Executive Interview with Tom Marx, President and CEO of The Marx Group
The Marx Group was founded in Los Angeles more than two decades ago, in 1984. Since 1997, the full service marketing communications company has been based in Northern California, and includes a staff of eight, with locations in Chicago (public relations), New York (creative), Los Angeles and Denver (account services). The Marx Group began as an advertising agency serving the apparel agency. Today nearly three-quarters of its business is focused on the automotive aftermarket. Join us as the company’s founder, Tom Marx, shares his experiences from a colorful career as a professional race-car driver, repair shop owner, author and advertising executive, and gives us the keys to getting sales and marketing to work in collaboration.
Manufacturer to Establish U.S. Headquarters in Toledo, Ohio
After considering a number of competitive sites within a two-hour driving radius of Detroit, Egelhof Controls Corp., a German-based manufacturer serving the automotive and heating industries, has selected Toledo, Ohio, to house its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing operations. Cornel Broenner, currently at Egelhof’s production facility in Breitenbach, France, will relocate to Toledo to become the plant manager. Sales and engineering activities, which were established in metro Detroit in 2000, will also relocate to the new facility in Toledo.
BorgWarner Buys Majority Stake in Beru AG; William Cline to Lead Acquisition Team
In a deal first announced in November 2004, BorgWarner has completed the purchase of approximately 62 percent of the outstanding shares of German-based Beru AG from its major shareholders, The Carlyle Group and a group of family shareholders. The sale, made as a cash transaction, totaled approximately $490 million. BorgWarner has tapped William (Skip) Cline to lead the BorgWarner task force for the Beru acquisition and provide coordination between the two companies. He has been named vice president, acquisition coordination and special projects.
Software Industry Veteran to Lead CarParts Technologies
Data Network Inc., a provider of software and real-time data services to the automotive industry, has appointed Paul Van Den Berg as president of its subsidiary, CarParts Technologies. CarParts Technologies provides open, eCommerce and business automation software solutions for the North American automotive aftermarket. Van Den Berg will replace Dave McCann, who served as CarParts’ president and CEO since 2002. McCann is leaving the company to pursue his career in a field outside the aftermarket.
ContiTech and Litens Win 2004 Automechanika Innovation Award
ContiTech Power Transmission Group and the Litens Automotive Group of Canada recently received the Automechanika Innovation Award for 2004 for a joint project the two companies worked on to improve the service life of camshaft drives. Automechanika, held every two years in Frankfurt, Germany, is Europe’s largest auto show and attracts exhibitors and participants from all over the world. This year’s event was held September 14-19. Industry judges selected six new developments from 105 innovations submitted from 12 countries.
R. L. Polk & Co. Introduces Polk Used Truck MarketView
R. L. Polk & Co. has launched its latest information solutions product. The Polk Used Truck MarketView provides commercial OEMs, fleet and leasing companies, dealers and aftermarket component manufacturers with comprehensive reports on used commercial vehicle information. The new product is accessible via Polk’s TIP Net Web-based commercial vehicle market intelligence system or available in report form on a subscription basis, and can be used to accurately analyze the commercial used vehicle market; plan inventory and sales strategy; identify new market opportunities; and take advantage of market conditions according to Polk.
Mitchell 1 Names Regional Sales Manager for the Southeast
Mitchell 1 has named Jim Silverman regional sales manager (RSM) for the company’s southeast region, which covers Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and South Carolina. Previously, Silverman served as an independent sales representative for Mitchell 1 in Nebraska and South Dakota for more than five years, during which time he earned the company’s top performer award in 1999, 2001 and 2003.
Automotive Accessories are Clever, Practical
Torque? Struts? Rack-and-pinion steering? Maybe they are important. But what we really want to know is if the console is big enough to store a purse. Or if there’s a way to secure the grocery bags. Or if there’s a place to stow the kids’ DVDs.
Kayaba to Expand Global Manufacturing Operations
Next month, Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd. (KYB) will acquire a 75 percent shareholding in AP Amortiguadores SA (APA) currently held by ArvinMeritor. In the U.S., Kayaba is set to expand its manufacturing base at Franklin, Ind, to support growing sales of KYB shocks and struts to the North American aftermarket.