Denis Bruncak was recently elected chairman and chief executive officer of Hytec Automotive. Before his latest appointment, Bruncak held the position of chief commercial officer (CCO) for Odyssey Logistics and Technology. As CCO, his areas of responsibility included overseeing all sales and marketing initiatives as well as North American operations for supply chain services and truck brokerage.

Previously, Bruncak served as an independent business consultant for mid-level to large logistics/BPO companies with a concentration in strategic account planning, portfolio and business vertical diversification projects, acquisition or liquidity event preparation, overall supply chain management as well as BPO sales. Prior to that appointment, Bruncak had been executive vice president corporate relations and chief commercial officer of Pacer International, for two years. Pacer International is a leading, non-asset based third party logistics company offering a broad array of transportation and BPO related services.

From 1985 to 1999, Bruncak served as CEO for Cincinnati, Ohio-based Rail Van Inc. with a dominant responsibility for new business development. Corporate revenues grew to $500 million servicing the transportation logistics/BPO businesses.

Join us as Bruncak talks about his new appointment with Hytec and the company’s new water pump manufacturing facility in China. Brucak also talks about the momentum Hytec has built in only three years in business, as well as the company’s plans for AAPEX this year.

This has been an exciting month for Hytec Automotive. The company just announced the opening of a new state-of-the-art water pump manufacturing facility in China. Why was this the ideal location for Hytec?

Hytec Automotive’s new manufacturing facility in China is where rich history and culture meet. Located in Dafeng City, China (in the middle of the Jinagsu Province), the facility is within close proximity to busy shipping ports as well as Yancheng Airport (providing domestic and international service), and is a two-hour drive from Shanghai. Hytec Automotives’ unique location and transportation advantages make it convenient to the international automotive marketplace.

Hytec acquired a factory in this same region in 2007. Will you maintain both facilities? How does this new facility impact production at the other plant?

As our business has grown over the past thee years we quickly realized if we were truly going to a strong global supplier we would be required to increase our manufacturing capacity. The new China plant in Dafeng City is approximately twice the size, at 70,000 square feet, as the original plant. We have since moved all manufacturing operations from our original plant and incorporated them into the new state-of-the-art plant. We will no longer utilize the original plant.

The modern industrial complex where the new plant currently has been built has the capacity for additional manufacturing expansion in the future. Our plans through the next decade include expanding our automotive part production into other key areas to better serve and support global automotive aftermarket manufacturing and parts distribution.

The other big Hytec announcement to break just last week was that of your appointment as chairman of the board and chief executive officer. What are your initial plans and goals for the business?

I am extremely honored and proud to be named chairman of the board and CEO of Hytec Automotive. The breadth of the automotive aftermarket industry continues to expand and Hytec plans to experience similar market growth in the next three to five years. We will take a three-pronged approach when addressing the goals of the corporation. First, we will aggressively attack the market with strong and targeted sales initiatives that will increase our market share and generate new strategic business partnerships. To support our increased sales initiatives our operational plans include a complete reengineering program that will optimize and provide the most cost-efficient and operationally effective logistical processes to attain and exceed industry fill rates. The final and most important perspective on the future is to maintain the highest level of quality control standards in the industry. We will review all internal quality control processes to ensure that our TS-16949 certified water pumps are the best in the industry and achieve our corporate goal of zero defects…period.

Hytec made its industry debut at AAPEX in Las Vegas in 2005. The company has come a long way in three short years. To what do you attribute this success?

As 2008 has unfolded, Hytec Automotive is enjoying significant growth and record sales. In [just a few] short years, we have come a long way. Our relationship with DeBartolo has afforded us to grow financially with infrastructure continually evolving in order to capture the market share we are aiming for.

We have earned TS-16949 Certification, enabling us to provide the highest quality part and be able to prove it. Our Hytec Automotive water pumps are manufactured to meet OEM specifications based on look, fit and function.”

Hytec Automotive’s new China plant positions us to compete globally by bringing the highest quality at the lowest price and allowing our customers to not only compete but to achieve additional profitability.

We are very proud of the Hytec Automotive team both in the U.S. and in China. Their desire to build a company based on quality, their willingness to cooperate and their drive to make it happen is truly inspirational. Our shared philosophy to do it right and deliver on time illustrates the tradition of excellence Hytec Automotive is built on, and is at the forefront of our plans for the future.

What does Hytec have planned for AAPEX this year?

Hytec Automotive is investing in our annual AAPEX convention and trade show through several different channels. Our exhibit booth has doubled in size and will feature information and representatives from our new China plant. We encourage all AAPEX visitors to stop by and learn more about our increased water pump manufacturing capabilities, TS-16949 quality certifications and our global distribution channels.

We will also be introducing a new line of water pump packaging. To prevent waste and conserve resources, all three layers in Hytec Automotives’ new water pump packaging are made from recycled materials. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, using recycled materials cuts down on the energy used in the manufacturing process, dramatically reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants. Three dimensional graphics printed on the new packaging makes the water pump come to life, allowing the customer and the retailer see the Hytec Automotive difference. The high end graphics printed directly onto the packaging along with our TS-16949 certified high quality water pumps afford our clients the perfect blend of functionality, performance and visual appeal through our packaging. Hytec is also keeping the needs of our environment in mind in which the fiber used in this product package meets the sourcing requirements of the SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) program.

When visiting our booth at AAPEX we want our guests to see how our ability to evolve with changing times and marketplace trends has led to our success. At Hytec Automotive, we are diligent in keeping up with industry developments and customer demands, and pride ourselves in being the first to market with new products and services. In addition to new water pumps, we are evaluating new product line alternatives, and focusing on sustaining new technology that will be the future of automotive aftermarket parts. This new initiative is possible because of our current engineering capabilities, relationships with OEM factories capable of tooling and supplying these critical products. It would also enable us to offer valuable new products and services to our customers. Hytec Automotive is a leading manufacturer and distributor of new water pumps that meet the highest industry standards. With our innovative products, our people and our processes, we are truly driven to supply the world. Please visit our AAPEX exhibit booth (#458) in Upper Level #3 to learn more about the Hytec Automotive brand.

Hytec has won preferred supplier status with several distributors in the last few years — Parts Plus and Independent Auto Parts of America (IAPA) in 2007 and TruStar this year. How do supplier relationships such as these help Hytec?

The relationships we have fostered with our suppliers have been one of the main and significant keys to our increased success through the past few years. Vendor relationships are so vital to our organization and certainly help keep our Hytec brand strong. We appreciate the partnerships that we have gained and plan on preserving these relationships as our business and market presence continues to grow.

To earn preferred supplier status, Hytec Automotive participated in a comprehensive product evaluation process. In addition to plant visitations to verify quality manufacturing, we had to be extremely competitive and prove we can deliver on our quality processes and fair market pricing. We won all fronts.

Hytec Automotive is built on quality and customer service. We are very proud of all of our group approvals and we value each and every partnership.