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.
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.
Auto Suppliers Under Pressure to Shift Production Abroad
A new study soon to be released by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) is showing that the pressure to move automotive manufacturing jobs abroad will continue, despite federal and local government efforts to maintain or increase industry employment levels in the U.S. The SAE will release the report at the 2004 SAE World Congress in Detroit next month. The study, which is still under development, will outline “best practices” for global automotive suppliers. The Odyssey study seeks to help suppliers understand how their global manufacturing operations will need to change and how best to make those changes to survive and thrive.
Dana Restructuring Helps Rebound
Auto parts maker Dana Corp. credited its restructuring plan and an increase in heavy-truck production for its fourth-quarter rebound. Toledo-based Dana had a fourth-quarter profit of $68 million, or 45 cents per share. Excluding onetime items, the company earned 41 cents per share, or 1 cent higher than the expectations of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call.
Clemson Nabs Top Leader For Auto Project
The new director of Clemson’s automotive research center drives a minivan, but Robert Geolas does not recall how many pistons it packs. Geolas, a North Carolina State grad, said his Honda CRV was built in 1991. Or was that 1992? His wife once told him he did not have enough automotive experience to change a tire. “I hope they didn’t hire me to be an automotive expert,” Geolas said. But Geolas said there are plenty at Clemson. He said the university has automotive engineering talent and the vision to build a graduate program designed to attract research and higher-paying jobs to South Carolina.
Tower Plant Move to Affect Nearly 500 Employees
Earlier this week, Tower Automotive announced that in 2005 it will move production of Dodge Ram frames from its facility in Milwaukee to a plant in Mexico. In response to this news, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran a story detailing the impact this move with have on Wisconsin’s manufacturing base. According to the Sentinel report, nearly 500 Milwaukee factory workers will lose their jobs as a result of the move. Almost 80,000 factory jobs have already disappeared from Wisconsin since 1999, the article stated.
Two Off-Road Organizations Promise to Add Excitement to the 2004 SEMA Spring Expo
The Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) and the United Rockcrawling & Off-Road Challenge (UROC) will participate in the annual SEMA Spring Expo, which is slated to take place March 5-6 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. According to Peter MacGillivray, vice president of marketing and communications for SEMA, ORBA and UROC will bring the excitement of the rapidly growing off-road sports scene to the annual SEMA Spring Expo.
ATP-Inc. to Produce Illustrated Parts Catalog Internally Using e-Publisher
The e-Publisher catalog management system from Vertical Development Inc. (VDI) has given replacement parts supplier ATP-Inc. the capability to generate illustrated parts lists and catalogs internally, bypassing traditional typesetting and desktop publishing services. According to VDI, the system will also allow ATP to produce literature faster and export data mapped in industry-standard formats.
ASA Chief Staff Executive Addresses Consumer, Insurer Issues on Two CBS Programs
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) and its Chief Staff Executive Ron Pyle played a significant role in two CBS programs that addressed the issue of insurer-owned body shops. Pyle was recently interviewed at ASA’s headquarters in Bedford, Texas, and appeared Wednesday, Feb. 11, on the “CBS Evening News” during its “Eye on America” segment. On Thursday, Feb. 12, Pyle provided follow-up coverage on this issue when he was interviewed again by CBS during an appearance on “The Early Show.”
Friday is Deadline to Submit Info for AASA Top Suppliers List
Friday, Feb. 13 is the deadline to submit information for participation in the 2004 Top Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers List, published by Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the aftermarket segment of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).