CHICAGO – The automotive industry is seeing new ways of doing business in its methods of cutting costs. The good news for GAAS attendees is that these new ventures will ultimately help the aftermarket.
Mike Martini, president, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, and John McElroy, president, Blue Sky Productions, teamed up in a presentation to address the issue, “Are we entering a new golden area of the auto industry?”
The duo said there are many benefits to OE success and highlighted a number of trends that will help the automotive aftermarket industry, including:
• The continued increase in the number of new vehicles sold worldwide and the growing number of new drivers around the globe.
• The changing business models within the automotive industry as automakers collaborate more on vehicle systems. The pair cited platform collaboration efforts by GM and Nissan on a new minivan, saying this trend will result in more vehicle options for consumers, while utilizing dependable platforms.
• Better built vehicles. The growing historic median age of vehicles on the road has hit 11.6 years; nearly 20 percent of vehicles on the road are more than 16 years old.
• The growing number of global exporters. The presenters said the U.S. imports cars from more than 15 different countries, including non-traditional vehicle suppliers such as Slovakia, Hungary, Turkey and Australia.
• More emphasis on green vehicles, resulting in better fuel economy and new developments in hybrid-electric vehicles and natural gas engines.
• Increased electronics in automotive systems, including tire pressure-monitoring systems and improved safety/automated vehicle control systems.
