American Axle Strike Tips U.S. Nearer Recession as GM, Suppliers Idle Workers
At the beginning of this year, it seemed like Detroit’s great labor battles were over, after industry-changing deals at the Detroit automakers and the likes of parts giant Delphi Corp. But now, as the UAW strike against American Axle & Manufacturing moves through its second month with no end in sight — talks have been sparse with little progress made on key issues — the auto industry’s latest labor dispute has become about more than wage and benefit cuts for a few thousand workers.
UAW Membership Drops 14 Percent
The ranks of the United Auto Workers (UAW) declined last year by more than 73,538, or nearly 14 percent, as the domestic auto industry shed thousands of jobs and the union made little headway in organizing. According to its annual financial report filed late Thursday with federal regulators, the UAW counted 464,910 members at the end of 2007 — less than a third of its 1.5 million peak in the 1970s, and the smallest since the UAW was still organizing Detroit automakers before World War II.
Bendix Issues Sweepstakes Fraud Alert
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC have issued a warning about a sweepstakes scam that has appropriated the companies’ identities. The companies first learned about the fraudulent activities on March 24, when consumers began calling their headquarters to inquire about letters and checks they had received that were marked with the names, logos and addresses of both Bendix and Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake, a Bendix joint venture with Dana Commercial Vehicle Products, LLC. The parties responsible for the scam distributed award letters and fake checks to consumers through the U.S. mail, claiming that recipients were winners of a sweepstakes. The letter urged recipients to cash the enclosed checks and call a non-Bendix number to find out how to claim the remainder of their monetary prize.
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Ask the Industry: What’s in Store for the Aftermarket in ’08
For this week’s Ask the Industry, we gather insights and predictions from leading industry experts and analysts, to provide an overview of some of the industry’s biggest concerns right now, and how the aftermarket is expected to perform in 2008.
The Week in Review (March 17-20, 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
Affinia Group Announces Higher Net Income and Gross Profit for 2007
Affinia Group has announced improved gross profit and increased net income for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2007. For the fiscal year 2007, net sales were $2,138 million, as compared to $2,160 million for 2006, reflecting soft market conditions for brake products in some retail and traditional channels along with the planned termination of certain low margin OEM and co-manufacturing contracts.
Michael Droullard Named VP of Sales for Precision Fleet Brakes
Precision Fleet Brakes has announced that Michael Droullard has joined the company as vice president of sales. In this position, he is responsible for all North American sales initiatives. Droullard brings to Precision Fleet Brakes more than 40 years of experience in both the operational and sales side of the business. During his career, he has held positions at Partex, European Parts Exchange, Raybestos, Echlin, Dana, and most recently, Affinia.
David O’Reilly Honored with MEMA’s Triangle Award
David O’Reilly, chairman of O’Reilly Automotive Inc., was presented the prestigious Triangle Award by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) during the O’Reilly Auto Parts National Sales Conference on Feb. 11, in Dallas, TX. For more than 30 years, the MEMA Triangle Award has been presented periodically to that person, persons or organization whom the association’s members choose to honor for selfless contribution to the automotive industry.
The Week in Review (Feb. 4-8, 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
American Axle Pulls Off Profit But Sales Slide Expected for This Year
From Detroit Free Press DETROIT — American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. narrowed its loss for its fourth quarter and managed to post a profit for the year, turning around a steep loss from 2006. Completing what the company’s top executive Dick Dauch called a transformational year, American Axle’s results were driven by attrition programs