The Week in Review (March 24-28, 2008)
By Amy Antenora The Week in Review offers a snapshot of the most highly read stories of the week as seen on aftermarketNews. To access the complete stories, simply click on the highlighted links. If you missed reading one of our daily news emails, click on any of the dates listed at the bottom of
Executive Interview with George Schafer, President of Eastern Catalytic
This week, we hear from George Schafer, president of Eastern Catalytic. He founded the company, first called Eastern Manufacturing Inc., in Langhorne, PA, in 1980. Join us as Schafer shares his thoughts on the potential impact of emissions control legislation on the aftermarket industry as well as some changes in his company’s business strategy.
Automobile Recycling Business Has Changed Dramatically
As Gary Ackerman approaches through a hallway at LKQ Star Auto Parts, there’s no confusing him with Redd Foxx, who played the role of Fred Sanford in the 1970s sitcom "Sanford and Son." And there’s certainly no confusing the multimillion-dollar automotive recycling business that Ackerman runs on Janesville’s south side with the junkyard Sanford and his son labored over in Los Angeles. Parts still may be parts, but the process of getting them from one user to another is radically different.
Executive Interview with Thomas Beer, President and CEO, IMC
This week we hear from Thomas Beer, president and CEO of IMC. Beer joined IMC three years ago as president and CEO. Before IMC he managed and co-owned Infox, a marketing services and distribution company in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. He started his career in the international sales and marketing department of Lufthansa German Airlines, and later became CEO of EVS, also in Germany. Beer has an MBA from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt. He is also a member of the AAIA Leadership Development Network Committee. Join us as Beer shares his thoughts on the import parts market and what his company is doing to help streamline business for repair shops working with import nameplates.
Beck/Arnley Introduces New Identity Campaign
Beck/Arnley has announced the re-launch of its brand, redesigned to reflect the company’s mission of providing professional technicians with the crucial parts needed to repair foreign nameplate vehicles. Beck/Arnley’s “You Just Know When Something is Genuine” identity campaign consists of a re-designed website, www.beckarnley.com; a new company tagline — GENUINE Foreign Nameplate Parts – as well as an updated logo and an advertising campaign emphasizing the “You Just Know When Something is Genuine” theme.
Mitch’s World: Just a Few Words
In this month’s issue of Counterman magazine, Columnist Mitch Schneider writes about his experience as a service dealer who is denied a part from a local supplier. He says all it takes for this frustrating situation to become more bearable is a few simple words. According to Schneider, when a supplier doesn’t have a part in stock the response should be, “Can I get it for you?” By asking this simple question it shows that the supplier is willing to search for the part because the dealer is viewed as a valued customer.
ArvinMeritor’s CVA Business Achieves Significant Remanufacturing Milestone
ArvinMeritor’s Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket (CVA) business is celebrating a key milestone this week — the remanufacture of its 10 millionth brake shoe and 50,000th axle differential carrier at its facility Plainfield, IN. The 275,000-square-foot facility has remanufactured brake shoes since 2000 and differential carriers since 1999. To better understand the milestone volumes, ten million brakes shoes are equivalent to approximately half-million tractor-trailer vehicles with approximately 20 shoes on each. Ten million shoes would stretch (end-to-end) 2,400 miles from Indianapolis to Vancouver, BC.
Tom Gallagher and Michael Cardone Jr. to Speak at AASA’s AAPEX Breakfast
Tom Gallagher, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Genuine Parts Inc., and Michael Cardone Jr., chairman and CEO of CARDONE Industries and past chairman of MEMA, will address the theme of “Leadership in a Changing Global Aftermarket,” at the second annual AASA Breakfast, which takes place at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31 — the opening day of the 2006 Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX).
Detroit Diesel Launches ‘The Real Deal’ Campaign
Detroit Diesel recently launched a new campaign called “The Real Deal,” which focuses on training service network personnel about the better value and higher reliability that their customers will get when they select only genuine Detroit Diesel parts, components and engines. The company wants to help customers understand the significant difference between genuine and non-genuine parts.
Publisher’s Perspective: Thank You, Bob
Back in 1985, as a young sales trainee for a large parts manufacturer, I had an opportunity to spend a week working with a WD in western Ohio as part of my training program. Like most things in life, I never fully appreciated this experience until much later in my career. During my week with Parts Distributors Inc., I spent two days making sales calls with a gentleman named Bob Kirkpatrick. When I heard that Bob passed away recently, I was again reminded how blessed I was for having met him.