CSK’s Fraser, California Air Resources Board Representatives to Speak at ASPA Annual Meeting
Martin Fraser, president and COO of CSK Automotive, Peter Venturini of the CARB California Air Resource Board (CARB) Stationary Sources Division chief, and Janette Brook, CARB Air Quality Measures Branch chief, are the key speakers for the third annual Automotive Aftermarket Specialty Products Group (ASPA) meeting.
Maxxis Announces Sports Sponsorships
In conjunction with its global branding efforts, international tire manufacturer Maxxis International has become the “The Official Tire of the Houston Rockets.” The sponsorship agreement remains in effect for the balance of the 2004 NBA season. Maxxis has also announced its sponsorship of LPGA Tour Golfer Candie Kung for the 2004 LPGA season.
It’s Not Too Late to Celebrate National Car Care Month
April is National Car Care Month (NCCM) and while it is now less than a month away, it’s not too late to get in the game. Car Care events last year provided startling results with ninety percent of vehicles that were inspected during National Car Care Month failing one or more aspects of the inspection, according to the Car Care Council. Don’t let 2004 be a repeat performance.
NHTSA Ties Recalled Steeltex Tires to Five Deaths
In what it called a “voluntary safety campaign,” Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT) recalled about 297,000 tires in LT265/75R16 LR D on 2000-2002 and some early-2003-model-year Ford Excursions late last week. Now, NHTSA is reporting that it has linked six accidents, which resulted in five fatalities and 20 injuries, to the Steeltex tires being recalled.
Executive Interview with Howard Kesten, President and Founder of Workboards
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Howard Kesten, president and founder of Workboards, which launched the automotive job site, aftermarketJobs.com, in December 2003. A two-time guest speaker at AAPEX, Kesten is also founder and CEO of APA Search, Inc., an executive search and human resources consulting firm serving the automotive industry. In 18 years, he has placed more than 1,600 automotive professionals. Join us as Kesten provides an introduction to aftermarketJobs.com and shares with us his predictions for the future of the aftermarket and the job market.
Class-action Decision Delayed in BAH Hearing; Firestone Recalls Another 297,000 Steeltex Radial A/T tires
An Indio, Calif., hearing to determine if a lawsuit over Bridgestone/Firestone’s Steeltex tire brand should gain class-action status has been postponed until Mar. 17. The hearing was originally scheduled for Feb. 25. California Superior Court Judge Christopher Sheldon delayed the decision, saying he wanted a shorter version of the motion filed by Bridgestone Americas Holding (BAH) opposing class-action certification. In related news, late yesterday afternoon Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire announced a voluntary safety campaign in the U.S. to replace approximately 297,000 Steeltex Radial A/T tires in size LT265/75R16 LR D (Load Range D) on 2000-2002 and some early 2003 model year Ford Excursions. The company said preliminary data suggests that there could be an issue concerning the performance of these tires. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the new recall was initiated following three fatal crashes that claimed five lives.
Car Care Council’s Women’s Board Expands Sponsorship Opportunities
The Car Care Council Women’s Board is expanding its sponsorship program to allow for support of all of the Women’s Board activities for the year, which include industry outreach, consumer education and recruiting women to the industry, as well as serving as an advisory board to the “Be Car Care Aware” campaign.
Delphi Set to Trim 150 Tech Jobs
Auto-parts giant Delphi Corp. is shedding at least 150 well-paying technology jobs and will shift some of the work overseas to an Indian firm. The move is one step in the company’s effort to pare down its 500-person information technology staff. Troy, Mich.-based Delphi becomes just the latest multibillion-dollar corporation to move white-collar jobs to India or other lower-wage countries. The increasingly common development called offshoring has become a hot-button issue in the presidential campaign as jobs have been slow to return to the U.S. economy.
Early Bird Registration Discount Extended For GAAS
There is still time to hear the aftermarket’s leading experts discuss how the industry can work “Leaner, Faster, Better,” at the ninth annual Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) program – set for Tuesday and Wednesday, May 18-19, at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago, Ill. – at a substantial savings.
AAIA Executives Make Presentation to Wall Street Investors
Kathleen Schmatz, AAIA president and CEO, and Al Gaspar, president emeritus, addressed a group of 30 Wall Street investors at a luncheon meeting at the Yale Club in New York City last week. The latest statistics and trends on the size, shape and structure of the aftermarket were addressed, as well as profiles of AAIA’s market-growing initiatives: Product Information Exchange Standard (PIES), category management, Right to Repair Act and the “Be Car Care Aware” campaign.