Hankook Tire America Corp. Awards Grand Prizes in Ventus Tire “Getaway” Giveaway
Hankook Tire America Corp. has selected four Grand Prize winners in Hankook’s Ventus Tire “Getaway” Giveaway. The online promotion ended May 31, 2005. The response was greater than anticipated, and in the end four winners were selected at random to receive a $5,000 gift certificate to a select Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts destination in the U.S. or Puerto Rico, plus first-class, round-trip airfare for two to their chosen location.
Johnson Controls Elects New Director
Battery, integrated seating and interior systems supplier Johnson Controls announced the election of Eugenio Clariond Reyes- Retana to the company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Clariond, 61, is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Grupo IMSA S.A., an industrial conglomerate specializing in steel, aluminum and plastic products.
NAPA Echlin Announces “Earn With the Bear” Program
Professional service technicians can receive valuable electronic prizes with the NAPA Echlin “Earn with the Bear” program. Through September 30, participants earn points for purchases of eligible NAPA Echlin brand automotive products by submitting the UPC code from the product box top.
John Bean BFH 1000 Approved for Use in GM Dealerships
Snap-On Equipment’s John Bean BFH 1000 Total Ride Performance System was recently approved for inclusion in the GM Dealer Equipment program. The new agreement is the result of cooperative efforts between General Motors Service Operations and Snap-on Equipment to provide high quality wheel balancing solutions to General Motors Dealerships.
General Motors Loses $1.1 Billion in Last Quarter
General Motors Corp. just finished its worst three-month period in more than a decade, losing $1.1 billion, and spending $3.5 billion out of its savings. But as Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner works to get the world’s largest automaker through its toughest year since the early ’90s, one headache he doesn’t have is worrying about running out of cash, as Chrysler Corp. did in the late ’70s.
The Work Truck Show 2005 Breaks Attendance Records
The Work Truck Show2005 and 41st Annual National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) Convention reportedly broke all previous attendance records this year with 7,148 vocational fleet managers, maintenance personnel, equipment distributors and others in attendance. More than 460 industry suppliers participated in the shows as well.
Auto Engineers Figure Future at SAE Conference
Someday, cars will see beyond the road that lies within the headlight beams. They’ll have cameras that detect what is happening all around it. And eventually they’ll talk to each other. Those are the predictions of nine auto executives in charge of safety at automakers and suppliers during a conference held Monday by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The annual conference, which ends Thursday and is expected to attract more than 35,000 people to Cobo Center in Detroit, features ways automakers and suppliers can improve vehicles’ safety, comfort and performance.
An Era to End at Ford: William Clay Ford Plans to Retire from Company Board
William Clay Ford, the last surviving grandson of Henry Ford, plans to retire from the Ford Motor Co. Board of Directors after nearly 57 years, the company announced Wednesday. Ford, who turns 80 Monday, is the father of chairman and CEO Bill Ford and has been on the board for more than half of the company’s history, elected before he even graduated from Yale University.
Race Fans To See Racing in a New Light with ESPN2 IndyCar Series In-Car Simulcast
ESPN2 viewers will get unique perspective on IndyCar Series racing with a live telecast utilizing only in-car cameras during the season-opener of the IndyCar Series. The coverage will be a simulcast of ESPN’s coverage of the March 6 Toyota Indy 300 race from Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The Steel Scene
Traditionally suffering from a poor image, the steel industry has become increasingly under the spotlight during the last 12 months as the strong demand for steel has led to short-term shortages in some industries, especially automotive. The steep increases in the cost of raw materials, including steel, is being cited as one of the principal reasons why carmakers may be forced to increase the price of their vehicles for the first time in years. Nissan, for example, which had to cease production at three of its plants in Japan for several days because of a steel shortage, has already said that it is considering a price rise and is watching with interest what its rivals are doing. Options it was said to be considering are reducing incentives, reducing the standard specification, or a simple price rise, the last being the least favorable due to the competitive nature of the retail market.