SB International Installs New Database Management System
SB International of Nashville, Tenn., recently selected 21st Century Graphic Technologies and Omnitek Information Systems Inc. to install a new database management system. S. B. International (SBI) is a full line supplier of cylinder head components to the engine parts distributor, production head rebuilder and private label market. Leone, director of Information Systems for SBI, said the company did extensive research before choosing a solution provider.
COMMENTARY: More Lean, Mean Machines
On a landmark Tuesday in which stock car racing rubbed wheels with Formula One in Dearborn, Mich., leaders of five auto racing sanctioning bodies agreed their sport faced some of its biggest challenges in years. Their message to a packed room of automotive engineers and racing industry veterans was clear: There must be a meaningful connection between race cars and production vehicles, or racing might be seen by manufacturers as too costly to continue to support.
NASCAR to Publish NASCAR Travel Planner with Mobil Travel Guide
NASCAR has teamed up with Mobil Travel Guide, a publisher of information for the road traveler, to produce a new travel planner for NASCAR fans. The first edition of this annual effort is scheduled to be released this month and will be titled Mobil Travel Guide: NASCAR Travel Planner. The book will be a four-color guide to the areas surrounding NASCAR tracks.
Executive Interview: Jacques Landreville and Jim Buzzard Talk About the Recent Merger of Uni-Select and MAWDI
Our latest Executive Interview features Jacques Landrevillenand Jim Buzzard. On November 1, Landreville and the Buzzard family completed the merger of Uni-Select and MAWDI. The merger significantly expands Uni-Select’s reach into the U.S., where it will generate revenues of approximately $470 million. As part of the agreement, all current MAWDI and Uni-Select locations will remain under their original names, but at the corporate level MAWDI will operate as a subsidiary of Uni-Select USA. All of the various companies within Uni-Select USA, including MAWDI, will be referred to as Automotive Group USA. Landreville and Buzzard recently spoke with aftermarketNews.com and shared some of the finer details about the future for Uni-Select USA.
Thomson Delmar Learning Launches New Chilton Total Car Care CD Collection
Thomson Delmar Learning, an educational resources provider and part of The Thomson Corp., has released its new line of Chilton Total Car Care CDs — a line of Do-It-Yourself car care information provided in CD-format. According to David Koontz, publisher for the Professional Business Unit of Thomson Delmar Learning, during the past year the company redesigned the Chilton professional products to better reflect industry needs.
2005 North American International Auto Show to Promote Automotive Careers with First Annual Automotive Education Day
A new event promoting automotive careers will be added next year to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), which takes place on Jan. 15-23, 2005, in Detroit. Thousands of students will converge upon the 2005 NAIAS for the first annual Automotive Education Day on Wednesday, Jan. 19 from 9-3 p.m. at the Detroit Cobo Center. The event is designed to provide southeast Michigan and Windsor-area students in grades 7-12 with an exciting and educational automotive career curriculum, presented by knowledgeable industry professionals.
MEMA 100th Anniversary Materials Win 2004 International Automotive Media Awards
The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) was presented with four award by the International Society for Vehicle Preservation for its 100th anniversary materials – including “Best in Show” in the graphics category for its commemorative anniversary poster. The awards were presented Nov. 16 in New York.
Keystone Automotive Acquires Chambers Parts Distributors
Keystone Automotive Industries has acquired Chambers Parts Distributors, headquartered in Manchester, Me. In addition to Manchester, Chambers operates out of facilities in Bangor and Portland, Me. The company recorded sales of approximately $5 million in 2003. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
WIX Filters Launches New Marketing Campaign
At the recent AAPEX Show in Las Vegas, WIX Filters gave automotive products distributors and trade press a sneak preview of the company’s new marketing campaign, which will launch in 2005. The new brand campaign was introduced as part of a company update that included information from WIX leadership about several recent developments, including Cypress Group’s recent acquisition of the Dana Automotive Aftermarket Group, of which WIX is part.
Metal-Stamping Plants that Supply Auto Parts Face Bleak Future, Experts Warn
Up to half of the U.S. metal stamping plants that supply parts for the automobile industry could be out of business in six years, an industry attorney and trade group warned Thursday.