MEMA Names New Executive Director of Association Management Division
Brent Hazelett has been promoted to executive director of Management Services Group (MSG), the association management division of MEMA. He has served as the executive director of the Filter Manufacturers Council (FMC) since May 1998, and will continue to serve in that capacity as well.
Toyo Tires Adds Second California Warehouse
Toyo Tires has announced the addition of a second warehouse facility in Southern California. Located in Mira Loma, Calif., the new, 430,000-plus-square-foot facility will handle both additional warehousing as well as U.S. distribution, according to the tiremaker.
Goodyear to Complete Purchase of Slovenia’s Sava Tires
In a move to further strengthen its position in the central and eastern European market, Goodyear Tire & Rubber is acquiring the remainder of Sava Tires d.o.o., a joint venture tire manufacturing company located in Kranj, Slovenia. In 1998, Goodyear acquired a 60 percent stake in the Sava Tires joint venture. In 2002, the company bought an additional 20 percent . Goodyear will exercise its call option and purchase the remaining 20 percent of Sava Tires owned by Slovenia’s Sava d.d. for approximately $52 million.
ArvinMeritor’s Bill Overmyer Named Advance Auto Parts’ Sales Rep of the Year
Bill Overmyer, national accounts sales manager for ArvinMeritor’s Light Vehicle Aftermarket (LVA) group, has earned Advance Auto Parts’ Advance Factory Direct Representative Award. The award recognizes the achievements of a veteran sales professional who best supports Advance Auto Parts’ marketing, training, customer service and merchandising initiatives. Overmyer was presented with the award at the auto parts chain’s recent annual Leadership Conference.
ATK Names Dan Belling President
Dan Belling, vice president of sales and marketing for ATK North America, has been promoted to the position of president. As president, Belling will be responsible for all of ATK’s U.S. operations. ATK North America is part of the VEGE Group, an international remanufacturing organization specializing in replacement engines and transmissions for passenger cars and light trucks.
Sorensen Appointed to Hella Inc. Board of Directors
Automotive aftermarket lighting and component specialist Hella Inc. has named Soren Sorensen to its board of directors. Sorensen, vice president of special OEM sales, has been involved with Hella products for more than 25 years and has led Hella’s sales efforts in a number of positions.
Castrol SYNTEC Blend DIFM Sales Increase 80 Percent in 2003
Castrol Consumer North America offers operators a choice between conventional and synthetic motor oils, with Castrol SYNTEC Blend, a part synthetic motor oil, which provides added engine protection for severe driving conditions.
ANSA Automotive Names Mitch Williams National Sales Development Manager
Mitch Williams, founder of Vehicle Performance Systems, a recently formed international sales and marketing agency, has joined the ANSA Automotive sales team. Heading up National Sales Development, he will focus on expanding and managing the independent outside rep base and developing major WD relationships for both Silverline and ANSA SPORT performance exhausts.
Hayes Lemmerz To Close Michigan Plant
Hayes Lemmerz International said it will permanently close its Howell, Mich., manufacturing facility as part of a manufacturing rationalization plan for its North American Wheel Group. The closure is intended to reduce operating costs and increase facility utilization, the company said.
High-tech is Giving Drivers Another Set of Eyes on Highways
Advances in automotive technology are giving drivers another set of eyes. There is parking assistance that backs a car into a parking space, miniature cameras that help a driver see at night and in blinding sunlight, detection devices that sound an alert when a driver crosses into a lane without activating the turn signal or starts to get too close to a pedestrian.