Activant, Winsby Group Expand ACES Aftermarket Data Mapping Alliance
Activant Solutions and Winsby Group, a supplier of application-specific data solutions for the automotive aftermarket, have expanded their partnership involving AAIA’s ACES cataloging standard. Now, Activant will be the exclusive distributor of Winsby Group’s latest release of the AceMapper data mapping technology.
The Top Ten Newsmakers of 2004
For the first time ever, Counterman magazine and aftermarketNews.com bring you The Top 10 Newsmakers of the Year. Our editorial team took a look at some of this industry’s most influential leaders and selected the 10 we believe have had a direct impact on the success of the aftermarket in 2004. Beyond that, we believe these individuals have helped set the stage for an even more productive future for our industry.
NHRA Museum Launches New Winner’s Circle Sponsorship Program
The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum has unveiled details of an exclusive program that will give automotive aftermarket leaders and racing greats the opportunity to preserve and celebrate a history they helped make, through a new sponsorhip program called the Winner’s Circle.
Federated Donates $100,000 to Art Fisher Memorial Scholarship Fund
Federated Auto Parts has made a $100,000 donation to the Art Fisher Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fund, which is administered by the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA), benefits students pursuing automotive aftermarket careers. It was recently renamed after Fisher, who died in January 2004, to honor his dedication to the industry.
Rick Hendrick Receives NASCAR Buddy Shuman Award from Federal-Mogul Champion Spark Plug
Hendrick Motorsports Owner Rick Hendrick was presented the 2004 NASCAR/Champion Spark Plug Buddy Shuman Award in a ceremony in New York City last week. Presented by Champion annually since 1957, the Shuman Award recognizes an individual or group that has made a significant contribution to the growth of NASCAR Nextel Cup Series racing. Champion spark plugs are manufactured and marketed by Federal-Mogul Corp.
The Year in Review – A Look at the Top 10 News Stories of 2004
Whether you believe 2004 was a good or bad year for the aftermarket, no one can argue this was a big news year for our industry. The year included noteworthy shifts in leadership, mergers, acquisitions and more, most of which will significantly impact the industry for many years to come. Here’s a month-by-month look at what aftermarketNews.com considers to be biggest news events that happened in our industry in 2004.
Jack Rome, MotorVac VP and Inventor, Dies at 66
John “Jack” Rome, vice president of operations and engineering for MotorVac Technologies, lost his year long battle with cancer on November 4. Rome had served as vice president of operations and engineering at MotorVac since 1995. He was responsible for designing and developing most of the company’s products and was named on 18 of their 19 patent applications. He also managed the manufacturing, distribution and procurement operations.
Douglas Battery Restructures its Automotive Division
Douglas Battery, one of the nation’s leading battery manufacturers, said it is confident that a recent internal restructuring of its automotive division will ensure its position in a highly competitive market. “Good companies make tough decisions,” said William Spears, vice president of sales and marketing for Douglas Battery Automotive. “Douglas understands we’re in a world economy and to remain competitive and viable, changes are necessary.”
AAIA’s Schmatz Elected to Automotive Hall of Fame Board
AAIA’s president and CEO, Kathleen Schmatz, was recently elected to the board of directors of the Automotive Hall of Fame (AHF). She joins Al Gaspar, AAIA’s president emeritus, who joined the AHF Board in 2000. AAIA’s president and CEO, Kathleen Schmatz, was recently elected to the board of directors of the Automotive Hall of Fame (AHF). She joins Al Gaspar, AAIA’s president emeritus, who joined the AHF Board in 2000.
AOL, Henry Ford Museum Cut Deal
Michigan’s Henry Ford Automotive Museum announced Monday a deal with America Online to let it reach the Internet provider’s 30 million subscribers worldwide. The AOL deal lets the museum offer historical content on U.S. inventors — one of the museum’s specialties — for AOL members going to aol.com for information. Users must enter the keyword “history” to gain access to the information. In exchange, the Henry Ford logo will appear on the AOL site along with a link to its own Web site.