GM Service and Parts Operations to Build New Distribution Facility In Massachusetts
General Motors Service and Parts Operations (GM SPO) has selected Norton, Mass., as the site for a new Parts Distribution Center (PDC). Construction on the new 404,000-square-foot facility is scheduled to begin this month. SPO, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Mich., markets automotive replacement parts and accessories worldwide under the GM and ACDelco brand names. The new location will handle automotive replacement part shipments to more than 400 dealerships in seven states.
Uni-Select and MAWDI Join Forces in the U.S.
Uni-Select Inc. announced today that, through its subsidiary Uni-Select USA, Inc, it has entered into a binding agreement to join forces with Middle Atlantic Warehouse Distributor, Inc. (MAWDI) in line with its U.S. strategy. MAWDI, which is based in Tonawanda, NY, is a warehouse distributor that operates 31 distribution centers and 145 corporate stores in 18 states. The transaction involves the purchase of all of the stock of MAWDI for cash or a combination of cash and shares. It has also been agreed that MAWDI’s President Jim Buzzard will assume the leadership of Uni-Select USA as its new executive vice president and that, subject to shareholders’ approval, Clay Buzzard will join the board of directors of Uni-Select Inc.
Executive Interview with Hoon Chung, President & CEO of DST, Inc.
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Hoon Chung, who was recently named president and CEO of DST, Inc., in Mission Viejo, Calif. Chung has more than 20 years of management experience in supply chain management and technology deployment services. Prior to his role as the Automotive Group senior vice president and general manager at Activant, he was the COO of Adexa, Inc., which delivers intelligent enterprise business planning and performance management solutions that link strategic, tactical and operational aspects in optimizing enterprise-wide supply chain planning and synchronization. Chung recently talked with aftermarketNews.com about his new appointment to lead DST, what he envisions for the company’s future and what he brings from his experience in other industries.
Pep Boys Partners with Datatec Systems to Deploy its Store Systems
Pep Boys has partnered with professional services firm Datatec Systems to implement new retail technology across Pep Boys’ 595 stores and service centers. As part of previously announced initiatives to transform its customer service capabilities, Pep Boys is preparing for a major upgrade to its store systems chainwide. Datatec Systems will provide the professional services required to prepare equipment and implement a new point of sale (POS) system and network.
Bridgestone Firestone Voluntarily Recalls Dueler Tires in U.S. and Canada
Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire (BFNT) announced yesterday that it is initiating a voluntary safety campaign in the U.S. to replace approximately 25,600 Bridgestone Dueler A/T tires in size LT285/75R16 LR D (Load Range D). The tires were manufactured in Japan by Bridgestone Corp. and imported into the U.S. by BFNT for sale in the replacement tire market. Bridgestone Firestone Canada (BFCA) also intends to replace approximately 1,400 of these tires in the Canadian replacement market that were sold through BFCA’s network of independent dealers. The company said recent data reviewed as part of its early warning system showed that a small percentage of these tires may experience belt detachment, particularly when operated above or below recommended inflation pressures.
Engine & Performance Warehouse Names 2003 Rep of the Year
Engine & Performance Warehouse (EPWI) named the recipient of its “Representative Of The Year” award during its annual summer conference in Vail, Colo., on August 14. Jim Schmeling, district sales manager for Federal-Mogul, was named EPWI’s 2003 “Representative of the Year.”
Cummins Mourns the Loss of Former Chairman and CEO J. Irwin Miller
Cummins Inc. has issued a statement mourning the death of Joseph Irwin Miller, who died this week at the age of 95. Miller was born in Columbus, Ind. in 1909. J. Irwin Miller built Cummins from a family business into a Fortune 500 company with more than 25,000 employees in 131 countries and more than $6 billion in annual sales. He is credited for transforming his hometown of Columbus, Ind., into a city of architectural wonders, earning it the nickname the Athens of the Prairie. The company said he will be eulogized as a great business leader, social activist and philanthropist whose influence will continue well into the 21st century.
Bosch Selected as Preferred Spark Plug Supplier by National Pronto Association
Robert Bosch Corp. has been named the exclusive Preferred Spark Plug Supplier by Justin, Texas-based National Pronto Association. “Bosch is extremely pleased to receive this prestigious appointment from Pronto,” noted David Coolidge, Bosch vice president, Aftermarket Sales and Supply Chain Management. “Pronto is a key player in the growing programmed distribution group channel, and Bosch is eager to provide the highest level of sales and marketing support to ensure a successful partnership.”
iATN and ASA to Co-Host Automotive Service Professionals Reception During AAIW
The International Automotive Technicians’ Network (iATN) and the Automotive Service Association (ASA) will jointly sponsor the third annual Service Professionals Industry Reception from 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on Nov. 4 in the Sunset Ballroom of the Flamingo Las Vegas. According to Brent Black, iATN founder and president, the reception now brings together more service professionals than any other single event during Industry Week.
Executive Interview with Paul Foley, Vice President, Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA)
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Paul Foley, vice president of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), a market segment of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). Join us as Foley brings us up to speed on the rapid growth of AASA since its creation two years ago, as well as several industry initiatives AASA is currently focusing on.