Jim Pearl Rejoins Denman Tire Corp.
James Pearl has rejoined Denman Tire Corp. as senior vice president of sales and marketing. Pearl worked for Denman for ten years prior to leaving in late 2002 to pursue other opportunities. Pearl will once again have overall responsibility for the sales and marketing functions and will be leading and coordinating the efforts of the sales and marketing department.
Parts Distributor Leverages Technology to Achieve Growth Profitability
Georgia parts distributor, Powertrain Inc. of Savannah, has reported a 25 percent growth in the company’s billed labor time since it began using DST Inc.’s DSTWare Service module to manage both its parts distribution and service business. With 33 percent of its business mix consisting of service, the Durrence’s have said they attribute this growth to the software’s ease of use.
NASCAR Driver Bill Lester to Give Keynote Address at GAAS
Bill Lester, driver of the No. 8 BHR Dodge in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, will be the luncheon speaker on Tuesday, May 18, at the ninth annual Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS). GAAS 2004 will take place on May 18-19, at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago, Ill.
Brake Parts Inc. Launches Raybestos Spring Brake 2004 Promotion
Brake Parts Inc. has announced its plans for the Raybestos Spring Brake 2004 promotion, which will run April 1 through June 30. When professional service technicians purchase an open stock order of superior quality Raybestos brand brakes from their participating WDs, they will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of premium items by redeeming points, as well as receive entry forms for the 2004 Spring Brake sweepstakes.
Lord Corp. Opens New Michigan Facility
Lord Corp. — which makes specialty adhesives, polyurethane coatings as well as electronic, vibration and noise control solutions for the automotive market — has expanded its Detroit area facility in an effort to better serve the automotive market. Located on 4.8 acres in Wixom, Mich., the newly constructed 19,020-square-foot facility houses the company’s automotive sales office and includes a 7,736-square-foot high-technology formulation and testing laboratory, automotive aftermarket training classroom, and a garage for hands-on automotive application training.
NACE Space Draw Date Approaching
The deadline to return contracts and deposits for the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) show space draw is near. NACE is being held Nov. 3-6, during Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) in Las Vegas.To qualify for the Space Draw, prospective exhibitors are required to return their contracts and deposits to NACE Show Management (Hanley Wood Exhibitions) no later than March 9. The assignment process begins on March 15. Companies not participating in the Space Draw will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis after the Draw.
DST Asks: What Value Do You See in Sharing Detailed Sales Data?
An ongoing dilemma exists between all tiers of the supply chain due to the gulf caused by lack of collaboration and sharing of sales information that would ultimately benefit all — manufacturers, distributors, parts retailers and service providers. Where do you stand on these issues? Our objective is to generate the thought and dialogue that might provide energy to new initiatives. See our special offer at the end of this week’s column!
NHTSA Ties Recalled Steeltex Tires to Five Deaths
In what it called a “voluntary safety campaign,” Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) recalled about 297,000 tires in LT265/75R16 LR D on 2000-2002 and some early-2003-model-year Ford Excursions late last week. Now, NHTSA is reporting that it has linked six accidents, which resulted in five fatalities and 20 injuries, to the Steeltex tires being recalled.
Autospecialty Announces Executive Promotions
Autospecialty has announced a number of executive promotions. Larry Fidance has been promoted to vice president of marketing for the entire company.
Executive Interview with Howard Kesten, President and Founder of Workboards
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Howard Kesten, president and founder of Workboards, which launched the automotive job site, aftermarketJobs.com, in December 2003. A two-time guest speaker at AAPEX, Kesten is also founder and CEO of APA Search, Inc., an executive search and human resources consulting firm serving the automotive industry. In 18 years, he has placed more than 1,600 automotive professionals. Join us as Kesten provides an introduction to aftermarketJobs.com and shares with us his predictions for the future of the aftermarket and the job market.