Tenneco Automotive Announces Executive Appointment
Tenneco Automotive has named Paul Novas vice president of finance and administration for the company’s European operations. Novas will also continue in his current role as corporate treasurer. Novas has served as vice president and corporate treasurer for Tenneco since 1999. He joined Tenneco Inc. in 1996 as assistant treasurer, responsible for corporate finance and North American treasury activities. He played an integral role in executing the financial transactions leading to the separation of Tenneco’s energy and shipbuilding businesses in 1996 and the separation of the packaging and automotive businesses in 1999.
ArvinMeritor to Sell Ohio Trailer Systems Business to Sypris Solutions
ArvinMeritor has announced plans to sell its Kenton, Ohio, trailer systems business to Louisville, Ky.-based Solutions. ArvinMeritor said the sale of the facility, which employs more than 200 people, will allow the company to focus strategically within trailer products on its core processes for the design and assembly of complete systems, which consist of axles, brakes, suspension and ride control. Once the transaction is complete, Sypris Solutions would become a long-term, key supplier of trailer axle beams to ArvinMeritor’s trailer assembly facility in Frankfort, Ky.
Learn How to Work Leaner, Faster, Better at GAAS 2004
Early registrants for the ninth annual Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) program will learn how the aftermarket will work leaner, faster and better at a substantial savings. GAAS 2004 is set for Tuesday and Wednesday, May 18-19, at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago, Ill. Dr. Jeffrey Rosensweig, economist and professor at Emory University, heads the lineup of speakers at GAAS 2004. NASCAR Driver Bill Lester is the featured lunch speaker on Tuesday, May 18. GAAS 2004 will also include two pre-conference events: the 2004 Manufacturers’ Reps Conference on Sunday and Monday, May 16-17, and the University of the Aftermarket Pre-Symposium Seminar on Monday, May 17, “How to Accelerate Your Sales Growth through Increased Customer Loyalty.”
Delphi Appoints Three New Sales Managers in North America
Delphi Corp. has named three new sales managers for North America. Jim Eady, Darrel Reuss and Steve Tucker will serve as regional sales managers for vehicle electronics in North America for Delphi Product & Service Solutions. Eady will cover the Southeast, Reuss the Midwest and Tucker the Northeast and all will report to Scott Donnelly, North American vehicle electronics sales manager.
Four CART Board Members Resign
James Hardymon, James Henderson, Rafael Sanchez and Frederick Tucker have resigned from the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) board of directors, leaving President and CEO Christopher Pook as the sole member of the board. Their resignations come after the recent news that CART’s assets of would be bought out by Open Wheel Racing Series LLC, following a failed merger attempt between the two racing organizations.
Cooperation Urged in Auto Costs Fight
As a former Ford Motor Co. executive, Kathleen Ligocki knows about the carmakers’ mission to slash supplier prices. But in order to survive long-term, automakers must work with suppliers to take out the waste, said Ligocki, now chief executive of Tower Automotive. Speaking on an Automotive News World Congress panel Monday in Dearborn, Mich., Ligocki, a former vice president for Ford customer services, called for a collaborative effort between suppliers and carmakers to improve both sides’ bottom lines.
Intermet to Close Havana, Ill., Foundry
Intermet Corp. intends to close its foundry in Havana, Ill., during the second quarter of this year. The company said the closure is necessary to rationalize excess production capacity and reduce costs. The facility, which manufactures ductile-iron castings for the automotive industry, currently employs 205 people, including hourly and salaried staff. The company will consolidate the plant’s equipment and products into other existing Intermet foundries.
Midas Completes Restructuring
Midas said it has completed its restructuring plan successfully, and on schedule. In April 2003, Midas announced agreements with AutoZone in the U.S. and Uni-Select in Canada for distribution of Midas brand and other automotive parts to the 1,900 Midas shops in North America. Midas’ timetable to exit the parts distribution business was the end of fiscal 2003. In April 2003, Midas announced agreements with AutoZone in the U.S. and Uni-Select in Canada for distribution of Midas brand and other automotive parts to the 1,900 Midas shops in North America. Midas’ timetable to exit the parts distribution business was the end of fiscal 2003.
Visteon Projects Profit After Losses
Visteon Corp. expects to earn a small net profit this year after losing at least $1.6 billion from 2001 to 2003, executives said Thursday. If Visteon turns a profit this year, it would be the first since 2000, the year the auto parts maker separated from Ford Motor Co. In a briefing for Wall Street analysts in conjunction with the North American International Auto Show, Visteon laid out its financial expectations for the first time in at least a year.
Bridgestone Americas’ Lampe To Retire
John Lampe, chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone Americas Holding, who led the company’s remarkable recovery after devastating tire recalls in late 2000 and early 2001, announced today that he is retiring effective Mar. 31. He will be succeeded as chairman and CEO of BAH by Mark Emkes, currently chairman, CEO and president of Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire (BFNAT). Lampe announced his retirement this afternoon during a company-wide live Web cast and conference call. In addition, Lampe and Emkes granted Tire Review an exclusive in-depth interview about the retirement and the company’s future plans earlier this morning.