2005 Automotive News Pace Award Finalists Named
More than 30 automotive suppliers have been named finalists in the 11th annual Automotive News PACE Award competition. Open to suppliers that contribute products, processes, materials or services directly to the manufacture of cars or trucks, the PACE (Premier Automotive Suppliers’ Contribution to Excellence) Award is presented by Automotive News, Capgemini and Transportation Research Center Inc. (TRC Inc.). Judges selected 23 finalists and 10 honorable mention awardees based on extensive written responses to the 2005 PACE Award application. Finalists will now host site visits by industry, academic and business leaders to select the winners, which will be announced in April during the Society of Automotive Engineers conference in Detroit. Judges will evaluate each company’s innovation as well as its management team.
Aftermarket PR Firm High Performance Prose Under New Ownership
Aftermarket PR Firm High Performance Prose Under New Ownership. Located in Winnetka, Calif., HPP serves as a full service PR agency for such aftermarket clients as Royal Purple, BW-AirWerks (the new forced-air performance program from BorgWarner Turbo Systems North America), Innovative Turbo Systems and Autotecnica. Nicole Girkey has taken ownership of the company, and will serve as CEO of the agency. She purchased the business from Sue Elliott-Sink.
American Axle & Manufacturing Appoints New CFO
American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. (AAM) has appointed Thomas Martin to the position of vice president of finance and CFO. Martin replaces former AAM Executive Vice President and CFO Robin Adams, who left the company in April to become executive vice president, CFO and chief administrative officer at BorgWarner.
Visteon CFO Daniel Coulson to Retire Next Month
Daniel Coulson, Visteon’s executive vice president and CFO, has announced he will retire on March 31, after a distinguished 38-year career at Visteon and Ford Motor Co.Coulson originally intended to announce his retirement in early December 2003, but agreed to remain with the company on an interim basis after his replacement, George Strickler, former CFO at BorgWarner, withdrew from the new appointment.
Republic Names George Strickler CFO
Former BorgWarner Executive Vice President and CFO George Strickler has been named executive vice president and CFO for Republic Engineered Products, one of North America’s largest producers of special bar quality steel. Prior to joining BorgWarner in 2001, Strickler served as vice president of finance for Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. He held finance and treasury positions at the tiremaker for 30 years. He was also executive vice president and CFO at Lake West Group, a retail consulting company based in Cleveland, Ohio.