fatal fires and a recall of some 2003 models for potential wheel cracks, face a U.S. inquiry after police departments said axles broke or wheels fell off. The investigation covers 287,819 police and civilian 2003 models of the Crown Victoria and the similar Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on its Web site. Two police fleets reported that axles broke or wheels fell off on a total of four cars, without accidents or injuries, the agency said.