Cold Steel, Hard Times for Industrial Suppliers
On one hand, Ed Hoener is being forced to pay 30 percent more for cold-rolled steel since the start of the year. On the other are customers who won’t accept higher prices from Hoener, or fight him for months before finally paying.
Motorists Can Save Thousands by Repowering Their Engines, Says ERC
A “totaled” engine no longer means having to purchase a new car. Today’s car owners have another option according to the Engine Repower Council (ERC) — purchasing a repowered engine. The ERC is working to promote repowered engines as a viable alternative for consumers.
ACDelco Wants to Reach “Real Car Guys”
ACDelco is launching new trade and consumer advertising campaigns this week designed to catch the eye of “Real Car Guys.” The campaign is being launched at this time to coincide with April’s National Car Care Month, in an effort to encourage proper vehicle maintenance. Playing off of its longstanding history in the business, ACDelco is using this new campaign to position itself as the most trusted name and leading brand in the aftermarket, for virtually all makes and models.
Akebono Product Manager Named Chairman of APRA Brake Division
Robin Gedye, senior product manager – Aftermarket Caliper Products for Akebono Corp., has been named chairman of the Automotive Parts Rebuiders Association (APRA) Brake Division.
Bridgestone to Raise Tire Prices
Bridgestone Corp, Japan’s biggest tire maker, said Monday it will raise prices of tires for shipment in Japan, effective June 1, to cover higher prices of natural rubber and other raw materials.
Edelbrock Launches Consumer Rebate Program
Edelbrock has launched a new consumer rebate program designed to help drivers “go fast and save cash.” Featuring Thunder Series AVS carburetors, plus mix-and-match Performer, EPS, RPM and Air-Gap manifold/carb packages, the rebate program is for specially marked Edelbrock products purchased from Apr. 20, 2004 to June 30 (one rebate redemption per household).
Kumho Announces Price Increase
Kumho Tire USA announced that it will increase tire prices, effective May 1. Passenger, light truck and commercial truck tire prices will increase between 3%-5%, depending on the tire model, according to Kumho.
Henkel Technologies Earns Decoma President’s Award
Henkel Technologies recently received the Decoma International President’s Award for 2003 for innovations that lower costs while improving productivity and quality. The award recognizes Henkel’s efforts at two key Decoma facilities. Henkel Technologies was nominated by Decoma’s Norplas and Nascote facilities for separate technologies that help ensure production lines continue running efficiently.
Federal-Mogul Sees Accelerated Shift to Aluminum Engine Bearings in Automotive Service Industry
Automotive engine rebuilders have embraced aluminum engine bearing technologies and are adopting this new material for a broad range of late-model automotive applications, according to engineering and marketing representatives at Federal-Mogul Corp.
Dura Automotive Standardizes Manufacturing Operations
Dura Automotive Systems has announced it will standardize its North American manufacturing operations on QAD MFG/PRO eB2 and related applications. QAD Inc. is a provider of enterprise applications for global manufacturers. QAD Global Services will work together with Dura to provide consulting and implementation services. Dura will deploy MFG/PRO eB2 at nine production sites and upgrade 11 other locations in North America. Dura said it expects QAD applications will help streamline manufacturing and enterprise functions shared by multiple locations, enable more efficient financial management and accelerate information transfer along the supply chain.