ACDelco Announces Plans for National Car Care Month
ACDelco is stepping up its efforts to promote April’s National Car Care Month (NCCM) and the industry-wide “Be Car Care Aware” campaign, which educates consumers on the benefits of proper vehicle maintenance. In honor of National Car Care Month, ACDelco is teaming up with warehouse distributors in select markets to participate in its first-ever car care initiative, which will educate consumers about the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair.
NASTF to Meet March 8 in Detroit
The National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) will meet March 8 in conjunction with the SAE Congress in Detroit, Mich. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit. NASTF meets semi-annually with committees meeting throughout the year.
Lear Appoints Anne Bingaman to Board
Former Assistant Attorney General Anne Bingaman has been appointed to Lear Corp.’s board of directors. Bingaman served as assistant attorney general of the antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1993 to 1996, following a career in private law practice. Currently, she is chairman of Valor Telecommunications LLC, a provider of local and long distance telephone services to residential and business customers in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas.
Rema Tip Top/North America Announces Two Executive Appointments
Rema Tip Top/North America’s TRM division has expanded its national account department and appointed two new executives. As part of the expansion, Kevin Sapp has been named national account manager. In this new role, Sapp will continue to develop Rema Tip Top’s business with OEM tire manufacturers, retread material manufacturers, retail tire chain, mass merchandisers and automotive distribution chains. Additionally, the company has named Michael Gibson as its new south central zone territory manager. Gibson brings 11 years of experience to the position, coming from Schrader-Bridgeport where he fulfilled various responsibilities in sales, operations and purchasing.
Survey Says Suppliers Should Pay More Attention to Their Brands
Suppliers must do a better job of building and utilizing their brand names, according to new research by SupplierBusiness.com. Companies make a mistake when they submerge their identities or consolidate brand portfolios out of existence, say executives who were surveyed. By having a clear brand strategy they say suppliers can capitalize on their good name and good will. The cost of developing a brand strategy is low and the risk is small. A strong brand means a company is taken more seriously in the bidding process and can open doors when trying to win new business with an OEM it has no relationship with.
TRW Raises $676 Million in Public Offering
TRW Automotive Holdings Corp., which was bought by private equity firm Blackstone Group LP for about $4.7 billion last year, has raised $676 million in an initial public offering. The Livonia, Mich.-based company sold 24.14 million shares of stock at $28 a share. The company had predicted it would sell the stock at between $28 and $30 a share.
ArvinMeritor Announces 2004 Suppliers of the Year
ArvinMeritor has announced the winners of the company’s annual supplier awards. The awards — which were presented Jan. 29, at ArvinMeritor’s North American Supplier Conference in Troy, Mich. — recognize outstanding performance in customer service, product quality, delivery and cost reduction.
“DST Asks”: What Ordering Methods Do You Offer to Customers?
Forecasting the future isn’t a task restricted to tabloid psychics or your TV weatherman. Whether we like it or not, running a successful business today that will remain successful in the future requires forecasting skills.
Delphi Achieves Record $3.2 Billion in Commercial Vehicle Business Bookings in ’03
Delphi achieved a record $3.2 billion in new commercial vehicle business bookings during 2003, according to company officials. Much of the new business is with Delphi’s engine management systems, along with audio, safety, climate control and electrical/electronic distribution systems, according to Maggart. While every major region saw a business increase during the year, a majority of the growth came from Asia-Pacific and Europe.
Executive Interview with John Washbish, President – Customer Relationship Management, Dana Automotive Aftermarket Group (AAG)
Every other week, aftermarketNews.com offers an interview with a high-profile individual 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.