Breaking Ground: aftermarketNews Talks to Northwood’s Jim John about the New Sloan Family Building for Aftermarket Studies
Today, Northwood University breaks ground for the new Sloan Family Building for Aftermarket Studies, on the University’s Midland , MI , campus. The 25,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility will consist of areas for large group gatherings, classrooms, an alumni lounge, conference room, faculty offices, an auditorium and more. Professor Jim John, chair of Northwood’s Aftermarket Management program, recently shared with aftermarketNews some additional details about the project.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Talks to
Many aftermarket companies today are jumping on the “green” bandwagon and taking steps to reduce their companys’ overall impact on the environment — from office recycling programs to complete product redesigns. Consumers are showing a growing interest in vehicles and automotive products that are environmentally conscious as well. According to 2006 sales data from R. L. Polk & Co., there are 10.5 million alternative fuel vehicles on the roads today.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Looks at Aftermarket Legislative Issues
Motor vehicle suppliers are the largest single manufacturing industry in the U.S. As such, this industry is not only greatly impacted by what goes on in Washington , but it can also be a great influence on Capitol Hill as well. There are a number of issues in debate right now that this industry must keep a close watch of – from environmental emissions regulations to small business health insurance plans and more.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Talks to Female Industry Executives About Their Vehicle Maintenance Habits
During the annual winter meeting of the Car Care Council Women’s Board held last week in Savannah, GA, Van Kirk, of Kirk’s Auto Repair, told the board that today approximately 72 percent of his customers are female. This number is in line with industry statistics that show females are becoming more actively involved in vehicle maintenance for their households. We asked several members of the Car Care Council Women’s Board how their habits compared to the numbers. We asked them: Who is the primary vehicle maintainer in their households, and how do they decide where to take their cars when it’s time for maintenance or repair?
Executive Interview with Tom Tecklenburg, VP of Sales and Marketing, Bendix Brakes North America
This week we hear from Tom Tecklenburg, vice president of sales and marketing for Bendix Brakes North America. He joined the Bendix organization in November 2004 after the commitment by Honeywell to reinvest and reinvigorate the Bendix brand. Prior to joining the Bendix team, he spent 15 years working on the FRAM, Prestone and Autolite brands in numerous functional areas, including finance, supply chain, operations, sales and marketing. In his tenure, he has worked with customers in various channels including original equipment, auto and commercial vehicle aftermarket. Tecklenburg has spent the last two-plus years repositioning the Bendix brand while driving sales growth and improved profitability by utilizing his past experience and the Honeywell enablers of Six Sigma and Digital Works. Join us as Tecklenburg brings us up to speed on the future of the Bendix brand and the friction market in general.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Offers Tips for Better Business Travel
Thanks to advanced technology, business travel gets more efficient every day. Yet, even with all of the modern-day conveniences, corporate travel can still be stressful and exhausting. Travel delays, limited access to creature comforts and the general fatigue that comes with having to be your at your best, regardless of time zone, are just a few of the ways travel can all take a toll on a person. We asked a few well-traveled aftermarket executives for their best tips for staying healthy and focused during business travel.
Executive Interview with Steve Frazier, Vice President, Automotive, Amazon.com
This week we hear from Steve Frazier, vice president of automotive for Internet retailer Amazon.com. In late 2006, Amazon.com launched its Automotive Parts & Accessories store, offering more than 1 million new, used and remanufactured parts from leading parts and accessories manufacturers. Frazier recently spoke with aftermarketNews about the launch of this new online store and the role the company hopes to play in the aftermarket.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Looks at the Hot Performance Items for 2007
This is the time of year that major corporations, automotive or otherwise, unveil new toys and new technologies for consumers. Keeping with that theme, for this week’s Ask the Industry we asked several aftermarket professionals well versed in the performance and accessories market what they anticipate will be the hot item(s) in the performance segment this year.
Executive Interview with Lee Murray, General Manager, Dana Engine Parts Division
In this week’s Executive Interview, we hear from Lee Murray, general manager for Dana’s Clevite Engine Parts Division. Murray assumed this role in April 2006 and has responsibility for all functions associated with the Clevite, Perfect Circle and Victor Reinz brands. He originally came to Clevite in 2004 as vice-president of marketing. Join us as Murray talks about the sale of Dana’s Engine Parts division to MAHLE, the general health of the engine business and more.
R. L. Polk & Co’s Ask the Industry Looks at the Year Ahead for Aftermarket Companies
With every new year, it is common practice, both in business and in one’s personal life, to evaluate the past 12 months – what went well, what didn’t – and create a plan to make improvements for the new year. For the first Ask the Industry of 2007, we asked a couple of aftermarket professionals what they anticipate will be the biggest issues for their companies this year.
Executive Interview with Dennis Welvaert, President, North American Aftermarket Division, Dayco Products, LLC, A Division of Mark IV Industries
While in Las Vegas, aftermarketNews.com sat down with Dayco’s Dennis Welvaert to discuss the current state of aftermarket brands and the increasing competition from OE parts and service.
R. L. Polk & Co’s Ask the Industry Looks at Predictions for Raw Materials in 2007 (Part II)
In this week’s edition of Ask the Industry, MEMA Senior Market Research Analyst Richard Anderson provides his predictions for some of the industry’s most important raw materials. In our interview with Anderson , he indicated that petroleum, steel, aluminum, copper and nickel will be the top five raw materials for the aftermarket to keep an eye on in 2007. Below, are his thoughts on two of the most talked about raw materials for this industry — petroleum and steel.