ARI’s CCT Axle Division Receives NAPA’s Excellence Award for High Fill Rates
ARI, a supplier of new and remanufactured undercar parts, announced that its CCT Axle Division has received NAPA’s Excellence Award for high fill rates, and was recognized as a member of the NAPA 95% Club for outstanding shipping and service performance provided to NAPA Distribution Centers in 2004. This is the third year in a row CCT Axle Division has received this honor.
RPM Pronto Union Brings in Strauss Discount Auto
Just hours after announcing the addition of Automotive Warehouse Distributors Inc. to its group, RPM and Pronto have announced another major addition. Michael Mitchell, executive director of RPM (and now, director of supply chain management for the merged group), announced late Thursday afternoon that Strauss Discount Auto Stores has joined the newly combined RPM/Pronto Group.
BREAKING NEWS: Pronto, RPM Group Announce Merger
Two of the aftermarket’s programmed distribution groups — National Pronto Association and The RPM Group — today announced plans to merge. This is the second merger among program groups in as many months. In mid-January 2005, Parts Plus and IAPA announced their plans to join forces.
MACS Presents Five Mobile A/C Industry Pioneer Awards
Five mobile A/C industry executives were recently honored with MACS’ Mobile A/C Industry Pioneer award. Honored were Mitchell Armentrout of Auto Air VA; Brian Taylor, retired from Sanden International; Masayoshi Ushikubo, president of Sanden International; and posthumously honored were Simon Oulouhojian, Sr., Speedway Auto Radiator and Charles Braswell Sr., Rocky Mount Radiator & A/C.
Venture’s Bankruptcy Plan Out; Auction Likely
The murky future of troubled auto supplier Venture Industries got murkier as a bankruptcy judge denied the company’s plan to exit bankruptcy after nearly two years. Most likely the Fraser, Mich.-based company — which makes plastic parts such as bumpers and instrument panels for the auto industry — is headed for the auction block with it being sold off all at once, or piece by piece. Venture is one of the world’s largest auto-plastics suppliers and at its peak employed about 13,000 worldwide, including about 2,000 in metro Detroit.
Consumer Auto Parts Joins IAPA
Independent Auto Parts of America (IAPA) recently announced that Milford, Mass.-based Consumer Auto Parts, has joined the group as its newest member. Established in 1973, Consumer Auto Parts serves more than 3,000 installers from its 22 company owned stores located in Massachusetts and Southern Vermont. The company, led by President Merrill Cohen, has a mix of customers that is 50/50 installer/retail. Annual consumer sales for the last fiscal year were $35 million.
Valvoline Announces Management Changes
Valvoline, a division of Ashland Inc., recently announced several changes in management, including the promotion of Mitchell Skaggs and Robert Craycraft to new positions on Valvoline’s senior management team. Scott Vogel, a consumer marketing executive, has joined the division as president of Valvoline Instant Oil Change (VIOC), Valvoline’s quick-lube business unit. In a related move, John Wesley, former president of VIOC, was named senior vice president and general manager for Valvoline’s DIFM (do-it-for-me) Distributor Group business unit.
MACS 25th Anniversary Convention Gets Support from Record Number of Sponsors
“NOW IS THE TIME!” — the 25th Anniversary Convention and Trade Show of the Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide is getting support from a record number of corporate sponsors. Forty sponsors have signed up for the show, which will take place February 1-3, 2005 at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Executive Interview with Ron Pyle, President and Chief Staff Executive of the Automotive Service Association (ASA)
Every other week, aftermarketNews.com offers an interview with high-profile individuals in the automotive aftermarket. We give executives free rein to express their views on anything from the state of their corporations to recent legislative news to future trends in their niche markets. Here you see what matters to the newsmakers themselves.
MEMA Names Industry Veteran Bob McKenna as its New President
The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) has named Bob McKenna as its new president and CEO. The appointment is effective October 1. McKenna, who has 35 years of aftermarket industry experience, comes to MEMA from Atlanta-based Genuine Parts Company (GPC) where he served as group vice president and chairman of the board for the National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA).