R. L. Polk & Co’s Ask the Industry Looks at the Rising Need for ‘Premium’ Products
For this week’s Ask the Industry, we asked top executives at three leading aftermarket parts manufacturers: Do you foresee more suppliers expanding their aftermarket product offerings to include additional ‘premium’ products, since the demand today for OE and OE-equivalent parts, with their precise fit, form and function, is so strong?
R. L. Polk & Co’s Ask the Industry Talks About Consumer Awareness of Reman Parts
Drastic changes have taken place in the automotive industry over the past few years. Increased offshoring of production capabilities, increased quality of imported product and a slate of bankruptcies have completely altered the U.S. automotive landscape. But perhaps one segment in particular faces the most challenges today: reman. For this week’s Ask the Industry, we asked three executives from U.S. remanufacturing companies to give us their thoughts on marketing remanufactured parts to consumers.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry: What Impact Does Globalization Have on Brands?
Whether it’s a well-known U.S.-based aftermarket manufacturer opening facilities in Asia, or a strong new foreign player entering the U.S. market, today’s market place is a virtual melting pot. For this week’s Ask the Industry, we asked three knowledgeable industry executives for their thoughts on whether globalization has any impact on brand in the aftermarket. Here’s our question: How does the increasing presence of global competitors in the aftermarket impact the importance of brand?
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Talks to Shop Owners about National Car Care Month
With National Car Care Month (NCCM) just a couple of weeks away, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to find out what a few shops have planned. Using the Carcare.org website, we randomly called shop owners across the country and asked: What are you planning for this year’s NCCM? Is this the first time you’ve hosted a NCCM event? If not, do you think drivers are recalling the campaign and improving their vehicle maintenance habits?
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Looks at the Impact of Hybrid Vehicles
Last week, as part of a speech on his Advanced Energy Initiative, President Bush called for increased spending on scientific R&D and incentives for makers and consumers of alternative sources of energy in order to reduce the United States’ dependency on foreign sources of energy. The most promising breakthrough in alternative energy, the president said, is the hybrid vehicle. As interest in hybrid vehicles grows, it also raises many questions both for consumers and the technicians who must eventually repair these cars.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry: Readers Respond
Two weeks ago, in our last “Ask the Industry” column, we talked about the impending tech shortage that seems to be making waves around this industry as of late. As we’ve highlighted several times before in these pages, the article intended to point out that perhaps it’s not all about the numbers, but about helping technicians and shop owners do their jobs better. We asked you, our readers, to share with us any aftermarket-specific technician recruitment or training initiatives that you know of.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Talks to Shop Owners About the Impending Tech Shortage
We’ve all seen the articles, research and projections predicting a mass exodus of workers as the “Baby Boomers” near retirement age. These numbers have many in the automotive industry nervous due to its potential impacts on the already problematic technician shortage. While the numbers don’t lie, we wanted to find out just how dire the situation is. Calling random shop owners across the country, we found that none of them seemed particularly concerned. Perhaps it’s not that they aren’t concerned per se, but have no choice but to continue to plow ahead and pray it all works out for the best.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Asks Manufacturers How They’re Handling Rising Raw Materials Costs
By the end of 2005, oil prices had risen 45 percent higher than they were at the beginning of the year. Gas prices took a similar route, rising about 23 percent in 2005 leveling out to a national average of about $2.30 a gallon. As an industry that relies on oil and natural gas for a variety of critical processes — from fuel for parts deliveries to oil derivative products used in manufacturing – the rising costs of raw materials are certainly having an impact on U.S. auto parts manufacturers. For this week’s Ask the Industry, we asked manufacturers: How does your company handle the rising costs of doing business today, given increasing raw materials costs?
R.L. Polk & Co.’s Ask The Industry Goes to the Aftermarket Financial Symposium
For this edition of Ask The Industry, we visited the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association’s (AAIA) inaugural Aftermarket Financial Symposium in Chicago last week and asked those in attendance to give their impressions on the event overall.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry: Predictions for the U.S. Auto Industry in 2006
With all the struggles the automotive industry has faced this past year, do you foresee a better, stronger industry in 2006 or one that is worse for the wear, and why?
R. L. Polk & Co’s Ask the Industry: Industry Execs Comment on the Top Ten Issues of Year
Today, aftermarketNews kicks off its second annual “Top Ten” series, produced in collaboration with our sister publication, Counterman magazine. For our first installation in a weeklong series, we recap the top ten issues addressed this year by executives in our bi-weekly feature “Ask the Industry.” Below are ten of the most intriguing insights that leading aftermarket executives shared with us this year.
R.L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Looks at Unique Employee Benefits and Incentives
As companies compete to hire and retain talented workers, employee benefits can become a critical dealbreaker when a job applicant is trying to decide between working for your company or a competitor’s. Many U.S. businesses are becoming more creative with their employee benefits and incentive programs.