CARQUEST Auto Parts to Support FFA Organization Through Scholarships and Programs
For the 16th consecutive year, CARQUEST Auto Parts has announced its support of the National FFA Organization. FFA was created in 1928 as the Future Farmers of America. The name was changed in 1988 to represent the growing diversity of agriculture. Today, FFA is dynamic youth organization with more than 478,000 members in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Genuine Parts Co. Reports Second Quarter Sales and Earnings
Genuine Parts Co. reported sales and earnings for the second quarter and six months, which ended on June 30.
SunTrust Enters Multi-Year Pact with NASCAR
Atlanta, Georgia-based SunTrust Banks has signed a multi-year agreement to become the “Official Bank of NASCAR.” The company is utilizing this new partnership with NASCAR to build upon its Motorsports Banking Group announced earlier this year. Under terms of the agreement, SunTrust will support a number of NASCAR activities, including the sport’s diversity initiatives, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, grassroots racing and various charitable and community programs.
Ninth Annual GAAS Kicked Off in Chicago
While the theme of this year’s Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) — Leaner, Faster, Better — may connote the automated efficiency of a well-run machine, the true focus of the day’s numerous presentations was on the talented pool of people who make up that machine and how to make better use of them. “The core of any great business is the people,” said GAAS founder and chairman Mort Schwartz, who welcomed approximately 400 aftermarket executives to the event.
SEMA Spring Expo Reaches New Level Of Success
Organizers for the 2004 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Spring Expo, have reported that this year’s show was the biggest regional show the association has held to date. The Expo took place March 5-6 at the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis. A day of seminars preceded the actual exhibit. Although attendance figures have not yet been audited, show organizers said preliminary reports show an increase of approximately 65 percent in buyer attendance, and 30 percent in total attendance from the SEMA Spring Expo in Nashville last February.
“AMN Perspectives by Thomas Group: Experience at Work”
Welcome to the first installment of “AMN Perspectives by Thomas Group: Experience at Work.” What does “Experience at Work” mean? It means proven methods and techniques applied by seasoned executives resulting in measurable financial improvement. “Work” means that Thomas Group consultants are working implementers. We get into the client’s business and go to work side by side with the management and employees until objectives are accomplished, rather than preparing a plan and leaving it to the company to make it happen. Through “AMN Perspectives: Experience at Work,” Thomas Group consultants will comment on issues and news within the automotive aftermarket to provide constructive suggestions that work based on our experience in the automotive industry and more than 20 other industries and government agencies.
Automakers Tailor Ads to Woo Minorities
The auto industry increasingly is targeting the black, Hispanic and Asian American communities with tailored advertising, as the buying power of minorities grows, according to a recent report in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Reporter . Companies are now beginning to create ads that speak to specific audiences, placing them in targeted media outlets. According to Randi Payton, publisher of the magazines African Americans on Wheels and Latinos on Wheels, this increased attention to diversity is even making its way into the design of cars, as automakers tailor products to lifestyle choices.