Dana to Sell Corporate Headquarters Facility and Grounds
Dana has reached an agreement to sell its corporate headquarters building and grounds to Health Care REIT, a Toledo-based real estate investment trust, for an undisclosed sum. The sale agreement, which is contingent on the support of state and local authorities, is expected to close by Oct. 1. In conjunction with the agreement, Dana plans to relocate its corporate headquarters staff to its existing Automotive Systems Technology Center located approximately eight miles away in the Toledo suburb of Maumee, Ohio, by mid-2009.
Green Earth Gets First International Distributor
Green Earth Technologies has announced its first co-packing and distribution agreement with an international distributor. Nano1 Limited, a New Zealand based distributor of low maintenance, environmentally friendly products and services, will facilitate both bottling and distribution of GET’s line of biodegradable car care products. The company will stock the shelves of retailers in New Zealand and Australia, including Bunnings, with GET’s entire line. Nano1 will also distribute to the Pacific Islands, South East Asia and the United Arab Emirates.
GAAS 2008: Trends in Parts Sourcing Today
By Amy Antenora CHICAGO — What drives today’s independent repair shop owner to choose one parts source over another? This was the question asked during a panel discussion led by moderator Gary Molinaro, and including Jim Bastone, owner of Bastone Auto Service; Scott Bennett, director of operations, Bennett Auto Supply; and Fred Meyers, president, One
Learn More about Government Affairs and Private Equity’s Role in the Aftermarket and More
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Aftermarket industry veterans and experts will discuss a wide range of topics focusing on the theme of "Shift Forward" at the 2008 Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS), which takes place Tuesday, May 20, and Wednesday, May 21, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Chicago. "Let’s Know Them Before We Need
Midas Acquires Franchisor of 181 SpeeDee Auto Service Centers
Midas has acquired the assets of G.C. & K.B. Investments, Inc., and its affiliated entities that franchise or sub-franchise 181 SpeeDee quick-lube and automotive maintenance shops in the United States and Mexico. G.C. & K.B. Investments, Inc., is owned by Gary Copp and Kevin Bennett, who founded the company in 1980. SpeeDee, which is based in New Orleans, generated U.S. system-wide retail sales of approximately $78 million in 2007 through its network of 116 U.S. shops. The SpeeDee system also includes 65 shops in Mexico that are licensed to a master franchisee.
Eaton Strengthens Truck Group Leadership Team
From left to right: Bennett, Kazarinoff and Coll KALAMAZOO, MI — Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corp. has announced three leadership appointments in the company’s Truck Group, intended to help accelerate growth opportunities in new technologies and expanding global markets. Dave Bennett has been named vice president and general manager for the Truck Group’s new Asia-Pacific
Activant Announces Software User Group Meetings for Aftermarket Professionals
Activant Solutions has announced a series of workshops that will enable automotive parts distributors and jobbers to explore new features and productivity tools available in their Activant Prism software. The company will sponsor Activant Prism user group meetings April 20-21 in Chicago, May 18-19 in Los Angeles, June 8-9 in Miami, and June 15-16 in Boston.
ASA Announces KEYS Education Events for 2007
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) has announced the dates and locations of four Keep Educating Yourself and Staff (KEYS) events for the first half of 2007. KEYS is ASA’s newest education and training initiative for shop owners and their staffs. Through an ongoing series of regional training events, the KEYS program will deliver quality management education and technical training to automotive service professionals.
Car Buzz Shifts to South: A GM-Nissan Alliance Would Spark Nashville
A Tale of Two Cities is emerging in the U.S. automotive industry. Detroit, once the proud capital, has been struggling to maintain leadership, bleeding jobs, investment and power to the South, where foreign rivals have been setting up shop for more than two decades. At the center of this shift, an exuberant, welcoming Nashville is turning over dirt throughout its hillsides, readying to build itself as the heart of what some call the new domestic auto industry: One that is foreign-owned and thrives, without the challenge of unions, retirees or decaying brand names.
Executive Interview with Alexei Gurin, CEO of Amtel-Vredestein NV
Alexei Gurin is certainly putting his experience to work as CEO of Amtel-Vredestein NV and chairman of its management board. An engineer by training, Gurin earned his MBA from the University of Toronto, worked as an investment manager in Canada and other countries, was marketing director for Bennetton in Moscow, served as general director of MOST-TORG and founded Rostrade Co., a retail chain in Russia. In 2001, he joined the Amtel Group as vice president of finance, then became finance director in 2002 and general director in 2004. That year, Gurin was the point man in Amtel’s acquisition of Vredestein Banden and, most recently helped Amtel-Vredestein’s successful initial public offering of stock. In this exclusive interview, conducted as the company announced the formal entry of the Vredestein brand into the Russian tire market, Gurin discusses the acquisition and Amtel-Vredestein’s future.