R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Looks at the Value of Networking
This year, the Car Care Council Women’s Board celebrates ten years of bringing together aftermarket professionals to encourage more women to join the aftermarket and help women become better vehicle maintainers. At the recent Women’s Board summer meeting held last month in Atlanta, aftermarketNews Editor Amy Antenora asked a few longtime aftermarket executives what they get out of networking events and associations such as this. Here’s what they had to say.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Goes to Washington
At MEMA’s recent Legislative Summit, congressional representatives discussed aftermarket issues with the association’s members. Counterman Managing Editor Michael Freeze spoke with a number of industry execs at the event, and asked: As an attendee at the MEMA Legislative Summit, what industry issue do you feel most passionate about?
Executive Interview with Roger McCollum, President of N.A. Williams Company
Through our Executive Interview feature, we give executives free reign to express their views on anything from the state of their corporations to recent legislative news to future trends in their niche markets. Here you see what matters to the newsmakers themselves. This week, we hear from Roger McCollum, president of N.A. Williams, the Atlanta, GA-based manufacturer’s rep firm.
R. L. Polk & Co’s Ask the Industry Gets Feedback from GAAS Attendees
Following a day full of insightful presentations at this year’s Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS), an evening cocktail reception gave GAAS attendees the perfect opportunity to network and discuss the day’s events. The reception, sponsored by Industrial Marketing & Research and Universal Underwriters with transportation provided by BB&T Capital Markets, took place Wednesday, May 18 at the Automotive Hall of Fame. Counterman Managing editor Michael Freeze interviewed a number of industry execs at the event, and asked: What GAAS presentation has been most valuable to you and why?
R. L. Polk & Co’s Ask the Industry: Synching Up Customer and Provider Expectations When it Comes to Pricing
As an industry, what can we do to get all service providers on the same page, in terms of getting a fair price for service and repair expertise, and being able to charge accordingly, without consumers feeling like they are being gouged?
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?
Executive Interview with Peter Culley, Vice President Aftermarket for PBR International Limited
Peter Culley, vice president aftermarket for PBR International Limited, has devoted his entire working life to the automotive brakes industry. With a background in mechanical engineering and extensive experience in global automotive markets, including a 25 year association with the North American market, Culley has been instrumental in orchestrating PBR’s global aftermarket expansion.
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?
Executive Interview with Ric Alameddine, VP of Marketing and Engineering, North American Aftermarket, Tenneco
This week we talk with Richard Alameddine, vice president of marketing and engineering, North American Aftermarket, for Tenneco Inc., manufacturer of Monroe shocks and struts, Monroe premium brakes, Walker exhaust products, DynoMax performance exhaust, Rancho performance suspensions and shocks, and DuPont Car Care appearance and performance chemicals.
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?
Executive Interview with Alexei Gurin, CEO of Amtel-Vredestein NV
Alexei Gurin is certainly putting his experience to work as CEO of Amtel-Vredestein NV and chairman of its management board. An engineer by training, Gurin earned his MBA from the University of Toronto, worked as an investment manager in Canada and other countries, was marketing director for Bennetton in Moscow, served as general director of MOST-TORG and founded Rostrade Co., a retail chain in Russia. In 2001, he joined the Amtel Group as vice president of finance, then became finance director in 2002 and general director in 2004. That year, Gurin was the point man in Amtel’s acquisition of Vredestein Banden and, most recently helped Amtel-Vredestein’s successful initial public offering of stock. In this exclusive interview, conducted as the company announced the formal entry of the Vredestein brand into the Russian tire market, Gurin discusses the acquisition and Amtel-Vredestein’s future.