MIDLAND , MI – Northwood University will honor seven automotive aftermarket leaders with its annual Automotive Aftermarket Education Award on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas . The awards will be presented during a luncheon at the annual Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo Show (AAPEX).
Those being honored are: Matt Agosta, president/CEO, Steele Rubber Products, Inc., Denver, NC; Michael Howarth, senior vice president, KYB America LLC, Addison, IL; Timothy Kraus, president and COO, Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association, Research Triangle Park, NC; E. Fletcher Lord, Jr., president/CEO, Parts Warehouse, Inc., Little Rock, AR; Francisco Ordonez, president, Delphi P rod uct & Service Solutions, Delphi Corporation, Troy, MI; Joseph Pomaranski, vice president sales, North American Aftermarket, Tenneco, Monroe, MI; and Donald Reimondo, senior vice president, customer relationship management, Affinia Group, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI.
Northwood’s Automotive Aftermarket Education Award recognizes leaders for their contributions to the educational process in the automotive aftermarket field. The award was created to insure that these individuals receive national recognition for their efforts to improve education inside and outside the industry.
Northwood University Automotive Aftermarket Education Awards
Matt Agosta, President/CEO, Steele Rubber Products, Inc., Denver , NC (photo not available)
Raised in Detroit , it is only natural that Matt Agosta grew up with a love for automobiles. He has been with Steele Rubber Products, Inc. for 31 years, the last 22 years as president/CEO and part owner.
Education has always been a driver for success, whether educating himself, his employees, or the industry. Within his own company, he promoted and advocated continual education through partnerships with the Lincoln County Industrial Management Association, Gaston College, Catawba Valley Community College and Centralina Workforce Development Programs.
As chairman of the SEMA Automotive Restoration Market Organization, he brought educational programs to the Hot rod and Restoration Show, including panel discussions on Internet, TV, and print advertising as well as informational sessions with college students about the restoration industry. As chairman of the SEMA task force for Electronic Data Interface, he brought SEMA members information on business-to-business use of traditional and Internet EDI capabilities via webinars and magazine articles.
Through his guidance, Steele Rubber Products is a financial sponsor of the new science and technology building at the Lincoln County extension of Gaston College. He has authored numerous articles in both local and national magazines.
Agosta’s greatest personal sense of achievement comes as chairman of the SEMA National Educational Conference Task Force. He is also active in his church and his community.
Michael Howarth, Senior Vice President, KYB America LLC, Addison , IL
Howarth measures his achievement by the success of his employees. With years of commitment to that goal, starting in the aftermarket business in the early 1980s and through increasingly responsible positions, he kept one goal in sight, ‘to improve their lives forever.’ “I always view my organizational pyramid upside down, with me at the bottom, hopefully providing the coaching, training, direction and resources people need to achieve their results,” he states. The strength of KYB’s commitment to training and development was recognized when the company was awarded the prestigious Art Fisher Memorial Scholarship in 2006.
KYB has embarked upon a strategy of meaningful education and training for service providers called “Ride Control Solutions.” This innovative program has helped raise shock and strut sales by sometimes more than fivefold. This program is not a discount, not a giveaway and is not dependent upon boxes of printed marketing material. It provides meaningful training and support in the workshop that helps vendors sell more products and more maintenance.
The program trains service providers to identify not only failed parts, but also worn parts, helping them benchmark a vehicle’s current performance versus its correct handling and control capabilities and to effectively and ethically communicate vehicle condition to the motorist.
Howarth is a committed people developer. Ride Control Solutions from KYB is a high profile and visible extension of his personal commitment to training and education. “I really hope that 10 years from now I will have made a significant difference to KYB, but also to the many service providers in North America who are missing sales and profit opportunities from selling vehicle maintenance.”
Timothy Kraus, President, Chief Operating Officer, Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association, Research Triangle Park , NC
Kraus has always been a strong proponent of ongoing and continuous educational improvement and development. In his leadership assignments, he has supported education for both his employees as well as himself. He has been directly involved in customer training and has personally conducted hundreds of clinics, and product, technical and installation classes. He currently leads ongoing technical, marketing, government affairs, and operations educational efforts through the many events, councils, and initiatives of HDMA.
“I believe it is incumbent for our industry leadership to drive continuous improvement in skills and knowledge for all participants. Best practices of sharing new ideas, trends, methods, basic skill-set – all are critical to U.S. industry to remain competitive in the global economy,” states Kraus.
As a father of six and grandfather of two, Kraus coaches youth sports, volunteers at church, and is active in his community. His activities include soccer, hockey leagues and clubs and he is also an Adult and Merit Badge Leader for the Boy Scouts of America. He also holds numerous professional affiliations.
E. Fletcher Lord, Jr. President/CEO Parts Warehouse, Inc., Little Rock , AR (photo not available)
E. Fletcher Lord, Jr. is committed to continuous improvement. “I have spent my entire life working toward improvement in my approach to our company.” He further states, “We are nothing more than a group of people trying to succeed at a complicated endeavor. The more qualified we are, the more likely our success.” Replacement Parts, Inc. takes training seriously and offers regular courses in all aspects of business and operational skills. They also offer training for customers and store personnel.
Children and community are important to Lord. He is active in a multitude of service organizations and holds leadership positions in them. He is president of the Catholic High School for Boys Booster Club and is also chairman of the board for the Greater Little Rock Boys and Girls Club.
President of his fraternity, Kappa Sigma, and a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization for Rotary International, Lord also finds time to serve in industry-related organizations. He is chairman of the board of the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), the Automotive Aftermarket Alliance, ACDelco DDG Steering Committee and also serves as president of the Super Service Club, Distributors Institute.
He has shared his time as Deacon and Sunday School Superintendent as well as a teacher at the Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock. He is a former board member of the Worthen Bank and Trust Co.
Francisco Ordonez, President Delphi Product & Service Solutions, Delphi Corporation, Troy , MI
Ordonez established his leadership skills early in life. He graduated from high school with honors, from college cum laude, and earned his MBA, magna cum laude.
Beginning his career as a co-op student at General Motors Cadillac Division in 1970, he went on to hold a number of increasingly responsible positions with the automaker. Ordonez joined Delphi in 1988 and held a number of finance and business planning positions. He has overseen a variety of functions, including capital management, portfolio management, and GM’s partnership issues. Ordonez was director of finance for Delphi Safety & Interior Systems, where he was also a leader of the company’s Occupant Protection Business Team.
He was named general manager of Product & Service Solutions in October 1999, when the unit commenced operations as a new division of Delphi . As the first president of the division, he is responsible for the global business and brand strategy of Product & Service Solutions as it relates to its service, automotive aftermarket and consumer electronic product offerings. He is committed to education for aftermarket professionals. “It is essential we succeed for the industry to prosper,” he states.
A native of Havana, Cuba, Ordonez earned bachelors and master’s degrees in business administration from the University of Detroit . He serves as a board member for the Motor Equipment Manufacturers Association and is a former board member of the University of Detroit Jesuit High School.
Joseph Pomaranski , Vice President Sales, North American Aftermarket Tenneco, Monroe, MI
Pomaranski, in his current position with Tenneco since 1999, is responsible for sales and customer care in the aftermarket ride control and emission control businesses. He also handles DuPont Car Care chemicals and Monroe brake p rod ucts in North America.
Under Pomaranski’s leadership, Tenneco has worked aggressively to help its customers succeed. With significant investment in technology and innovative promotions and sales training, Tenneco is working hard to ensure the future prosperity of its service providers. Offering thousands of training clinics, regional meetings and ride-and-drive events, the company is committed to reaching out to its customers.
Pomaranksi spearheaded the development of the Expert Plus program, one of the industries largest and most successful installer marketing programs. Expert Plus has more than 20,000 installer and jobber members that participate in trade and consumer promotions and is a key opportunity for Tenneco to train installers.
Supporting jobbers with on-site training has played a major role in sales growth. Combining selective promotions, extensive shop visits and technician educational events has fostered a climate of growth for both Tenneco and its service providers.
Donald Reimondo, Senior Vice President, Customer Relationship Management, Affinia Group, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI (photo not available)
At Affinia, Reimondo is responsible for establishing and maintaining customer interfaces, increasing top-line revenue, strengthening Affinia’s brands across the globe, and overseeing the sales force representing Raybestos, Spicer and Wix brands.
Reimondo’s commitment to excellence in education has continued throughout his career. Since 2001, he has been active in “Menttium,” a mentoring program for women who are emerging leaders in business. He is a frequent panelist at the Truck Parts and Service Heavy Duty Dialogue, an industry forum designed to expand understanding and knowledge about the commercial vehicle industry. He has been a guest lecturer for several AWDA/University of the Aftermarket courses and is himself a graduate of the 2010 Leadership program.
Reimondo has created a comprehensive sales management training program for Affinia that is used for orientation and to educate the nearly 500-person strong Affinia global sales force.
His commitment to education carries over into his community and industry service, where he has served as a board member for the Adopt a School Foundation, a group of business people dedicated to serving public and private schools. Reimondo, a graduate of Northwood University, has also served on the board of directors of Concern for Children of Alabama, the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce, the Heavy Duty Distributors Association, SELCRA of Livingston County and the Council of Fleet Specialists.
For more information about Northwood University, visit: http://www.northwood.edu.
To learn more about the University of the Aftermarket, go to: http://www.northwood.edu/aftermarket.
