Executive Interview with Steve Frazier, Vice President, Automotive, Amazon.com
This week we hear from Steve Frazier, vice president of automotive for Internet retailer Amazon.com. In late 2006, Amazon.com launched its Automotive Parts & Accessories store, offering more than 1 million new, used and remanufactured parts from leading parts and accessories manufacturers. Frazier recently spoke with aftermarketNews about the launch of this new online store and the role the company hopes to play in the aftermarket.
Executive Interview with Dennis Welvaert, President, North American Aftermarket Division, Dayco Products, LLC, A Division of Mark IV Industries
While in Las Vegas, aftermarketNews.com sat down with Dayco’s Dennis Welvaert to discuss the current state of aftermarket brands and the increasing competition from OE parts and service.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Looks at the Role of the Internet in Business Today
The Internet has become a mainstay of life today. A flexible, affordable and robust business tool, the Internet has become a primary vehicle for communicating with customers and business partners in the aftermarket. Its uses vary — from e-catalogs to online promotions and product demos — and the quality and ease of use can vary too. The aftermarket executives we spoke with for this week’s “Ask the Industry” touched upon the benefits and challenges of doing business online.
Executive Interview: MEMA Leaders Discuss the Supplier’s Impact on Capital Hill
During last month’s MEMA Legislative Summit, Counterman Managing Editor Michael Freeze spoke with the people behind the association’s lobbying event: Ann Wilson, vice president of government affairs for the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA); Robert “Bob” McKenna, president and CEO of MEMA; and Steve Handschuh, executive director for the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA). Taking time out from their busy schedules while at the Summit, the three discussed the importance of meeting with Congress, the issues affecting the aftermarket industry and the growing influence of the industry in Washington, D.C.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry: Predictions for the U.S. Auto Industry in 2006
With all the struggles the automotive industry has faced this past year, do you foresee a better, stronger industry in 2006 or one that is worse for the wear, and why?
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry Looks at the Value of Motorsports Marketing Programs
Racing. Fortune magazine has called it the “fastest-growing, best-run sport.” One in three Americans consider themselves fans. And, today, businesses across all industries want a part of the action.Over the past decade, motorsports marketing and racing sponsorships have become among the most successful and lucrative vehicles for building brand awareness, so much so that companies today have executives dedicated solely to building their brands through motorsports marketing efforts. For this week’s Ask the Industry, we asked a number of aftermarket businesses that are active in motorsports marketing and racing sponsorships to tell us what they get out of it and where they see it all heading.
Executive Interview with Guy Bargnes, Director of Marketing, North American Operations for BASF Corp. Refinish Group
Guy Bargnes has spent his entire life in the collision repair industry. He was born and raised in Buffalo, NY, where his father ran a family business, V. H. Bargnes Co., Inc., which distributed automotive paints, supplies and equipment to area collision shops. In 1992 Bargnes joined BASF full-time, and he is now director of marketing, North American Operations, for the Refinish Group. Bargnes recently sat down to a phone interview with aftermarketNews and shared with us some of the insights from his lifelong career in the industry. Join us as Bargnes talks about BASF’s four leading principles, trends in the refinish business and the return of paint companies to industry trade shows.
AAIA’s Aaron Lowe Shares the History and How-to’s for its Annual Legislative Summit
Our latest Executive Interview features Aaron Lowe, vice president of government affairs for the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association. On March 1 and 2, more than 200 aftermarket executives will gather in our nation’s capitol for the 2005 Aftermarket Legislative Summit. The annual event gives representatives of the aftermarket the opportunity to provide policymakers with the information they need to make educated and informed decisions about issues that impact the aftermarket. Major issues to be highlighted during this year’s Summit include: The Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act; association health plans; anti-counterfeiting; and asbestos litigation reform legislation. Lowe recently shared with us some history about this industry-critical event and how you can get involved.
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.
Executive Interview with Greg Gyllstrom, Vice President and General Manager for Visteon’s North American and Asian Aftermarket Operations
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Greg Gyllstrom, Vice President and General Manager for Visteon’s North American and Asian aftermarket operations. In this role, Gyllstrom is responsible for expanding the organization’s North American and Asian aftermarket business by coordinating and directing the company’s sales, product development and marketing activities. Gyllstrom recently talked with aftermarketNews.com about his first two years at Visteon, the company’s motor sports initiatives and its presence in Asia.