Soy-Based Products Show Potential Under The Hood
As soy biodiesel continues to gain acceptance at the pump, soy-based lubricants are also fueling the automotive industry. Engine oil and hydraulic power steering fluid are two soy-based products showing potential “under the hood.”
ChevronTexaco Global Lubricants Pioneers Program to Benefit Hispanic Trucking Community
ChevronTexaco Global Lubricants (CTGL), a leading provider of heavy-duty engine oils, lubricants and coolants, recently introduced an on-going initiative to reach out to the growing Hispanic trucking community, which constitutes 15 percent of the nation’s 3.2 million truck drivers.
Herman Trend Alert: Executive Exits Expected
Executives are restless. Employers expect leaders at top levels to depart at a substantially faster rate over the next few years, compared to what has been seen over the past few years. Results from a recent poll conducted by The Association of Executive Search Consultants revealed that 54 percent of executives responding expect to work for seven or more employers during their career, compared to nine percent who felt that way ten years ago.
Tech Camp Sparks Career Ideas
Gustave Sexauer won’t be old enough to take his driver’s license test for a few more years, but he already owns a truck and has been working on it with his father. Sexauer got to work with college automotive instructors during the 2004 Tech Camp held recently at Western Wisconsin Technology College (WWTC) in La Crosse, Wis. Students took turns helping to change oil, inflate tires and solder. Sexauer, who will be a seventh-grader this fall, had one reason for attending the event. “I want to be a mechanic when I grow up,” he said.
Leadership for Change — Staying the Course: Commitment to Change
For change leaders at all levels, nothing is more important than staying the course — showing clear and continuing public commitment to the change initiative under way. One of the most common situations we see is the failure of senior executives to personally stick close to key initiatives they’ve started. Many executives see their role as generating ideas and setting goals and direction. Once an initiative is launched, it becomes someone else’s responsibility to see it through to conclusion. The executive moves on to something new, which may very well be defining and launching yet another initiative. In some organizations this results in an ongoing cascade of terrific improvement ideas, many of which are never completed.
Automotive Black Boxes Getting More Use
A Palm Beach County, Fla., woman injured in a traffic accident is planning to use information from a automotive black box in her effort to seek damages. The case is part of a nationwide trend to use the event data recorders in traffic cases, the Palm Beach Post reported Tuesday.
Herman Trend Alert: Are Two-Year Colleges Ready to Prepare Tomorrow’s Workforce?
Citizens are asking questions about whether community and technical colleges are prepared to educate and train the next generation of employees located throughout the U.S., these two-year institutions are charged with preparing people for jobs in the communities they serve. While quite a few of these colleges are highly efficient and effective, some fall woefully short of capacity to do the job employers expect.
Time is Running Out: Get Your Company Listed in aftermarketNews.com’s Free Online Manufacturer’s Rep Directory
Time is flying by. Don’t miss your opportunity to see your company listed in aftermarketNews.com’s free online Manufacturer’s Rep Directory. Developed as an added service for our subscribers, the newaftermarketNews.com online manufacturer’s rep directory will feature important and useful information about manufacturer’s rep firms across North America.
Former Magna CEO Belinda Stronach Wins Seat in Canadian Parliament
Belinda Stronach, who resigned earlier this year as CEO of Canadian auto parts giant Magna International Inc., launched her new political career Monday with a narrow victory over a Liberal rival in the country’s national election. Belinda Stronach, who resigned earlier this year as CEO of Canadian auto parts giant Magna International Inc., launched her new political career Monday with a narrow victory over a Liberal rival in the country’s national election.
Herman Trend Alert: The Shift has Begun
We have been forecasting the shift from a buyer’s market to a seller’s market in labor. Our message has been very clear that the past few years were only a pause in the demand for top talent and that the employment market would tighten up again. The shift to a seller’s market has begun.
House Bill Would Target Non-Compliant Products
To help deter the import of automotive and other products that falsely claim compliance with federal or industry safety standards, Representatives Sander Levin, (D-Mich.) and Dave Camp, (R-Mich.), have sponsored H.R. 4152, which would make unlawful the importation, sale for importation or sale within the U.S. after importation, of products falsely labeled or advertised as meeting a U.S. government or industry performance or safety standard. The bill would amend Section 337 of America’s trade law, a section well known by aftermarket companies who have used the law against imports that infringe upon their trademarks, patents and other intellectual property rights.
Leadership for Change — Cross-Functional Collaboration and Breakthrough Thinking
Last time we talked about the role of change leadership in aligning resources and setting expectations on the magnitude and pace of change. Today we want to talk more about cross-functional collaboration and breakthrough thinking.