“DST Asks” Parts Distributors: Which Features of a Computerized Business Management System are Most Useful to Your Business?
Our youngest readers may not be able to remember that there was a time before remote control technology when changing the channel on your television actually required getting up off the couch and making the long walk over to it. “Channel surfing” only existed when you could get one of your kids to sit next to the TV and turn the dial for you. Life was brutal then.
Edelbrock 2004 Catalog Now Available
The new 2004 Edelbrock Catalog for American Cars & Trucks is now available. Sporting a historic cover shot of Vic Edelbrock Jr. with his father’s just-restored ’32 Ford Roadster, the new catalog has 244 pages of automotive parts including manifolds, shocks, cylinder heads, fuel pumps, carburetors, camshafts, headers, crate engines, etc. It is also the company’s largest catalog to date.
Former Dow Engineering Plastics Executive Joins Penda Corp.
International plastics executive Ulf Buergel has been appointed president and COO of Penda Corp., a leading manufacturer of light-truck bedliners. Buergel joins Penda following a 20-year career with The Dow Chemical Co. in Midland, Mich.
Executive Interview with Jim Taylor, CEO of Thomas Group
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Jim Taylor, CEO of the Thomas Group. Taylor joined the Thomas Group in 2001 as vice president and CFO. From 1997 to 2001, Taylor served as president of the Chancellor Group, a Dallas, Texas, management consulting firm, where he assisted companies in restructuring, raising funds and completing initial public offerings. Join us as Taylor tells us more about the Thomas Group culture and how it works for its clients.
Timken to Become NASCAR Contingency Sponsor
Timken has signed on as a contingency sponsor of the NASCAR Busch Series for three years, beginning with the 2004 season. The Hershey’s Kisses 300 at Daytona International Speedway, which took place last weekend, was the first time the Timken logo appeared on multiple NASCAR stock cars.
Bandag Acquires Majority Interest in Speedco
Bandag Inc. has acquired an 87.5 percent majority interest in Speedco Inc. from its founders and Shell Oil Products US. Headquartered in Cuyuga, Ind., Speedco provides quick-service truck lubrication nationwide through 26 company-owned and six licensed on-highway locations. Bandag will operate Speedco as an independent business unit.
Automotive Supplier ZF Lemforder Plans to Close Duncan, S.C., Plant
Automotive supplier ZF Lemforder will close one of its two Duncan, SC, plants within two years and will lay off an unspecified number of employees, officials confirmed last week. Frank Buscemi, public affairs director with ZF Group North America, said the company’s components plant would be closed by the end of 2005 because it cannot fill demand and cannot be expanded.
Transpro Expands A/C Condenser Program
Transpro has expanded application coverage for its line of Ready-Aire Air Conditioning Condensers with the publication of a new 2004 catalog. The newly expanded product offering includes more than 400 total part numbers with coverage through the 2004 model year on several applications.
High Schoolers Earn Certifications from Industry
A diploma isn’t the only important document that some students have in hand when they graduate from high school these days. A growing number of students, educators say, are graduating with specific, industry-defined skills certifications that can have immediate value in the job market. Industries in which such certification is available include computer maintenance, automotive repair, nursing, graphic arts and food service.
SEMA Expands Installer/Specialist Test Programs with Custom Wheel and Tire Accreditation Test
SEMA has added a custom wheel and tire specialist exam to its battery of certification tests. The new test, known as Z5, will measure real-world knowledge and skills of the wheel and tire professionals who install custom applications on passenger cars and light-duty trucks. SEMA has added a custom wheel and tire specialist exam to its battery of certification tests. The new test, known as Z5, will measure real-world knowledge and skills of the wheel and tire professionals who install custom applications on passenger cars and light-duty trucks.