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.
Tenneco Automotive and Pep Boys Sign Long-Term Deal
Tenneco Automotive has announced a long-term agreement with Pep Boys to supply Monroe shock absorbers, struts and off-road Rancho products to all of Pep Boys’ stores nationwide and in Puerto Rico. Tenneco Automotive’s Monroe, Rancho and DNX shock absorbers and struts and DNX and Dynomax performance exhaust products will be available at all Pep Boys’ stores beginning in February 2004.
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.
Who’s Buying Whom?
Who owns the suppliers of today? New owners include leveraged buyout firms, putting a new spin on the old consolidation trend. In the wake of Dana’s announcement to sell off its aftermarket businesses comes the speculation of who will buy it. Water cooler conversations in the office haven’t exactly been at a fevered pitch. That’s a dramatic change from just a few short years ago when SPX was trying to make a hostile purchase of Echlin (which ultimately ended up in the hands of Dana), or when Federal-Mogul was buying up companies as part of former CEO Dick Snell’s major consolidation plan. Those were the good old days of major aftermarket acquisitions. Now, we’re left to ponder the fate of the Dana Automotive Aftermarket Group. The big question is: Who among the current base of manufacturers is a candidate to make such a large acquisition?
Federal-Mogul Appoints Jay Burkhart, Vice President, Global Marketing and Brand Strategy
Federal-Mogul has appointed Jay Burkhart to vice president, global marketing and brand strategy. In this new role, he will be responsible for marketing and brand strategy in aftermarket sales locations throughout the world. Prior to this promotion, Burkhart, who joined the company in 1998, was responsible for marketing in the North American aftermarket. He has been instrumental in helping the Federal-Mogul North American aftermarket organization achieve record performance in sales and numerous awards for marketing excellence, including most recently, the prestigious PACE Award for product innovation.
Executive Interview with Wolfgang Winzer, Vice President and General Manager of Siemens VDO Automotive Corp. Service & Special Solutions, North America
Our latest edition of “Executive Interview” features Wolfgang Winzer, vice president and general manager of Siemens VDO Automotive Corp. Service & Special Solutions, North America. Winzer recently talked with aftermarketNews.com about the company’s extensive history in the OE market and how this will help them build a stronger aftermarket segment. He shared some of the company’s goals for its aftermarket business in the coming years.