Florida Automotive Industry Association Celebrates 50 Years
The Florida Automotive Industry Association will celebrate its 50th annual convention this year. The 2004 event will be held at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld on July 23 and 24. The Florida Automotive Industry Association was established in 1954 by a small group of dedicated jobbers. Over the years the Association grew to include more than 700 members statewide.
Goodyear Looks at Synthetic Rubber Developments
Goodyear Tire & Rubber said it currently has several new proprietary synthetic rubber products in development that could reduce the company’s dependence on natural rubber by as much as 15 percent over the next few years.
SEMA Spring Expo Reaches New Level Of Success
Organizers for the 2004 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Spring Expo, have reported that this year’s show was the biggest regional show the association has held to date. The Expo took place March 5-6 at the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis. A day of seminars preceded the actual exhibit. Although attendance figures have not yet been audited, show organizers said preliminary reports show an increase of approximately 65 percent in buyer attendance, and 30 percent in total attendance from the SEMA Spring Expo in Nashville last February.
DST Asks: Can Your Business Measure Return on Customer Investment?
Although most businesses have the means for measuring their Return On Investment, DST has coined the term Return on Customer Investment as a more accurate method of determining profitability of the customer base. Many firms believe that their largest customers, or the ones they have been supplying for the longest time, are the most profitable ones, but access to pertinent data can contradict those assumptions.
Dana Corp. Prepares for 100th Anniversary Celebrations
Dana Corp. will kick off its centennial-year celebrations at an automotive technology event in downtown Detroit, this while banners announcing the anniversary will begin peppering downtown Toledo. The Toledo firm, which turns 100 on April 1, will start its centennial celebration at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress. Dana will return to the March 8 to 11 event at Cobo Center for the first time since 2001 after bowing out, along with other large suppliers, for business and financial reasons.
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.
TIA Consolidates, Maryland Office Becomes New HQ
The Tire Industry Association (TIA) will consolidate all of its offices in Bowie, Md., as of Feb. 1. TIA’s operations in Kentucky will be relocated and the building will be put up for sale. TIA said this decision comes after months of in-depth analysis into the cost-effectiveness of operating two offices in different states. Two members of the Louisville staff, Senior Vice President of Education and Technical Services Kevin Rohlwing and Director of Training Chris Marnett, will be moving to the Maryland office.
Bridgestone Americas’ Lampe To Retire
John Lampe, chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Americas Holding, who led the company’s remarkable recovery after devastating tire recalls in late 2000 and early 2001, announced today that he is retiring effective Mar. 31. He will be succeeded as chairman and CEO of BAH by Mark Emkes, currently chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT). Lampe announced his retirement this afternoon during a company-wide live Web cast and conference call. In addition, Lampe and Emkes granted Tire Review an exclusive in-depth interview about the retirement and the company’s future plans earlier this morning.