“DST Asks”: What Ordering Methods Do You Offer to Customers?
Forecasting the future isn’t a task restricted to tabloid psychics or your TV weatherman. Whether we like it or not, running a successful business today that will remain successful in the future requires forecasting skills.
Executive Interview with John Washbish, President – Customer Relationship Management, Dana Automotive Aftermarket Group (AAG)
Every other week, aftermarketNews.com offers an interview with a high-profile individual in the automotive aftermarket. We give executives free rein to express their views on anything from the state of their corporations to recent legislative news to future trends in their niche markets. Here you see what matters to the newsmakers themselves.
More Than 300,000 Tests Taken in CCAR’s S/P2 Online Training
The Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR) has surpassed 300,000 tests taken in its “S/P2” online training in Safety and Pollution Prevention for the automotive repair industry.
Two Visteon Employees to be Honored by Society of Automotive Engineers
Two engineering professionals from Visteon Corporation will be honored with the prestigious Forest R. McFarland Award on Tuesday, March 9, at the Honors Convocation during the 2004 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) World Congress & Exhibition in Detroit.
Herman Trend Alert: Electronic Connectivity
Rapid developments are underway in the field of electronic connectivity. Sending and receiving e-mail is possible virtually anywhere that you can connect your computer to a telephone line. Internet cafes are plentiful and convenient, especially in countries outside the U.S. International travelers can now stay in touch as they move, increasing their efficiency and peace of mind. The exploding connectivity trend makes it possible to keep in touch with headquarters, clients, suppliers and loved ones.
GAAS Fund Organizers Announce $50,000 GAAS Scholarship Challenge
An anonymous donor has issued a $50,000 fund raising challenge for the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) scholarship program, awarded to students planning aftermarket careers. The “$50,000 GAAS Scholarship Challenge” was initiated after the donor committed to donate up to $10,000 to the Global Scholarship fund in 2004 and will match 25 percent of all other donations to the fund up to a matching amount of $10,000. The challenge campaign aims to net the fund a total of $50,000 in donations. Delphi Corp. has made the first challenge donation of $3,000.
ArvinMeritor Reports Fiscal Year 2004 First-Quarter Results
ArvinMeritor reported sales of $2.2 billion and net income of $19 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, for its first fiscal quarter, which ended Dec. 31, 2003. This is compared to the prior year’s first-quarter net income of $32 million, or $0.47 per diluted share. Results for the first quarter of 2004 include a net charge of $0.09 per diluted share as a result of the company’s decision to withdraw its tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Dana Corp. This charge includes $16 million of pre-tax costs, partially offset by a pre-tax gain of $7 million on the sale of Dana stock owned by the company.
BorgWarner Announces 40 Percent Increase to Quarterly Dividend
The board of directors of BorgWarner has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share on all of the company’s issued and outstanding common stock. The dividend has been increased by 40 percent over the previous dividend amount.
“DST Asks”: Adding Service/Installation as an Additional Profit Center in a Parts Enterprise
How many readers know that Starbucks, the ubiquitous coffee retailer, actually began operating as a coffee roaster in Seattle, selling bags of whole bean coffee in Pike Street Market? It took a visionary leader, Howard Schultz, coupled with an ambitious operating plan and enterprise management technology to morph the business into the worldwide coffeehouse chain and merchandising success story we see today. And this all happened in an incredibly short period of time…with growth from 17 outlets in 1987 to 7,225 outlets today. All of this was based on the simple premise, “We already have customers who buy our coffee beans — what if we brewed the coffee for them, too?” We see a similar opportunity in parts distribution.
Executive Interview with Terry McCormack, President, Dana Automotive Aftermarket Group (AAG)
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Terry McCormack, president of Dana Automotive Aftermarket Group (AAG). McCormack talked to aftermarketNews.com about the recent news that Dana will divest its aftermarket group. He shared details of the announcement as well as his insights on what this major change means for the company and the division.