BWD Automotive Releases New Borg-Warner Late Model Ignition & Electrical Engine Management Application Guide
BWD Automotive has announced the availability of its Borg-Warner brand Late Model Ignition & Electrical Engine Management application guide for passenger cars and light trucks 2004-1980, No. IG-04. The catalog lists ignition and electrical system parts applications for North American and imported passenger cars and light trucks.
Production Resumes at Bridgestone’s Amagi Tire Plant
Production has resumed at Bridgestone Corp.’s Amagi tire plant in Japan following a fire that had shut it down for five days. The fire had started last Friday and injured 13 workers. All production lines were halted after the fire broke out. A company spokesperson reported that the total impact of the fire is expected to be limited, although not completely assessed as of yet.
APRA Announces Name Change for Volume Transmission Division
The Automotive Parts Rebuilders Association has renamed its Volume Transmission Division. The new name — the Volume Transmission Remanufacturing Group — was unveiled at a recent APRA board meeting in Long Island, NY. According to APRA Chairman Craig Leuck of Jasper Engines and Transmission in Jasper, Ind., the intent of the name change was to reach out to high volume transmission remanufacturers — those doing several hundred per month or more.
Striking UAW Workers at Michelin’s Ontario Plant Accept Labor Terms
The strike at Michelin North America’s (MNA) Kitchener, Ontario, plant that began on June 1 is effectively over, now that workers have voted to ratify a deal with the tiremaker. On Aug. 23, members of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA), Local 677, voted 94 percent in favor of the deal. The proposal contains wage and benefit improvements and ensures the Ontario plant, as well as three U.S. plants — in Tuscaloosa and Opelika, Ala., and Woodburn, Ind. — will be protected from closure for the life of the agreement.
Bosch Announces Changes in Chassis Engineering Division
Robert Bosch Corp. has announced three new appointments within the engineering organization of the company’s Chassis Division. Uwe Kirberg has been named senior vice president, engineering services. In this role, Kirberg has overall management responsibility for the Chassis Division’s engineering services and application organization in the U.S.
Buyer Registrations Up 8 Percent Year-to-Date for AAPEX 2004
The 2003 Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week was a record-breaker, with more than 50,000 buyers attending the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) and SEMA Show. Now, according to registration figures for July, more buyers will be on hand this year to visit the 1,900-some exhibitors at AAPEX. AAPEX 2004 is scheduled to take place Nov. 2-5 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.
Coni-Seal Promotes Two Veteran Executives
Frank Pagano, CEO of Lakewood, NJ-based Coni-Seal, Inc., recently announced the promotion of two longtime employees. Sylvia Ferrie has been named vice president of aftermarket sales and new business development; and Ronald Pierce has been promoted to vice president of aftermarket sales and special markets.
Lund International Names New Channel Manager
Automotive accessories designer Lund International has added a new executive to its sales and marketing team. Robert Cobb will serve as the company’s new channel manager for the Hardware, Home Center, Mass Merchant Farm and Fleet chains.
Tire Makers Required to Prevent Resale of Defective Tires Under NHTSA Rule
In August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a final rule requiring a tire manufacturer’s remedy program for the replacement of defective or noncompliant tires to include a plan to prevent the replaced tires that had been recalled from being resold and improperly disposed of by the tire dealer.
Sumitomo Rubber to Expand Capacity at Six Asian Tire Plants
Sumitomo Rubber Industries plans to spend an extra $45.8 million to increase capacity at six of its tire plants in Japan and Asia to meet growing demands, according to a company spokesperson. The company, based in western Japan, had already planned to invest $302 million over the next two years. The Japanese tiremaker will invest about 27.5 million at its plants in Japan and approximately $18.3 million at factories in China and Indonesia to increase annual production capacity by 12 percent, from 2003 levels.
Amcast Completes the Sale of its Aluminum Components Business
Amcast Industrial Corp. has sold the assets of its Aluminum Components business to Park-Ohio Holdings Corp., a Cleveland, Ohio-based provider of supply chain logistics services and manufacturer of aluminum products. The acquisition includes operations located in Wapakoneta, Ohio; Richmond, Ind., and Cedarburg, Wis., with annualized revenues in excess of $65 million.
Denso’s New CEO Focuses on Big 3 Business
Mitsuo Matsushita, the new CEO of Denso International America Inc., wants to increase revenue and profit margins as the company diversifies its customer base. Matsushita wants to add Big 3 business to complement its business with Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.