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.
DENSO Increases Motorsports Sponsorships for 2004
Japan-based DENSO Corp. has announced it will co-sponsor two new teams for the 2004 racing season — Panasonic Toyota Racing team in Formula One (F1), and Subaru World Rally team. DENSO will also continue to support the Panasonic Toyota Racing team as a technical sponsor.
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.
Clarcor to Relocate Corporate Headquarters
Filtration products supplier, Clarcor Inc. is relocating its corporate headquarters from Rockford, Ill., to Nashville, Tenn. The move is expected to take place over the next six to 12 months.
American Axle UAW Contract Expires at Midnight, Accord Expected
The 4-year UAW contract covering 7,500 workers at Detroit-based American Axle & Manufacturing Inc. will expire at midnight tonight. Negotiations between the two sides began in December but have yet to produce an agreement. Two UAW officials, who asked not be named, said a tentative agreement should be reached today.
Aftermarket Technology Corp. Appoints Don Johnson to CEO
Aftermarket Technology Corp. (ATC) has announced that Don Johnson will succeed Mike DuBose as CEO and president. DuBose is stepping down as CEO but will remain chairman of the company.
WIX Announces Two New In-Store Promotions
WIX Filters has launched two new promotions for collectors. An exclusive NASCAR Performance Product, WIX is launching the WIX #1 Fan Bobblehead Promotion designed to help spread the excitement of America’s fastest-growing sport to consumers. WIX is also unveiling the latest in its series of die-cast collectibles, celebrating the joint achievements of both Ford and WIX.
TRW Trims Losses
Livonia-based TRW Automotive Holdings Corp., the world’s No. 2 maker of automotive air bags, said its fourth-quarter loss narrowed to $1 million, or 1 cent a share, as currency-exchange gains and auto-parts demand boosted sales. TRW has a year-earlier loss of $33 million. Sales climbed 12 percent to $2.98 billion from $2.67 billion, the company said in a statement. A year ago, TRW was part of defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp.
ASA Planning ‘Celebration of Excellence’
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) is finalizing plans for the “Celebration of Excellence” which will take place Friday, Nov. 5 at the Flamingo Las Vegas. The event will honor the achievements of ASA members and other industry leaders. The program will include a graduation ceremony recognizing those who have earned the Automotive Management Institute’s Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation, as well as the presentation of a number of awards, including the Chairman’s Award of Excellence, a humanitarian award and a legislative award.
Automotive Communicators Discuss Preparing For and Dealing With Crisis
The Automotive Public Relations Council (APRC), the professional peer group of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association, will examine the issue of “Dealing with Crisis” during its annual Spring Conference. Slated to take place Wednesday, April 21, at the Dearborn Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Mich, this event will provide insight on how automotive public relations professionals should plan and execute successful crisis communications strategies.