U.S. Carmakers Are Adopting Simplicity as a Path to Recovery
Henry Ford, who created the automotive industry’s first mass-market hit with the Model T a century ago, was a proponent of radical simplicity. In fact, Ford became famous for saying his customers could have the $825 Model T in any color — so long as it was black. Since the first Model T appeared in 1908, Ford’s vision of top-down efficiency has been swamped by thousands of feature and color combinations on new cars, trucks and sport utility vehicles. A result, executives say, has been higher production and inventory costs and headaches for customers and dealers in sorting through a complex matrix of choices. Ford Motor and the other U.S. automakers are now going back to black, embracing the spirit of Ford’s notion in response to mounting losses and the risk of a deeper downturn in the United States in 2008.
GAAS Approved for University of the Aftermarket AAP and MAAP Credits
The upcoming Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) has been approved for continuing education credits (CEU) by Northwood University’s University of the Aftermarket. The Symposium is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday May 20-21, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago. GAAS attendees will earn 1.0 CEUs toward the Automotive Aftermarket Professional (AAP) or Master Automotive Aftermarket Professional (MAAP) certifications.
American Axle Strike Tips U.S. Nearer Recession as GM, Suppliers Idle Workers
At the beginning of this year, it seemed like Detroit’s great labor battles were over, after industry-changing deals at the Detroit automakers and the likes of parts giant Delphi Corp. But now, as the UAW strike against American Axle & Manufacturing moves through its second month with no end in sight — talks have been sparse with little progress made on key issues — the auto industry’s latest labor dispute has become about more than wage and benefit cuts for a few thousand workers.
Fotios Katsardis to Discuss European Aftermarket at GAAS 2008
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Fotios Katsardis, managing director, TEMOT International Autoparts GmbH, will present "Opportunities in the Changing European Aftermarket" at the 2008 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) on Tuesday, May 20, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago. Katsardis, the head of Europe’s largest aftermarket parts program group, will provide a brief overview
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry: What’s in Store for the Aftermarket in ’08
For this week’s Ask the Industry, we gather insights and predictions from leading industry experts and analysts, to provide an overview of some of the industry’s biggest concerns right now, and how the aftermarket is expected to perform in 2008.
LAST CALL: Today is the Deadline for Inclusion in Sixth Annual AASA Top Aftermarket Suppliers List
Aftermarket companies wishing to participate in the 2008 Top Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers List, published by AASA and produced by Babcox Publications, must do so by the end of the day today — Friday, March 28. This annual multi-page, full-color publication will feature insightful information on the largest suppliers to the automotive aftermarket. Participation in the
REMINDER: Friday is the Deadline to Submit Information for Sixth Annual AASA Top Aftermarket Suppliers List
The deadline for applications for the AASA 2008 Top 100 Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers List is Friday, March 21. Published by the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), produced by Babcox Publications and sponsored by Ernst & Young, this annual multi-page, full-color publication will feature insightful information on the largest suppliers to the automotive aftermarket. The form to participate is available online by clicking here.
Don’t Ignore Lost Sales, APA Members Hear at Annual Conference
Parts professionals can no longer ignore lost sales, attendees at Automotive Parts Associates’ (APA) annual conference in San Antonio heard. The confluence of reduced consumer spending, a lagging economy and automotive industry doldrums mean aftermarket professionals must capitalize on every customer interaction to make the sale, said Jeff Levine, chairman of the APA board, and owner of Levine Auto & Truck Parts in Danbury, CT . “Lost sales are lost opportunities. Lost sales mean loss of a customer,” Levine said during Saturday morning’s general session held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio. “We are all throwing business away whether we like it or not. We need every sale we can make.”
OBITUARY: Former AWDA Chairman Martin Brown
Former Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA) Chairman Martin Brown passed away Saturday, March 8, at his home in Leawood, KS. He was 83. Brown was active in the AWDA throughout his business career and served as chairman in 1979.
Suppliers Gather for First-Ever AASA Vision Conference
Nearly 140 North American automotive aftermarket suppliers gathered in Orlando, FL, Feb. 29-March 1 for the first-ever Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) Vision Conference 2008. “Our members accomplished something very important at our inaugural Vision Conference,” said Steve Handschuh, AASA president and COO. “We’ve laid the basis for future collaboration, for engaging on issues that will make a difference and for which the effort we invest will return to us many times over.”