NGK Promotes Richard Sullivan to VP of Sales and Marketing
NGK Spark Plugs (USA), Inc. has promoted Richard Sullivan to the position of vice president of sales and marketing. Sullivan, a 28-year veteran in the aftermarket, has been with NGK since 1985 and previously served as general manager and director of sales and marketing. In his new role, Sullivan will oversee sales and marketing functions for the NGK OEM, OES, Aftermarket and NTK Cutting Tool Divisions. He replaces Hideyuki Koiso, who is returning to Japan to assume the position of general manager – overseas sales and marketing.
Grote Names New VP of Engineering
Art Hernandez has joined Grote Industries, LLC as vice president of engineering. He will report directly to Grote President Eric Morris. Hernandez joins Grote after having spent the past eight years with Visteon Corp., most recently as senior manager of product development for instrumentation products.
Penray Honors Three Longtime Company Execs
Penray is honoring three individuals who are celebrating milestone anniversaries with the company in 2006. Bill Wicker has been selling chemicals to the automotive industry for 40 years, “Uncle” Darrell Hicks has been with Penray for 25 years, and has been selling to truckers, fleets and OEs for more than 40 years. Jim Ritchey has represented the Penray heavy-duty chemicals line for 25 years.
Obituary: Bill Laber, 66, Focused on Life’s Simple Pleasures
Today, I am reminded of how important it is to reach out to those you admire most, care about most, long for most, look up to most, trust most, respect most and enjoy most. Each of those feelings describes how I felt about Bill Laber. I was shocked to learn this morning that Bill passed away on Friday. I remain dazed, angry, confused, deeply saddened and remorseful that I hadn’t seen him in person in more than a year. We communicated often, almost every week if not more, but e-mail and phone calls are never enough.
Jerry Stevens Named Beck/Arnley Vice President of Sales, Canada
Jerry Stevens has been named vice president of sales, Canada, for Beck/Arnley. Prior to joining Beck/Arnley, Stevens served as vice president of sales for a North American fuel and transmission filter supplier for more than six years. He also served as the Canadian general sales manager for ITT Aimco Automotive for more than nine years and with Champion Spark Plug for more than 11 years.
Bosch Marks 100 Years in U.S.
Robert Bosch Corp. is celebrating its first 100 years in the U.S. With its high-voltage magneto ignition system for cars, Bosch entered the U.S. market in 1906 and helped pave the way for reliable motorization, according to David Coolidge, president of Bosch’s North American Aftermarket Division. Forbes magazine recently recognized that spirit of innovation and featured the leading auto part manufacturer in its Nov. 28, 2005 issue.
Bosch Wins Lincoln Award for Performance Excellence
The aftermarket division of Robert Bosch Corp. has won the 2005 Lincoln Silver Award for Progress Towards Excellence. Given by the Lincoln Foundation for Performance Excellence, the award recognizes any Illinois-based industry, service, health care, education or governmental entity for its organizational strength and performance as measured against the seven criteria of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award – leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, information and analysis, human resources focus, process management and organization results.
Chevron Introduces TECHRON Concentrate Plus
Chevron Products Co. has introduced the TECHRON Concentrate Plus Fuel System Cleaner to its family of fuel additives.
NAPA Educates Consumers on Car Care Tactics to Offset High Gas Prices
With fuel prices continuing to rise, NAPA AUTO PARTS recommends that consumers strategically invest in seven short-term maintenance tactics to achieve long-term savings from improved engine efficiency and fuel mileage. Specifically, replacing air filters, fuel filters, oxygen sensors and spark plugs will help boost fuel mileage. Further, using products such as octane boosters, fuel system cleaners and locking gas caps can reduce costs at the pump.
PPG Shows Future Color Trends
Only a handful of people know what new vehicles will look like in 2009. But automotive paint supplier PPG Industries Inc. already has a good idea what colors those vehicles will be. Blue will get more popular in the next four years as more dramatic shades are introduced, such as watery blue-greens and smoky lilacs. Yellows and oranges will get richer and warmer. Reds will glow in deep shades of cranberry and wine, and dark brown will make a comeback.