David Dobson Joins Alcoa as President of Its Engineered Products Business
David Dobson has been named president of Alcoa Engineered Products, the Alcoa business which supplies extruded aluminum products to customers worldwide in a variety of industries, including automotive and commercial transportation.
MANN+HUMMEL USA Names Thomas to Communications Post
MANN+HUMMEL USA has named Julie Thomas to the position of executive assistant to the president, with responsibility for the automotive supplier’s public relations programs.
Montana Products Names Regional Sales Manager
Automotive coatings manufacturer Montana Products has named Rick Paul regional sales manager, representing Virginia, Maryland and the Carolinas.
ArvinMeritor President and COO Terry O’Rourke Resigns
ArvinMeritor announced late yesterday that Terry O’Rourke is resigning from his position as president and COO, to pursue opportunities outside of the company. O’Rourke is resigning from the board of directors as well. The COO position will be eliminated. O’Rourke joined ArvinMeritor as president of the company’s Light Vehicle Systems (LVS) business group in March 1999, after serving as group vice president and president of Lear Corp.’s Ford Division.
BorgWarner Names Vice President, Engine Research and Development
BorgWarner has appointed Olaf Weber to the newly created position of vice president, engine research and development. In this new role, Weber will be responsible for identifying technological and market trends in engines, and developing new systems that will enable BorgWarner to leverage the company’s capabilities and expand into new areas of the engine business.
Bendix Brakes Awards “Drive it Home” Promotion Grand Prize
Bendix Brakes has awarded Vinemont, Al-based technician Rick Holland a new 2004 Ford F150 truck. Holland, a customer of warehouse distributor Walter White and a technician for National Tire & Battery, was the grand prize winner of the brand’s “Drive It Home” scratch and win promotion.
GAAS Fund Organizers Announce $50,000 GAAS Scholarship Challenge
An anonymous donor has issued a $50,000 fund raising challenge for the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) scholarship program, awarded to students planning aftermarket careers. The “$50,000 GAAS Scholarship Challenge” was initiated after the donor committed to donate up to $10,000 to the Global Scholarship fund in 2004 and will match 25 percent of all other donations to the fund up to a matching amount of $10,000. The challenge campaign aims to net the fund a total of $50,000 in donations. Delphi Corp. has made the first challenge donation of $3,000.
SEMA Chairman Named 2004 Meguiar’s Award Recipient
Corky Coker of Coker Tire, chairman of SEMA’s board of directors, was chosen as the 2004 Meguiar’s Award recipient by the Meguiar’s Award Selection Committee. The award recognizes individuals who have significantly impacted the collector-car hobby. Past recipients include: Steve Earle, founder of the Historic Sports Car Racing Association; Robert Petersen, founder of Motor Trend and Hot Rod magazines; and “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno.
Noble International Raises Annual Dividend
The board of directors for automotive parts supplier Noble International has approved an increase in its annual dividend to $0.40 per share of common stock. The higher payout represents an increase of 25 percent from the current annual dividend of $0.32 per common share. The new quarterly payout of $0.10 per common share will be paid on the next quarterly dividend.
Family Affairs at Two North American Supplier Giants Could Spell Trouble
The family ownership rampant among mid-sized German suppliers is sometimes seen as a liability compared to North America’s bottom line-obsessed car parts makers. But last week, two of North America’s biggest suppliers — Lear and Magna — looked more like fickle family enterprises than the publicly traded automotive giants they are.