Executive Interview with Jeff Berman, Managing Director, Bosal US
As managing director, Bosal U.S., Jeff Berman is responsible for all of Bosal’s aftermarket customers in the NAFTA region. He was recently appointed to this position and is now responsible for managing operations, sales and marketing for Bosal’s U.S. aftermarket and performance divisions at Bosal USA, Inc., based in Whippany, NJ, as well as the sales and marketing for Bosal Canada in Kingston, Ontario. Recently, Berman took time to talk with aftermarketNews.com about the company’s OEM heritage and its role in the aftermarket. Berman shared his insights on the future of the import segment and the keys to tapping this segment.
Executive Interview with Dave Ellingen, President and CEO of Mitchell 1
Mitchell 1 got its start back in 1946 when Glen Mitchell started a business out of creating simplified parts replacement books. In those days, OE parts replacement books could be complicated and difficult for the counterperson to use. As a counterperson himself, Mitchell saw a better way to organize parts replacement books, and from his vision, Mitchell 1 was born. Dave Ellingen, president and CEO of Mitchell 1, shared with aftermarketNews.com some of his thoughts on the roadblocks to getting more repair shops to embrace technology, and how parts suppliers are working to move the effort forward.
CSK Auto Sells Indentifix
CSK Auto Corp. has sold all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of its wholly owned subsidiary, Automotive Information Systems, which does business as Identifix. CSK sold the business, a provider of diagnostic vehicle repair information, to Mobile Productivity, Inc. (MPI).
Global Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship Fund Received Record Donations in 2004
The Global Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship program, funded through the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS), received more than $20,000 in corporate and individual donations in 2004, helping the program award a record 145 scholarships of $1,000 to students planning aftermarket careers, and to sons and daughters of industry families.
Executive Interview: John Lampe, chairman, president and CEO of Bridgestone/Firestone Americas Holding
Two years ago on August 9, Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. — and the whole tire industry — changed for all time. John Lampe has been in the middle of the entire saga from day one. More importantly, as chairman, president and CEO of what is now Bridgestone/Firestone Americas Holding (BFAH) and the head of Bridgestone/Firestone North America Tire, the Kansas native has led the once-beleaguered company back from the brink.
Need for Auto Technicians Fuels New SMCC Program
The two-year automotive degree program at Southern Maine Technical College seemed beyond repair in 2002, when school administrators suspended it. Automotive instructors at the South Portland college were retiring. Most high schools had better equipment than the gear at SMTC, and the college faced budget constraints.
U.S. Retailers Kmart, Sears to Merge in $11 Billion Deal
U.S. retailer Kmart, which emerged from bankruptcy protection only 18 months ago, and Sears, Roebuck and Co. announced today plans to merge into a new retail giant by March 2005, in a deal worth some $11 billion. With almost 3,500 retail stores, the new company, to be called Sears Holding Corp., will have $55 billion in sales annually and will be headed by Kmart chairman Edward Lampert.
It’s Not Your Father’s Vo-tech – Warwick, RI, Area Career & Technical Center Named Nation’s Best
Many high school seniors worry about what they will do after graduation. But thanks to a school program and a mentorship, Jason Marley, a senior at Warwick Veterans Memorial High in Rhode Island, already has a job. Marley is one of 45 students in the Warwick Area Career & Technical Center’s automotive training program. This past summer, the 17-year-old student started working under a mentor at Bald Hill Subaru, repairing cars.
Shield Autoglass to Open 108 Outlets in India
Car glass repair and replacement firm Shield Autoglass will open 108 specialized outlets under the brand name ‘Windshield Experts’ by 2008 to have a pan India presence for tapping the burgeoning market, with an investment of $4.5 million.
AASA to Add Technician Resource to Web Site
As part of AASA’s efforts to support the right of the consumers to have their vehicles repaired wherever they choose, the association has announced it will post a list of manufacturing members’ technical hotlines and/or Web sites on its Web site — www.aftermarketsuppliers.org. This new section of the AASA Web site will function as an online reference point for installer technicians to contact manufacturers with repair questions.