Herman Trend Alert: Double Dipping
No, the “Baby Boomer” generation is not going to retire en masse. In fact, most people in this important generational group, born from 1946 to 1964, will not retire for many years. We expect these workers to remain in the job market — full-time, part-time and flex-time into their seventies, eighties and even nineties. The incentives for them to continue working are growing.
Executive Interview with Lou Gaudette, General Sales Manager, Loctite Automotive Aftermarket Division, Henkel Corp.
After a three-year hiatus, Henkel has re-launched the Loctite brand in the automotive aftermarket with a new look and an innovative and exclusive product line. As General Sales Manager for Henkel Corp.’s Loctite Automotive Aftermarket Division, Lou Gaudette is responsible for all of Henkel’s aftermarket activities in the U.S., Caribbean and Canada. Read on as Gaudette brings us up to speed on Loctite’s re-entry into the marketplace.
LIVE FROM GAAS: Day 2
The second day of the 2005 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) in Chicago included an overview of the aftermarket industry’s efforts to reach out the public and Wall Street – via initiatives like the Be Car Care Aware campaign.
Manufacturing Challenges, Competitive Pricing and Capturing the Service Repair Dollar: 2005 GAAS Looks at Critical Industry Issues
With a number of critical issues currently challenging the automotive aftermarket — SKU proliferation, OEM dealer expansion, raw materials, to name a few — there was no lack for topics of discussion at this year’s Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS).
Executive Interview with Gary Halpern, Vice President of Product Development Neutronics
Join us as Gary Halpern, vice president of product development for Neutronics, provides an insider’s perspective on the current R-134a issues and shares with us the message he’s been trying to get out to repair shops for a decade.
ACDelco Selects Scholarship Winners
ACDelco has announced the winners of the 2004 Total Service Support (TSS) educational scholarship program. For the sixth consecutive year, ACDelco is awarding 10 nationwide scholarships exclusively to its TSS accounts through the ACDelco Scholarship Program. Technicians as well as their dependents of TSS owners are eligible for the scholarships. The ACDelco TSS educational scholarship program is aimed at helping develop quality technicians, as well as future shop owners and operators.
Herman Trend Alert: The Promise of Advanced Manufacturing
We have long touted the prospect of advanced manufacturing being important in the United States and around the world. There is a quiet revolution going on in the steel industry, A leading-edge process for making steel holds the promise of eliminating shortages and providing steel where and when we need it.
Hella Continues Support for Student Competition
Hella Electronics Corp. announced this week plans to continue its participation in the national Student Auto Skills Competition co-sponsored by Ford Motor Co. and the Automobile Association of America (AAA) in 2005. Since 1991, Hella has donated more than 10,000 automotive components worth nearly $15,000 to the program, which will be held in all 50 states during 2005.
Executive Interview with Mike Schultz Executive Vice President – Federated Auto Parts
A veteran of more than 30 years in the automotive aftermarket, Mike Schultz has served as executive vice president (EVP) for Federated Auto Parts since 2003. Federated is one of the industry’s premier programmed marketing groups, with more than 3,800 Federated Auto Parts Stores and 2,400 Federated Car Care Centers nationwide. Schultz recently brought aftermarketNews (AMN) up to speed on his role at Federated, having celebrated his first year as executive vice president. He also shared with AMN his thoughts on the future of programmed distribution groups and Federated’s role in the marketplace.
The Steel Scene
Traditionally suffering from a poor image, the steel industry has become increasingly under the spotlight during the last 12 months as the strong demand for steel has led to short-term shortages in some industries, especially automotive. The steep increases in the cost of raw materials, including steel, is being cited as one of the principal reasons why carmakers may be forced to increase the price of their vehicles for the first time in years. Nissan, for example, which had to cease production at three of its plants in Japan for several days because of a steel shortage, has already said that it is considering a price rise and is watching with interest what its rivals are doing. Options it was said to be considering are reducing incentives, reducing the standard specification, or a simple price rise, the last being the least favorable due to the competitive nature of the retail market.