NCMA Raises More than $6,200 for the Aftermarket Foundation
The National Catalog Managers Association (NCMA) held its 32nd annual Knowledge Exchange conference last month in Tempe, Ariz. Since 2004, the organization has been using its annual meeting as an opportunity to raise money for the Aftermarket Foundation. Founded in 1959 as the Jesselson Benevolent Association, the Aftermarket Foundation assists individuals and families in the automotive aftermarket through difficult times.
Danny Lawrence and Greg Gunnell Take Final Round of Clevite Engine Builder Showdown
With a build-time of 19 minutes and one second (zero penalties), Danny Lawrence and Greg Gunnell of Richard Childress Racing won the final round of this year’s Clevite Engine Builder Showdown. Engine Builder magazine Editor Doug Kaufman was in Mooresville, NC, for the event. “This was one of the most intense engine build competitions I’ve ever seen,” said Kaufmann.
Ashland’s Valvoline Division to Purchase Car Brite
Valvoline, a division of Ashland Inc., has signed an agreement to purchase Car Brite, a marketer of products for the U.S. professional automotive reconditioning industry. Valvoline will purchase the business from E & A Industries of Indianapolis, Ind., in a cash transaction. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Clevite Engine Parts, NASCAR Technical Institute and Dianne Dorton Team Up to Honor Late Engine Builder Randy Dorton
This year’s final round of the Clevite Engine Builder Showdown will become a particularly poignant celebration, serving as a memorial to the life of the late Randy Dorton, former director of engine development for Hendrick Motorsports. Dorton, and seven other members of the Hendrick Motorsports team, along with two pilots, were killed in a plane crash last October. The Dorton family, along with Clevite Engine Parts and the NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI), where the final round of competition will be held on May 24, have teamed up to organize a number of events in memory of Dorton.
FBI Probes Ford Worker
The FBI is investigating whether a Ford Motor Co. hourly employee stole expensive industrial computer programs and sold pirated copies worth more than $1 million on the online auction site eBay. What’s unusual is that the pirated products, which can cost $1,000 a copy, typically are used only in manufacturing and factory management operations by large industrial corporations — not the sort of items individuals would seek to buy.
Freudenberg-NOK Names Hahn Vice President of Supply Chain Management
Freudenberg-NOK has named Thomas Hahn to the newly created position of vice president of supply chain management. In his new position, Hahn will be responsible for leading supplier relationships and driving improvements throughout Freudenberg-NOK’s supply chain, including global strategic sourcing, purchasing and logistics. Hahn comes to Freudenberg-NOK from Pactiv Corp., a Chicago-based specialty packaging company, where he served as director of strategic materials.
Jason Tolleson Appointed to Lead SEMA Action Network
SEMA announced this week that it has appointed Jason Tolleson as the new director of the SEMA Action Network (SAN), the association’s grassroots hobbyist organization. Tolleson will also serve as SEMA’s government and public affairs manager. As SAN director, Tolleson will work as liaison between SEMA and the SEMA Action Network, informing members of federal and state legislative and regulatory initiatives that affect the aftermarket industry. He will also serve as editor of The Driving Force, SAN’s official monthly publication.
Advance Auto Parts Launches 2004 ‘Sneaker’ Sales Program to Support Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Advance Auto Parts has announced the launch of its 2004 “sneaker” sales campaign to benefit children with diabetes. A national supporter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), Advance Auto Parts has been supporting JDRF for 10 years. In celebration of that commitment, the company has set a goal to raise $1 million during its 2004 campaign.
Compuware Renews Covisint
It’s a new day for Covisint. The once-hyped technology company made its debut as a part of Compuware Corp. this week at an auto industry conference as a staff armed with smiles and matching blue shirts pitched Covisint’s communication systems and Web services to auto suppliers. With its parts-auction days long gone, Covisint now sells new services to smaller auto suppliers, is on track to meet revenue expectations and has its sights on expanding to more industries.
Private Equity Firms Drive Away With More Auto Parts Deals
The auto parts industry continues to be one of the favorite places for private equity firms to put their money as they invested more than $1.5 billion in the industry in July.