BWD Automotive Announces Vehicle Service Professional Rewards Program
BWD Automotive has launched a new Vehicle Service Professional (VSP) Rewards program, designed to foster, preserve and enhance the relationship among automotive repair technicians, distribution customers and BWD Automotive. The goal of VSP Rewards is to provide today’s professional automotive technician with up-to-date educational and reference tools required by an increasingly complex automotive repair industry.
CSK and NHRA to Educate Youth on Dangers of Street Racing
CSK Auto Inc. and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) have joined forces to educate America’s youth of the dangers of street racing and the benefits of racing at licensed race tracks under controlled conditions. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for people aged 16 to 20. CSK Funny Car drivers Del Worsham and Phil Burkart, in conjunction with local police departments, are scheduling visits to high schools throughout the country to share their professional racing experience and offer firsthand knowledge of why drivers should “Race on the Track, Never on the Street.”
Bosch Awarded Patent for Oxygen Sensor Connection System
Robert Bosch Corp. has been awarded a U.S. patent for its sealed, submersible “quick-connection” system for Bosch universal heated oxygen sensors. The quick connection system, which features a unique sealing system and specially formulated, heat resistant Posi-Lock connectors, was developed by Bosch engineers at the company’s manufacturing facility in Anderson, SC, and Germany.
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.
Tower Automotive Retirees Will See Health Premiums Soar
About 1,200 retirees of Milwaukee’s Tower Automotive plant who opt to keep their current medical coverage will see their monthly health insurance premiums quadruple, or more. Premiums for some of the retirees have increased to more than $1,000 a month. Company officials say skyrocketing healthcare costs have given them no choice but to raise the premiums.
Apogee Appoints New CFO
Apogee Enterprises, which develops and delivers value-added glass products and services for the automotive industry, has appointed William Marchido as its CFO. Marchido had been CFO at Siemens Dematic in Grand Rapids, Mich., since 1988. At Siemens Dematic, he was responsible for all financial areas, including IT systems management and productivity improvement programs, for the America’s Material Handling Division and locations in Europe, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.
CBS Segment Featuring ASA’s Ron Pyle Sparks Criticism from Insurers, Repairers
The Automotive Service Association’s (ASA’s) Chief Staff Executive Ron Pyle was recently featured in two CBS programs that addressed the issue of insurer-owned body shops. A number of insurers and repairers responded negatively to the segment, including the National Auto Body Council (NABC), which sent a stern letter to CBS News stating that the segment didn’t live up to its sensationalized billing, when Dan Rather told the viewing audience to stay tuned to see how consumers are possibly being ripped off by collision repair shops.
PERA Announces Schedule for 2004 Marketing and Technical Program
The Production Engine Remanufacturers Association (PERA) has announced the schedule for its 2004 Marketing and Technical Program, which is slated to take place April 1-3 at the Seelbach Hilton Hotel, in Louisville, Ky.
High Schoolers Earn Certifications from Industry
A diploma isn’t the only important document that some students have in hand when they graduate from high school these days. A growing number of students, educators say, are graduating with specific, industry-defined skills certifications that can have immediate value in the job market. Industries in which such certification is available include computer maintenance, automotive repair, nursing, graphic arts and food service.