NAPA Chassis First-to-Market with 72 New Part Numbers
NAPA Chassis has announced it is first-to-market with 72 new part numbers to fit 1993 and newer import and domestic cars and trucks. These new part numbers span the entire breadth of NAPA Chassis’ product offerings, including ball joint assemblies, upper and lower ball joints, sway bar frame bushings, inner and outer tie rod ends, front coil springs and adjustable rear arm assemblies.
Conti Holds Firm in Face of Raw Materials Hike
Continental AG has joined Bridgestone Corp., Groupe Michelin and other tiremakers in upping their estimates of the impact growing raw material costs are having on financial results. Continental Chief Executive Manfred Wennemer told investment bankers this week that the tiremaker now expects to incur added costs of up to $377 million compared to about $265 million in added costs in 2005.
Conti Says It Wants Goodyear’s Engineered Products Unit
Just a day after Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. affirmed that wanted to sell its Engineered Products Group, Continental AG stepped up and said it was interested in buying. Reports out of Germany say that Conti officials plan to contact Goodyear with the intent of acquiring the division.
ContiTech Joins The Fight Against Counterfeiting
The damage that can be caused to an automobile by a faked or counterfeit timing belt, v-belt or v-ribbed belt can be catastrophic, according to ContiTech.
CRP 2006 Belt Application Catalog Unveiled At AAPEX
CRP Industries, an exclusive distributor of ContiTech branded belts in North America, announced at AAPEX this week that its 2006 domestic and import catalogs are ready for distribution. Founded in 1954 as the North American partner of Continental AG, CRP ships products from distribution centers in New Jersey, California, Canada, and Mexico. The company’s extensive product lines span three market segments: automotive replacement parts, high-speed motors and industrial hoses.
Car Suppliers Determined to Pass on Costs
Caught between a rock and a hard place, automotive suppliers say they are determined to pass on steep rises in raw material costs to their customers even as carmakers step up pressure for lower manufacturing costs.
Analysis: Top 100 Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers
For the third year in a row, global tiremakers such as Bridgestone and Michelin have come out on top of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association’s 2005 Top 100 Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers list. In fact, the first five companies ranked are all tiremakers.
Industry Reaches Out to Tsunami Victims
Numerous automotive aftermarket industry associations and businesses have been reaching out to the victims of last month’s devastating tsunami in south Asia. The 8.9-magnitude quake hit December 26 off the coast of Indonesia, triggering extremely large waves that have brought massive flooding, damage and loss of life in the region. More than 140,000 are reported dead, with countless others left homeless and injured.
Santech Introduces A/C Market Index
Santech Industries, a provider of engineered replacement parts for the global automotive air conditioning market, has announced the creation of the Santech AC Market Index. Located on the www.santech.com Web site under the tab “AC Market Index,” the index tracks the hot weather patterns associated with the automotive air conditioning market. The first of its kind, the index allows comparison of the historical effect of the weather against business results.
Executive Interview with Steve Christie, Executive Director, Automotive Oil Change Association
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Steve Christie, executive director of the Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA). Christie has served as executive director of AOCA since 1992. With more than 20 years of progressive management experience in trade associations, professional societies and issue oriented organizations, Christie has led the AOCA to dramatic growth in membership and revenues during his tenure as head of the 1,200 plus member organization. Last week, Christie took some time to give us a ‘virtual’ tour of the AOCA, the services it provides as well as its plans for the future. Read on to learn more about the AOCA and the important projects on which the association is currently focusing.