Tom Walsh: Detroit Automakers and Suppliers Need to Find Harmony
Michigan’s economy has taken the worst shellacking of any state from the shakeout of the U.S. auto industry. No surprise, right? Michigan lost 65,000 automotive jobs from 2001 to 2005; Ohio lost 17,000 and Indiana about 8,000 in the same period. But here’s the kicker: It could have been worse, much worse, for Michigan.
Jiffy Lube International Sponsors Car Care Council Women’s Board 2006 Scholarship
Jiffy Lube International has agreed to be a sponsor of the Car Care Council Women’s Board 2006 scholarship program. Scholarships will be awarded to female students who are pursuing education to prepare them for a career in the automotive aftermarket. Scholarships are available for post secondary students who have completed one year at an ASE certified, post-secondary automobile technology program, and high school seniors who plan on attending an ASE certified, post-secondary automobile technology program.
Auto Woes Manufacture City’s Decline
Look at a map of Ypsilanti, MI, and draw your finger along Ford Street and over to the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum, home to obscure cars once built here. Or circle around to Factory Street and Ford Lake, a man-made invention created when Henry Ford brought the promise of hydropower and middle-class wages to the city in the 1930s.
Tenneco to Expand on Walker Exhaust Brand Offerings
Tenneco will introducing nearly 300 additional Walker replacement exhaust assemblies, premium and standard mufflers and direct-fit catalytic converters. The Walker brand is a leading “one-stop” source of replacement exhaust and emission control products for domestic and import passenger vehicles.
Arvin Sango Receives Toyota Improvement Recognition
ArvinMeritor, Inc. announced that its U.S. joint venture, Arvin Sango, Inc., received Toyota’s Breakthrough Supplier Quality Recognition for improved product quality and increased efficiency at its Madison, IN, exhaust assembly facility. During a personal visit with employees on June 17, President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America, Inc., Atsushi Niimi, and President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Inc., Ray Tanguay, presented the recognition and congratulated the team on its achievements.
Delphi Reveals More Errors; Two More Executives Ousted
Delphi Corp. disclosed more accounting errors Thursday and forced out two more executives, bringing to six the number of senior officials who have left the Troy-based automotive supplier because of financial irregularities. Delphi, already under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its accounting, said that from the time General Motors Corp. spun off the supplier in 1999 until the end of 2004 it failed to properly disclose the amount of accounts receivable, or money owed from other businesses for its services or merchandise, from its European operations.
Auto Suppliers Feel Carmakers’ Pain
Automotive supplier Collins & Aikman filed for bankruptcy-court protection Tuesday, evidence that financial troubles at the automakers are having a rapid and dramatic effect on the companies that make car parts. A May 5 decision by Standard & Poor’s to downgrade General Motors and Ford Motor to junk bond status had little near-term impact on the carmakers, but automotive suppliers are suddenly facing a cash crunch that could put their very existence at risk.
Leadership Development Network Offers Aftermarket Scholarships
Three $1,000 scholarships are available to students pursuing degrees in Northwood University’s Aftermarket Management program from the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association’s (AAIA) Leadership Development Network (LDN). Selection criteria are based upon financial need, academic excellence and level of interest in the industry.
AOCA Elects New Board Members
At its annual business meeting held April 24 in New Orleans, the members of the Automotive Oil Change Association, (AOCA), elected L. Ward Huntley to a three-year term on its board of directors. Huntley is the president of South Lubes, Inc., headquartered in Orange Park, Fla. The company operates 60 Jiffy Lube locations in Florida and North and South Carolina. Huntley has been a member of AOCA since entering the fast lube industry in 1994, and is the first franchisee to serve on AOCA’s board.
Insurance Firms Drop Support of Asbestos Fund
While the number of claimants seeking restitution for asbestos-related claims continues to grow, more than a dozen insurance companies have withdrawn their support for the proposed $140 billion federal trust fund that would serve to pay these claims, according to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). This will likely have an impact on Congress’ passage of legislation on asbestos litigation, as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter, was expected to introduce a trust fund bill this week, the report said.